After the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump this past weekend, there have been calls to dial down the toxic political rhetoric on all sides. But in truth, we have been subjected to plenty of accusations, partisan vitriol, and conspiracy theories from the Republicans that have only made the situation worse. A clear motive for the shooting has not come out (though we have learned that the man was a loner who was bullied in high school), and his political affiliations are unclear at this point as well (he was a registered Republican but also gave money to liberal organizations). As the facts are sorted out, politicians and pundits will continue to battle this out in the court of public opinion, and so far they only appear to be making the situation worse.
To his credit, President Biden said in a speech to the nation that “there’s no place in America for this kind of violence” and that “everybody must condemn it.” He also reached out to Trump after the assassination attempt and requested that the FBI expedite the investigation into what happened.
House Speaker Mike Johnson seemed to be taking a conciliatory approach when he said that “everyone needs to turn the rhetoric down.” He went on to say:
We have political opposition and political opponents, but we’re all American. We have to treat one another with dignity and respect.
But then he pointed out a particular quote from an interview with Joe Biden where the president said that “it’s time to put a bull’s-eye on Trump.” While that appears to be a rather unfortunate statement in hindsight, it is rather tame compared to the many times that Trump has incited violence against his opponents.
Johnson also commented: “When the message goes out constantly that Donald Trump would be a threat to democracy and the republic would end, I mean, it heats up the environment.” But this seems to excuse the extremist agenda being laid out by the GOP while also downplaying the dangers that Trump and Project 2025 represent to democracy in this country. If anybody should be toning down the rhetoric, it should be those among the GOP who are pushing hard for this brand of Trumpism to take control of the country.
Shortly after the assassination attempt, Trump himself sent out a message that appeared to be an attempt to bring the country together: “UNITE AMERICA!” But that was followed by yet another rant attacking our system of justice and portraying himself as the victim once again:
As we move forward in uniting our nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the lawless indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the witch hunts—the January 6th hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.’s zombie case, the New York A.G. scam, fake claims about a woman I never met (a decades-old photo in a line with her then-husband does not count), and the Georgia “perfect” phone call charges. The Democrat Justice Department coordinated ALL of these political attacks, which are an election interference conspiracy against Joe Biden’s political opponent, ME. Let us come together to END all weaponization of our justice system, and make America great again!
Comments like this do little to help the situation as they attack our system of government and justice and reinforce the toxic rhetoric and only increase the divisions across the political spectrum.
Not surprisingly, several Republican leaders, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Collins, have suggested that Joe Biden ordered the assassination attempt on Trump, and they are continuing to push conspiracy theories around this. Yet their right-wing Supreme Court just extended ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY to the president to do THIS VERY THING (more on that here). The assassination of a political opponent is one of the VERY examples brought up in the case, and the court extended immunity in that situation.
Considering the fact that Trump has promised retribution against his opponents and even supported unconstitutional military tribunals for those who have run afoul of him, it would not be too far of a stretch to wonder if such an order was issued. I consider it highly unlikely, and Biden has stated that he disagrees with the Supreme Court ruling and will not abuse the specious immunity that has been granted to the executive branch. Nevertheless, he could if he chose to, and Republicans have little room to complain about the situation since the court was furthering their agenda to strengthen the executive.
All of this emphasizes that the dangerous rhetoric and clear bullying on the part of Trump and MAGA have pushed this country to a level of toxicity and division where violence is the logical next step. They attempt to project that back on the Democrats, calling that party the extremists and claiming that they are a threat to democracy. But simply look at the rhetoric coming from Trump and the GOP as well as the roadmap presented by Project 2025, and you should see plenty that raises concern.
No matter what you think of Donald Trump, we should never hope for political violence because it denigrates the country and only moves us further from civil politics and towards even more violence. Mike Johnson is certainly correct that we need to “turn the rhetoric down,” but he needs to help set the example and also make it very clear to the current Republican presidential candidate. Comments like putting a “bull’s-eye on Trump” don’t help either, but that is about as far as Biden has gone in pushing the envelope on civil politics, and it is much tamer than many of the comments issued by Trump.
This election grows increasingly heated, and it is quite clear that the stakes are high. The Republicans will certainly do what they can to use the assassination attempt in their favor and sway public opinion towards Donald Trump. But their arguments are almost all indefensible and often fall apart when you measure those against previous statements and actions. They continue to dial up the toxic speech even while saying others (read: the Democrats) should tone it down. The assassination attempt should never have happened, but we can’t allow that action to become a pivotal moment that shifts the election in the wrong direction. Trump and his agenda do offer a clear threat to our democracy and constitutional system, and we can help put an end to his toxic politics peacefully and within our Democratic system by voting NO to Trumpism in 2024.