White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday blamed inflammatory rhetoric, including that from elected Democrats, for the apparent mass shooting attempt Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at a Washington, D.C., hotel.

During a press conference, Leavitt was asked about the "normalization of violence" – specifically a sketch ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel did that referred to first lady Melania Trump as an "expectant widow" just days before a gunman tried to enter the hotel ballroom, filled with journalists, President Trump, Cabinet members and hundreds of others. Leavitt said this country, especially Democrats, need to "tone down" the rhetoric. 

"It is the entire Democrat Party that has made their pitch to voters across the country that Donald Trump poses an existential threat to democracy, that he is a fascist and that they compare him to Hitler. There are despicable statements that the American people have been consuming for years," she said. 

Leavitt listed out a number of recent statements from Democratic elected officials. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said "heads need to roll." Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said people are "dying because of fear and terror caused by the Trump administration." Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, said Trump is making the country look like a "fascist state." 

"These are Democrat elected officials calling for war against the President of the United States and his supporters," Leavitt said, adding that their rhetoric is "inspiring violence by people who are already mentally ill."