Staff Reports
In Milwaukee, an assassination attempt on Donald Trump followed months of blistering rhetoric from the left, with President Biden himself recently calling for putting his political rival “in a bullseye.” This incident underscores, yet again, the double standards and hypocrisy of the Democrats.
The day after Trump narrowly escaped the attack, Democrats had the gall to call for reducing divisive election rhetoric. Republicans, however, saw right through this disingenuous plea for peace. With the GOP gearing up to nominate Trump for a triumphant return in 2024, they rightfully blasted the “both sides” nonsense peddled by Trump’s fiercest critics.
For months, these critics have painted Trump as an existential threat, labelling him a “MAGA extremist” and equating him to history’s most notorious villains. It doesn’t take a genius to see how such venomous language could spur an unstable individual to violence. Critics of the left blame these relentless smears for emboldening the shooter.
Words of vilification from Trump's opponents echo after close attempt at assassination https://t.co/OcuChEzF2K
— Brian K. Welch (@WorldAccToWelch) July 15, 2024
Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, a potential vice-presidential candidate, condemned the Democrats’ inflammatory rhetoric. According to Vance, the vitriol aimed at Trump was driven by Democrats desperate to shift focus from Biden’s faltering poll numbers and deteriorating mental state.
One doesn’t have to look far to find examples of this incendiary rhetoric. In Detroit, Biden brazenly called Trump a threat to the nation. Former Senator Claire McCaskill went even further, likening Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, while leftist media figures ominously warned of an “authoritarian second term” should Trump win in November.
Biden’s longstanding penchant for demonizing Trump reached new heights last week when he told Democratic donors it was time to put Trump “in a bullseye.” Similarly, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland disparaged Trump as a “cult leader, rapist, and fraudster,” using biblical references to caution voters against supporting him.
The escalating attacks on Trump, unprecedented in their ferocity, have been simmering for years. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pinpointed the left’s relentless hate speech as a key factor, suggesting it likely played a role in inciting the shooter.
Following the assassination attempt, social media was flooded with clips of Democrats advocating violence against Trump. Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Cory Booker of New Jersey had, on separate occasions, suggested that Trump deserved a punch in the face. Rep. Maxine Waters of California pledged to “take out” the former president, and Never Trump Republican Rick Wilson declared that opponents needed to “put a bullet in Donald Trump.”
The would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was a 20-year-old enigma — a registered Republican with no social media presence whose sole political donation was to a left-leaning group on the day of Biden’s inauguration. Democrats, predictably, were quick to downplay speculation about his motives and affiliations.
Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania sermonized about lowering the political temperature and striving for unity, conveniently ignoring his own party's role in whipping up hatred. Republicans, understandably, were in no mood for lectures from a party that routinely blames them for violence while engaging in dangerous rhetoric themselves. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona captured the GOP’s sentiment perfectly: Democrats’ calls for civility ring hollow until they practice what they preach.
