Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) is suggesting that recent comments from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) may have contributed to the political climate surrounding the incident.
Over the weekend, Allen allegedly breached a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and opened fire, leading to his arrest and subsequent federal charges. Authorities say a Secret Service officer was struck but protected by a ballistic vest.
Ahead of the incident, Democrats and Florida Republicans clashed over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposed redistricting map, which the Florida Legislature is scheduled to vote on this week. If approved by the Republican-led Legislature, the controversial map could give Republicans four additional congressional seats, potentially putting lawmakers such as Reps. like Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) in a difficult position ahead of the November election.
In response to the proposed map, House Minority Leader Jeffries drew criticism after releasing a statement calling for “maximum warfare” if Republicans move forward with the redistricting effort.
Rep. Van Duyne suggested the rhetoric may have played a role in the violence over the weekend.
Wednesday, Hakeem Jeffries calls for “Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time” against Republicans.
Saturday, a deranged, heavily armed Leftist tries to assassinate the President and members of the Administration.
Not a coincidence. Leftist violence against political…
— Beth Van Duyne (@Bethvanduyne) April 26, 2026
In a post on social media, the Texas Republican wrote, “Wednesday, Hakeem Jeffries calls for ‘Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time,’ against Republicans. Saturday, a deranged, heavily armed Leftist tries to assassinate the President and members of the Administration.”
She added, “Not a coincidence, Leftist violence against political opponents is real and they continue to try and justify it.”
Texas Politics has reached out to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for a comment.
