White House Shooting: Political Violence and Mental Instability Strike Again

Saturday, May 23, brought yet another example of political violence – and, uncoincidentally, reports of mental instability. Around 6 p.m. local time, Nasire Best, a 21-year-old Marylander, opened fire on security checkpoint near the White House and was killed by Secret Service agents. Was this an attempt on the life of President Donald Trump, or was it just an attack on the Secret Service? The young man’s motives aren’t entirely known at this time – but what has been revealed is his history of mental illness and run-ins with the law.

What’s interesting about most instances of political violence is the mental health connection. But that does make sense, doesn’t it? Mentally healthy people don’t typically take up arms and go on a mission to murder someone. So then, it follows that the revelation of Mr. Best’s reported instability should come as no surprise. Still, that leads us to yet another question: Why does it seem political violence has become so prevalent in the age of Trump?

Shots Fired Near the White House

According to many widely reported sources in DC, at about 6 p.m. Saturday evening, Nasire Best opened fire at a Secret Service checkpoint near the White House. He used a revolver and only got a few shots off before agents returned fire and killed him. Best was taken to the George Washington University Hospital, where he died.

President Trump was present at the White House, but he was inside. There were also various members of the press on location, who were ushered inside the White House, presumably for their safety.

No Secret Service agents were reportedly injured, but a bystander was shot and also taken to the hospital for treatment. The as-of-yet unidentified bystander was described at the time as being in “serious condition,” but no updates have yet been given from there – nor has it been revealed who actually shot the bystander.

Bullets, Math, and the Critical Unanswered Questions

Here, it seems fitting to take a moment for a perhaps uncomfortable assessment of the situation. People reported hearing between 15 and 30 shots in total – a range later confirmed to the press by law enforcement. It does again bear mention that Best pulled a revolver and reportedly fired three shots only – meaning the vast majority of bullets flying in the streets near the White House were from the Secret Service. Even if we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume Best shot four times (as one report did use the term “several”) and the total number of rounds fired was 15, that’s 11-4, with the Secret Service accountable for about 73% of the total. Worst case, Best only got off three, and the federal agents shot 27 out of 30, or 90%. This leaves a few questions that must be answered.

First, how many shots did the Secret Service fire, precisely? That number absolutely can be determined – and quite easily so. Every agent knows what weapon they’re firing and the capacity of its magazine. Therefore, they know precisely how many rounds were - or at least should have been - in their weapons to begin with. Drop and empty the mag, eject the round from the chamber, and count the bullets; now you know how many rounds each agent fired without even having to find bullets or discarded shell casings. Then do the math. The total of all shots fired was either 15, 30, or somewhere in between – but there’s absolutely no reason not to know that fairly early on in the investigation, since determining the number is as simple as checking all the weapons involved – including Mr. Best’s revolver.

The second and arguably more critical question is: How many struck Nasire Best? The four primary rules of firearm safety are to always keep the muzzle of your gun pointed in a safe direction, treat all guns as if they’re loaded, keep your finger off the trigger until you’re taking a shot, and always be sure of your target and what’s beyond. If the Secret Service fired a total of, say, 16 rounds, then there should be 16 rounds in Nasire Best’s body. If not, then we have the third question: Where did the rest of them go? Every bullet fired will hit something – even if it’s just the ground. But every bullet fired that doesn’t hit the intended target is one hot piece of lead that could injure or kill an innocent bystander – or, for that matter, even just do some property damage.

These are uncomfortable questions to ask, but they are necessary – and there needs to be answers given by law enforcement sooner rather than later.

Mental Illness and Political Violence – The TDS Epidemic

Now, let’s shift the focus back to Nasire Best. The 21-year-old Marylander had previously been arrested trying to enter the White House back in 2025. He was known to the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as were his mental health issues. Best reportedly claimed to be Jesus Christ when arrested and said that he actually wanted to be arrested. He has reportedly claimed on social media to be the “real” Osama bin Laden and has also threatened violence against President Trump.

Clearly, this man isn’t mentally stable – but that should come as no surprise, as mentally stable people typically don’t try to assassinate politicians. But it’s also evident that these attempts are becoming more frequent in the age of Trump. Why? Crazy folks are going to think and do crazy things; there’s no avoiding that. But what can be avoided is radicalizing them – either intentionally or unintentionally – by widely publishing heated and thematically violent political rhetoric. Here’s a recent example:

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) posted on X shortly after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month: “Thankful for the swift law enforcement action to protect everyone from gunfire at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Praying for the safety of those who may remain in harm's way. The violence and chaos in America must end.”

That’s a noble sentiment – but just two days later, he told reporters: “I don’t give a damn about the criticism … get lost,” when asked about his earlier use of violent-sounding rhetoric against Republicans. He had told the press after Virginians narrowly passed the now-overturned congressional map that “we are in an era of maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”

Would a rational person take that statement about “maximum warfare” as a direct call to assassinate the president? Of course not – but we aren’t talking about rational people, here.

Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker, said in 2018: “I just don’t even know why there aren’t uprisings all over the country, and maybe there will be.” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) – and numerous other left-wing politicians and media personalities at various times – said folks should or that they felt like punching Donald Trump in the face. Joe Biden, on multiple occasions, said that “if we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), no stranger to violent political rhetoric, said in 2017 at a gala for LGBT youth: “And with this kind of inspiration, I will go and take Trump out tonight.”

Why have there been so many more attempts on President Trump’s life than we typically see during other presidencies? It could well be because there is considerably more – and more vehement – violent rhetoric being thrown around. Those guilty of it can explain it away all they want, but the fact remains: The national political conversation has become increasingly violent against President Donald Trump, his administration, and his supporters – and actual political violence has increased right along with it.