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Patricia Heaton is calling on “her friends on the left” to tone down heated political rhetoric following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, first lady Melania Trump and other top officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton after shots were fired near the ballroom after a gunman exchanged fire with Secret Service agents in the lobby before being subdued and taken into custody.
When shots were fired, hundreds of attendees ducked under tables or took cover inside the ballroom before being evacuated, and the event was subsequently postponed.
On Sunday, Heaton, 68, wrote on X that although she disagreed with past Democratic presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, she believes critics of political leaders should reject extreme language and violence.
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“I wasn’t happy when Clinton, Obama or Biden won, but I didn’t call them fascist/dangerous/threat to democracy. I didn’t hope someone would assassinate them. I went on with my life with gratitude. Friends on the left, please try this. Your life and our country will be better,” the “Everybody Loves Raymond” star said.
Patricia Heaton urged her “friends on the left” to reject violent political rhetoric following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. (Brian Stukes/Getty Images)
On Sunday, senior federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that the suspect told law enforcement he intended to target Trump administration officials.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif., adding that he prepared a manifesto outlining his intent and shared anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media.
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As the WHCA was underway, Allen allegedly rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while armed with multiple weapons and opened fire, striking a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest.
Agents returned fire and tackled Allen to the ground. The suspect and the injured officer were transported to a hospital. The Secret Service agent is expected to make a full recovery and was released from the hospital Sunday.
The incident adds to a growing list of threats against President Donald Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago.
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The White House said Sunday that Allen’s brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut prior to the shooting, reporting that Allen had sent family members an alleged manifesto outlining his intent to target administration officials.
Officials also said Allen’s social media included anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric.
Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, told investigators in Rockville, Maryland, that her brother had made increasingly radical statements and often spoke about doing “something” to address issues in the world.
A suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, allegedly said he intended to target Trump administration officials. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
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Heaton has previously spoken out against inflammatory political discourse. Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk in September 2025, Heaton called out what she saw as the moral hypocrisy of people who were celebrating or mocking Kirk’s death online,
“The most violent rhetoric is always from people who have phrases like ‘choose kindness’ in their bios,” she tweeted at the time.
Heaton has previously spoken out against “fear-mongering” by political pundits. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
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Following the 2024 presidential election, Heaton slammed political pundits for “fear-mongering” and denigrating voters during the election cycle by telling them Trump posed a threat to their way of life.
“To all these extremists that are allowed television time, who told women that this is what is going to happen to them, shame on you! Shame on you!” she said in a video posted to X in November 2024.
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“Apparently, there are some really vulnerable people here who you targeted, and you fear-mongered to and you need to go back on the air and tell them things are going to be okay, tell them that they’re fine.”
“Also, stop saying people who voted differently from you are ‘uneducated’,” she continued. “Learn your f-ing lesson about smearing people who vote differently from you, who have different needs from you, who have legitimate complaints. Quit dismissing them as uneducated. When are you going to learn?”