'Notorious Liar': Obama Dragged for Claiming Motive Behind Shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner 'Isn't Known' — Despite an Alleged Manifesto
Barack Obama faced backlash after claiming the WHCD shooting motive is still unknown.
April 27 2026, Updated 11:41 a.m. ET
Barack Obama was slammed online after claiming the motive behind the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting remains unclear, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
His remarks came despite an alleged manifesto suggesting the suspected gunman was targeting members of the Trump administration.
Obama Says Motive 'Isn't Known'
Critics pointed to an alleged manifesto as evidence of a political motive behind the attack.
Obama addressed the shocking incident in a statement on X Sunday evening, urging calm while acknowledging limited information.
"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 us all to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he wrote.
"It's also a sobering reminder of the courage and the sacrifice that US Secret Service Agents show every day. I'm grateful to them — and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be OK," Obama added.
The writings reportedly referenced members of the Trump administration as targets.
Alleged Manifesto Targets Trump Administration
Republican figures accused Obama of downplaying what they described as a clear motive.
A message attributed to suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen, 31, appeared to contradict Obama's claim by detailing his alleged reasoning.
"Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I'm not the person raped in a detention camp. I'm not the fisherman executed without trial," the manifesto reportedly read.
"I'm not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration. Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor's crimes," it continued.
In another passage, Allen allegedly wrote: "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes."
Critics Slam 'Clueless' Response
Some people blamed the Left for the shooting.
Republican figures argued there was little uncertainty about the suspect's alleged motives.
"There is no ambiguity. It was a politically motivated attack driven by anti-Trump and anti-Christian bile. It's wrong to downplay or obscure the obvious motive," former DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin wrote.
"Let's not pretend to be this clueless about motive," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin added. "The attempted assassin put out an anti-Trump manifesto about wanting to kill Trump Admin officials, minutes before trying to storm a ballroom filled with the President, VP, Cabinet, and many others from his Admin."
"The motive is obvious to even a blind squirrel. You can still dislike Trump and realize that the left is the problem," an X user argued.
Another wrote, "We actually do have the details, and [it] shows that he was a Leftist who wanted to target Trump and members of his administration."
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'Notorious Liar' Remark Fuels Backlash
Other critics labeled the former president a 'liar' over his response to the shooting.
Some critics escalated their attacks, directly accusing the former president of dishonesty.
"Notorious liar Barack Obama is at it again," one post read. "That's nonsense. The shooter's manifesto is public, and it is explicit."
"It was politically motivated. He made that pretty clear," Utah Senator Mike Lee wrote.
"Law enforcement officers confirmed this radicalized Leftist was targeting President Trump and his administration last night. Why are you lying?" an account tied to the Republican National Committee posted.
