Staff Reports
In a world where reality increasingly seems like an episode of a poorly scripted political drama, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Minnesota popped up on Sunday to make a plea for calm after the shocking attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life. Barely 24 hours after shots rang out at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Golden voiced his concerns about the heated state of American politics. Seems everyone’s got opinions, especially when the stakes involve something as serious as a nation’s future.
Golden, obviously distressed by the toxic political atmosphere, suggested that folks should dial down the hyperbolic threats about the 2024 election. Never mind that his own party loves to throw around terms like “authoritarianism” and “fascism” when talking about Trump. Now that the bullets are real, the Minnesota Democrat thinks it’s time to tone down the drama. Funny how quickly perspectives can change when things get serious.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden on the Trump shooting: "This election should not be misleadingly portrayed as a no-holds-barred struggle between democracy or authoritarianism." pic.twitter.com/MbxtFA0GSo
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 14, 2024
He opined that the upcoming election between Trump and President Joe Biden shouldn’t be framed as an epic showdown between good and evil, as his progressive pals would have one believe. He labeled such narratives as dangerous lies, a sharp accusation seemingly aimed at his own party’s maximalist rhetoric. Irony thick enough to cut with a knife, really, considering how Democrats have been bleating about “protecting democracy” for years while painting Trump as some cartoonish villain.
Golden hadn’t exactly been silent on the escalating political tension. Earlier in the month, he chastised his Democratic colleagues for their panic following President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. The 81-year-old commander-in-chief appeared to struggle with coherence, causing polite alarm within his own camp about his ability to face off against Trump. Golden was quick to distance himself from what he called a campaign of fearmongering, refusing to buy into the narrative that Trump would inevitably dismantle democracy.
Yet, despite Golden’s calls for moderation, Biden seemed to miss the memo. Following the debate, Sleepy Joe took to bash Trump on social media, feeding his followers a steady diet of warnings about Trump’s supposed dictatorial ambitions. This came to a head when Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. An attacker at his Butler rally tragically killed one attendee and barely missed Trump himself. The reaction from the president was notably limp; he expressed his gratitude for Trump’s safety and condemned the violence with all the passion of a soggy oatmeal.
On Sunday, Biden’s second address played up his horror at the violence and his commitment to investigate the attempted assassination. America might not be used to such page-turning drama, but Biden’s newfound enthusiasm for law and order would be almost comedic if the stakes weren’t so high. Golden and other Maine delegation members, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, were also quick to denounce the attack. Such bipartisan unity would be heartwarming if it didn’t reek of too little, too late.
So, in a plot twist that looks suspiciously like damage control, the Democrats urge everyone to stop with the hyperbole and embrace a more civil discourse. Perhaps they finally realized that spinning political opponents as dire threats to democracy can have, unsurprisingly, violent consequences.
