Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) cannot run. That is because nine years ago, while attending a congressional baseball practice, a madman opened fire, with a bullet striking Scalise in the hip, shattering the bone.
During the WHCA dinner on Saturday night, running was not an option for Scalise, but that did not stop him from once again taking on the hero role.
A Democrat, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), looked to Scalise for help as the room was scattering. There was no partisanship. Scalise ordered his Secret Service detail, “He’s a member. Grab him.”
This new wave of political violence started nearly a decade ago when that bullet hit Scalise on his hip. It continued at the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday. The irony in all of this is that the party that has been tossing violent rhetoric that created this scene on Saturday night had a party member saved by someone on the other side, who only has a security detail because of the violent attack against him by a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
To get the core of humanity of this story, we have to go back to the shooting that took place on June 14, 2017.
Republican members of Congress were practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, VA, when James Hodgkinson, a left-wing activist from Belleville, Illinois, opened fire.
Based on his social media posts, it was determined that Hodgkinson was a strong Bernie Sanders supporter, having posted, according to CNN:
“Bernie – please run no matter what” … “Hillary Rodham Clinton should concede the nomination to Bernie Sanders” … “Healthcare for all Americans.”
He was also significantly anti-Trump, having also posted:
“Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”
In another post, he likened the Republicans to the “Taliban.”
On this day, he chose to act on those feelings. Now, keep in mind, Trump had only been in office for about six months, but he had been fed anti-Trump rhetoric for about 18 months from Democrats, including Sanders, who regularly likened Trump to a fascist.
When Hodgkinson arrived at the ballpark, he did not even know who was playing. According to reports at the time, he asked another bystander if it was Republicans or Democrats on the field. When he was told it was the Republican team, he opened fire.
Capitol Police officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey were wounded in the exchange. An additional officer, Matt Mika, a Tyson Foods lobbyist, and Zack Barth, a congressional staffer, were also wounded.
Scalise was shot in the hip, shattering the bone, as well as having significant internal organ damage. He underwent multiple surgeries and was in critical condition for weeks.
Scalise returned to Congress in late September, more than 90 days after the shooting, to a standing ovation, mind you, but he has stated that it took him more than a year to recover (while he still has lingering effects from the injury).
Sadly, Scalise had to relive a similar event this past weekend.
The alleged shooter from the WHCA dinner has been identified as Cole Allen, from Torrance, CA.
He reportedly rushed the main magnetometer screening area at the Washington Hilton, firing at least one shot, which hit an officer in his vest. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, a witness to the shooting, claimed he heard at least six shots.
After the shots rang, Vice President JD Vance was grabbed by Secret Service and removed from the stage.
The Trump cover and move was a far different story. Once again, I believe it took far too long to not only cover Trump, but to remove him and the First Lady from the situation.
Trump, however, has covered for the agents, saying that he was not making it easy for them. He, according to a CBS News report, claimed:
"I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn't making it that easy for them.”
After things calmed down, it was revealed that Allen had written a manifesto, explaining why he was doing what he was doing, as well as who he was targeting, which was more or less every Republican official he could find in the administration.
His line of reasoning sounded like a Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) X post. Lieu has made it a regular habit of posting about the Epstein files, insinuating that Trump is a rapist and a pedophile. Here is just one of Lieu's posts, but this will give you a general idea of what he has been posting, and he does this regularly:
Donald Trump is in the Epstein files THOUSANDS of times, including highly disturbing allegations against him.
These allegations need to be seriously looked at. pic.twitter.com/mp61ZDADa5
— Rep. Ted Lieu (@RepTedLieu) February 3, 2026
In the Allen manifesto, he referred to Trump as “pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” which “60 Minutes” Norah O’Donnell could not wait to read to President Trump during their interview.
Ironically, this hotel, the Washington Hilton, was the same hotel where John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Reagan in 1981.
During the shooting, Moskowitz found himself on an island of sorts, but when he looked up, he saw Scalise on the move with his security detail.
After things calmed down, he thanked Scalise for getting him to safety on X, posting:
“I am at the #WHCD. I want to thank law enforcement, Capital [sic] police. I personally want to thank Steve Scalise who grabbed me into a secure room.”
He later did an interview on CNN with Dana Bash, giving her the full rundown of events. He said he was hiding under a table when he spotted Scalise. He then continued:
“And so I popped up and said, ‘Steve, can I come with you?’ And he said to his detail, ‘He’s a member, grab him.’ And, you know, Steve grabbed me and put me into the secure room with him. You know, regular members don’t have anything. We don’t have any detail. We don’t have any protection.”
He continued:
“There’s a fund we’ve been given when we’re out and about. But in an event like that, we’re just like everybody else, right? Only leadership has that. And so yeah, I’m very thankful for Steve for letting me come with him and putting me into the secure room.”
The feelings for Moskowitz must have been overwhelming. He is a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, where 17 people were killed by a school shooter in 2018. He has made gun violence and school safety key aspects of his platform as a congressman.
In a deep dive last week, I outlined the political violence that has overcome this country in recent years (click here to read the full report).
It’s been nearly a decade since Scalise was shot. Since then, there have been attacks against members on both sides of the aisle, and this shooting would make at least the third attempt on President Trump’s life.
Yet, the rhetoric continues to fly. When will they learn that the very people being targeted are the people pouring gasoline on this fire?
This time, there was a Steve Scalise to pull someone from the fray, but that may not be the case next time. And believe me, if this nonsense continues, there will be a next time.
