Story perspectives

White House Blames Left for Shooter; Jeffries Calls Her Liar

4/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the left a “cult of hatred” and tied its rhetoric to the shooter’s manifesto.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Leavitt a “stone-cold liar,” accused her of hypocrisy, noting Democrats have not condemned MAGA extremists or the Jan 6 attack.
Leavitt cited a Jimmy Kimmel joke about First Lady Melania Trump as proof of harmful anti-President discourse and warned that such messaging fuels violence.

History

Historical Context

After 2015 Charleston church shooting spurred moves to remove Confederate monuments, white supremacists led by Richard Spencer gathered in Charlottesville to protest planned removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in August 2017. The rally turned violent; James Alex Fields Jr. rammed a car into counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer and wounding 35. President Donald Trump’s “very fine people” comment amplified ensuing national debate on extremist rhetoric.

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Story summary

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the left a “cult of hatred” and tied its rhetoric to the shooter’s manifesto.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Leavitt a “stone-cold liar,” accused her of hypocrisy, noting Democrats have not condemned MAGA extremists or the Jan 6 attack.
Leavitt cited a Jimmy Kimmel joke about First Lady Melania Trump as proof of harmful anti-President discourse and warned that such messaging fuels violence.

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