Why is US political violence on the rise? | Global News Podcast

More information is emerging about the man accused of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, allegedly targetting President Donald Trump and others in his administration. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, describes himself as a mechanical engineer, game developer and teacher on his LinkedIn.

Allen reportedly sent family members a document – described by media as a "manifesto" – in which he lists his grievances with President Trump and his policies.

Speaking to the press on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed a "left-wing cult of hatred for the president" for the attack, saying it hatred "has gotten multiple people hurt and killed".

This is the third time in three years that Donald Trump has been targetted by an assassination attempt. A bullet grazed his ear during a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. Later that year, a man was charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate after being arrested at Mr Trump’s Florida golf club.

There has been a series of high-profile acts of politically motivated violence in recent years, including the killing of Democratic Minnesota State representative Melissa Hortman and her husband; the killing of conservative activist and media personality Charlie Kirk; and an attack on the husband of Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Our White House correspondent Bernd Debusmann tells us there there is a clear feeling in the US that politically motivated violence is on the rise – and that many people blame the increasing polarisation of American politics.

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