Representative Ro Khanna of California on Sunday proposed the establishment of a bipartisan national commission to confront the surge in political violence across the United States, just one day after a gunman opened fire at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Khanna described the scene inside the Washington Hilton as “horrifying,” noting that journalists were forced to take cover under tables. “We need a bipartisan national commission for political violence in this country,” he said, adding that the effort should examine the roles of social media platforms, mental health services, and the language used by public figures.
Khanna’s call came shortly after Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, appeared on the same program and argued for a de-escalation of political tensions. Tillis described social media as both an “amplifier” and an “instigator” of violence, particularly targeting “vulnerable people.” He urged Americans to “take a breath, confirm their facts, talk to their elected officials, think a bit before they judge people.”
“Our words matter,” Tillis said. “The weight of our words matter, and we need to be very measured in the way that we use them.”
The shooting on Saturday has reignited a national conversation about politically motivated attacks, which polls show Americans believe have become more frequent in recent years. New details about the suspect’s manifesto indicate he intended to target Trump administration officials, ranking them from highest to lowest priority, according to reports from CBS News and an administration official who confirmed the writings to The Hill.
The incident adds to a grim ledger of political violence. Last summer, Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their home in what authorities described as a targeted attack. In September, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. In 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence was set ablaze in another politically motivated arson. And in July 2024, former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
While the investigation into Saturday’s shooting continues, Khanna’s proposal has drawn attention as a potential framework for bipartisan action. The commission, as envisioned, would examine the intersection of online radicalization, mental health gaps, and inflammatory political speech. Some lawmakers, like Representative Jamie Raskin, have already demanded full transparency in the ongoing probe, while others have focused on security protocols at public events.
Khanna stressed that the goal is not to assign blame but to find common ground. “We need to do something to bring the temperature down,” he said.
