‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Alum Patricia Heaton Issues Plea to ‘Friends on the Left’ After WHCD Incident

Patricia Heaton called on left-leaning people to turn down political rhetoric against people they disagree with in light of the shooting at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

The former Everybody Loves Raymond actress, 68, took to her X account on Sunday, April 26, where she shared several other people’s posts about not celebrating the shooter’s alleged attempt to target senior White House officials at the event on April 25. However, neither she nor they specified any specific celebration or inappropriate reaction. Still, she shared a post in her own words, urging people on the left to lower the national temperature.

“I wasn’t happy when Clinton, Obama or Biden won, but I didn’t call them fascist/dangerous/threat to democracy,” she wrote. “I didn’t hope someone would assassinate them. I went on with my life with gratitude. Friends on the left, please try this. Your life and our country will be better.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC News that a motive for the alleged shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, is still being investigated. However, he stated that “preliminary” findings indicate that he was targeting Trump administration officials at the gala.

Filmmaker and comedian Mike Binder responded to Heaton’s post, joking that he is guilty of “similar stuff” when it comes to rhetoric, saying he got mad when he didn’t get a part on Everybody Loves Raymond and, at the time, went as far as to call its star, Ray Romano, “Hitler.”

“Hahahaha! I think you did ok despite Ray being Hitler…” Heaton responded.