Barack Obama did this exact same thing after the Orlando Pulse nightclub attack in 2016.
A jihadist who had pledged allegiance to ISIS killed 49 Americans, and Obama spent days avoiding the words “Islamic extremism.”
Now Cole Allen just tried to unalive Trump and his entire Cabinet – and Obama is doing it again.
What Obama Actually Said
Nearly six hours after Allen’s anti-Trump manifesto became public, Obama posted on X claiming there was no way to know the motive – and urged Americans to “reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy.”
https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/2048511290021237017?s=20
That post has been viewed nearly 77 million times.
Federal law enforcement had already confirmed Allen’s motive to Fox News Digital – the suspect told investigators he intended to target Trump administration officials and had prepared a manifesto spelling out exactly that intent.
Allen had shared anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric across his social media before walking into the Washington Hilton with a weapon.
The Reaction Was Immediate
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin went straight at Obama on X, pointing out that Allen had published an anti-Trump manifesto minutes before trying to storm a ballroom containing the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and senior administration officials.
“Let’s not pretend to be this clueless about motive, @BarackObama,” Zeldin wrote.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona put it plainly: “There is a manifesto, and this is why you are the problem.”
The Republican National Committee called it a lie – pointing out that law enforcement had already confirmed the attacker was a radicalized leftist targeting Trump and his administration.
https://twitter.com/LeeMZeldin/status/2048529405828301219?s=20
Former FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino replied with three words: “Are you kidding?”
Political commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon framed Obama’s post as a deliberate act, writing that the claim of ignorance was “also a confession – an admission that the motive is damning to President Obama’s side.”
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro – who was in that hotel – confirmed Allen faces two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
More charges are expected.
This Is Not Confusion – It Is Strategy
Obama is not confused about the motive.
Cole Allen wrote down his motive, published it, and then pulled the trigger.
What Obama is doing is what the Left always does when a radicalized leftist commits political violence against conservatives: buying time.
The goal is 48 hours of “we don’t know yet” before anyone on his side has to answer hard questions about the political environment they helped create.
The same playbook ran after the 2017 congressional baseball shooting when James Hodgkinson – a Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer – opened fire on Republican congressmen practicing for a charity game.
Left-wing media spent days “seeking a motive” while Hodgkinson’s Facebook page sat there, plastered with anti-Republican screeds.
Obama has nearly 52 million people reading his post right now.
Every one of them who shares it without knowing about the manifesto becomes a foot soldier in the cover-up.
It worked in 2016. It worked in 2017.
And Obama is counting on it working again.
Sources:
– Andrew Mark Miller and Peter Pinedo, “Obama sets internet ablaze with ‘sick’ reaction to the ‘motive’ of WHCD shooter,” Fox News, April 27, 2026. – Lee Zeldin, post on X, April 27, 2026. – Batya Ungar-Sargon, post on X, April 27, 2026. – Republican National Committee, post on X, April 27, 2026.