Former President Barack Obama on Sunday urged Americans to not resort to bloodshed in “our democracy” while thanking Secret Service agents for their actions following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

A man rushed into an area of the Washington Hilton near the dinner and opened fire on Saturday. A Secret Service agent was struck in his bulletproof vest and is expected to be OK. Several officers converged on the ballroom to protect President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet members who were present along with media.

“It’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy,” Obama wrote. “It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay.”

Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy. It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice…

Some on the right criticized him for saying no details were available about the shooting.

Shortly after the incident, reports emerged about messages the shooter had allegedly written expressing animus toward the Trump administration while calling himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin.”

Obama struck a similar tone to Sunday’s post after a shooter grazed Trump’s ear in an assassination attempt in 2024 at a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy,” Obama wrote then. “Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.”

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