God and Man in the White House Press Room

Why does it take the specter of violence before we can have a little political respite?

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President Donald Trump speaks at a press briefing at the White House following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., April 25, 2026.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Are you nostalgic for a time when evil was mostly the stuff of superhero cartoons and video games? Perhaps we have the power to reclaim some innocence, optimism, and unity. Quite unexpectedly, we saw something like it happen in Washington, D.C., of all places. In the White House press room.

Donald Trump — during his first presidential term, his second, and the time in between — isn’t exactly known for turning down the temperature. At the same time, however, he didn’t start the fire. The fact that politics had become so maddening in the first place is what created a vacuum for the host of The Apprentice to fill.

KL

About the Author

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Kathryn Jean Lopez is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and the religion editor of National Review. Sign up for her weekly newsletter here. She is the author of A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living.

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