Rep. Ro Khanna on Sunday called for a bipartisan commission to address political violence in the United States after gunfire broke out Saturday night at White House correspondents’ dinner.
“We need a bipartisan national commission for political violence in this country,” Mr. Khanna said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We should look at social media. We should look at mental health issues. We should look at language. But we need to do something to bring the temperature down.”
The California Democrat said the attack underscored the volatile nature of the current political environment. A gunman charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton and shot a Secret Service agent wearing a bulletproof vest while President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and senior Cabinet officials were inside.
“This is an event that is actually the symbol of an open, free society,” Mr. Khanna said. “And to see journalists ducking under tables was just horrifying.”
The event marked the first time Mr. Trump attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a sitting president.
Mr. Khanna, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, said he is confident in Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the FBI conducting a thorough investigation, despite his past disagreements with Mr. Blanche over the release of the government files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr. Khanna also said the “horrific” event demands that public officials weigh whether, at these gatherings, “there needs to be even more security in the future.”
“It’s always struck me as a bit odd that the metal detectors are before the ballroom as opposed to before the hotel,” he said. “But maybe there will be some things that need to be fixed.”
