(Fox News)
An apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump on Sunday is the latest sign that violence has become part of the "new normal" in American politics. As often seems to be the case with Trump, he quickly made the situation worse, not better, according to a report at The New Republic (TNR).
On an episode of Special Report With Brett Baier on Fox News Sunday (9/16/24), Trump blamed his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris (and President Joe Biden), for the recent attempted assassinations against him -- even though evidence presented in the non-far right press indicates Harris and Biden had nothing to do with it.
How harsh and inflammatory was Trump's own rhetoric? ABC News helps answer that question with this report:
In a post on his social media platform (Truth Social) later Monday, Trump accused Democrats of making "false statements" about him that he said "has taken politics in our Country to a whole new level of Hatred, Abuse, and Distrust."
Because of Democrats' "rhetoric," the "bullets are flying, and it will only get worse," Trump claimed in his social media post.
Let's return to TNR's coverage, which comes under the headline "Trump Reacts to Assassination Attempt by Making Things Far, Far Worse; Donald Trump just painted a target on Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’s backs,"Robert McCoy writes:
In Donald Trump’s first interview following the apparent attempt on his life on Sunday, he blamed the incident on his political rivals, telling Fox News that the would-be assassin “believed” and “acted on” the rhetoric of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country—both from the inside and out,” Trump told Fox. “They do it with a combination of rhetoric and lawsuits they wrap me up in.… These are the things that dangerous fools, like the shooter, listen to—that is the rhetoric they listen to, and the same with the first one.
Trump assigned particular blame to Biden and Harris for characterizing him as a “threat to democracy,” while painting themselves as “unity” leaders. “They are the opposite,” he said, calling them “people that want to destroy our country.”
Trump went on to accuse his opponents of using “highly inflammatory language.” “I can use it too—far better than they can—but I don’t,” he added.
Did Trump say this with a straight face? Did he fail to mention a few factors, of his own making, that play into this unhealthy scenario? (The answer is yes.) Is this another sign that delusional disorder is one of several components of his unstable mental health?
Critics were quick to note theirony in Trump’s comments, given his history of extreme, incendiary rhetoric. This past week, for instance, Trump said that Haitian residents of Springfield, Ohio, are abducting and eating pets, amplifying a baseless rumor that has resulted in threats against local schools, hospitals, and municipal buildings.
Even while urging Democrats to tamp down their rhetoric, Trump demonstrated his penchant for the inflammatory language, describing his political opponents as forces of evil: “These are people who want to destroy our country,” Trump told Fox. “It is called the enemy from within. They are the real threat.”
In a post on Truth Social Monday morning, Trump wrote “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!!!!” and linked to a statement about the attempt that says “there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.”
This is a case of Trump dumping his own brand of brazen dishonesty and deception into the public discourse. Where could this be leading us? Millions of Americans came to the realization long ago that Trump is dangerous -- and he is getting worse, not better. His caustic comments on Sunday and Monday clearly could put his opponents in danger, especially in our current toxic culture that Trump did more than anyone else to create. We strongly suggest all Americans firmly reject Trump's nasty rhetoric that openly praises authoritarians and dictators while admitting he intends to act way outside democratic norms and the U.S. Constitution. He is trying pull a con on the American people, and far too many of us still don't seem to grasp that.