Political violence has long been a part of American life, but recent events, including a second attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, have ignited a debate over the role of rhetoric in encouraging such violence.
It should be clear to anyone who has been paying attention since Trump announced his candidacy for president back in 2015 that the left’s consistent use of incendiary language (framing him as a Russian agent, as literally Hitler, and as an existential threat to America and democracy) doesn’t just dehumanize him. It also fosters a volatile climate where political violence against him and his supporters becomes justifiable — especially to individuals who increasingly see themselves as “defenders of democracy” or “anti-fascists.”
The left, however, doesn’t see it that way. In fact, even after a second assassination attempt, Democrats and the media still believe it is not their rhetoric that is to blame for the attempts on Trump’s life, but rather Trump himself.
Hours after the second assassination attempt was reported, “Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt went on the air and stated: “Today’s apparent assassination attempt comes amid increasingly fierce rhetoric on the campaign trail itself. Mr. Trump, his running mate, J.D. Vance, continue to make baseless claims about Haitian immigrants in [Springfield,] Ohio. This weekend, there were new bomb threats in that town.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joined in, once again calling Trump a “threat.” In response, Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked Jean-Pierre, “How many more assassination attempts on Donald Trump until the president and vice president and you pick a different word to describe Trump, other than ‘threat?’”
Jean-Pierre proceeded to attempt to gaslight all those on the right with similar concerns. “The question that you’re asking … is also incredibly dangerous in the way that you’re asking it,” said Jean-Pierre, “because American people are watching … Because it — your question involved a comment and a statement — and, you know, it is — that is also incredibly dangerous when we have been very clear in — in condemning political violence from here.”
In other words, to the left, repeatedly lying and calling Trump an existential threat to America is not dangerous, regardless of the number of attempts on Trump’s life. The real danger only arises when someone questions whether those on the left should stop lying about Trump and moderate their rhetoric.
Of course, this framing does not apply to those on the right when they legitimately express concern over the chaos caused by a massive influx of 20,000 Haitian immigrants into Springfield, Ohio. It is then, as Lester Holt alluded, that words magically become violence once again, even when no one is directly targeting Haitian immigrants, and, as Gov. Mike DeWine noted in a Sept. 16 press conference, all 33 separate bomb threats received at that time had turned out to be hoaxes, with many coming from overseas.
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