Attorney Jamie Raskin deflects Dana Bash’s question about Democratic rhetoric

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was pressed Sunday on whether Democrats should tone down a speech against President Donald Trump after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening caused chaos.

When asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” by Dana Bash if he and other Democrats should reconsider the inflammatory and aggressive language directed at Trump, Raskin replied, “What propaganda do you have in mind?” before adding that he was criticizing the administration’s policies rather than a personal attack.

“I’m talking about the principles of this administration, the dictatorship,” said Raskin. “I don’t make it personal.”

Raskin, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, has called for a sanity check on the president and said Trump has taken a “chainsaw” to the Constitution.

During the interview, Raskin also defended the role of the media and criticized what he described as previous attacks on media institutions.

“I think the press is the people’s best friend and that’s why it’s written right there in the First Amendment,” Raskin said. “We need the media to be vigilant watchdogs at all levels of government.”

Security escorted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. (Tom Brenner/AP)

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Raskin was also asked if he trusted FBI Director Kash Patel and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to oversee the investigation into the dinner incident.

“I hope that this investigation is conducted with complete openness and transparency,” said Raskin.

The police arrested the suspect lying face down following a security incident at the Correspondents’ dinner at the White House. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)

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The conversation began with a discussion of the incident on Saturday night, after Kerry Kennedy wrote on social media that a loud noise sent guests to the floor before the Secret Service rushed to the room. Raskin said he had just arrived and was talking to Kennedy when the commotion broke out.

“I just walked into the room a few minutes ago,” Raskin said. “Suddenly there was a loud noise, crashing sounds, plates, silverware, everything was flying everywhere.”

Raskin said he immediately thought about the history of the Kennedy family after the assassination of his father, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

“I immediately thought about Kerry’s situation, having lost his father in a shooting and his uncle,” Raskin said.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz and his wife, former US Homeland Security Advisor Julia Nesheiwat, are rushed to the Washington Hilton after the postponement of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

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Blanche said on Sunday the suspect was shooting and refusing to help the investigators. He also said that authorities believe the suspect traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, by train and that more charges and details are expected to be filed after a formal request is filed.

“What we learned from our initial investigation, he is not cooperating with them,” said Blanche.

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Federal authorities have not released the full motive as of Sunday morning.