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Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, went on the record this week to call out the violent, dehumanizing rhetoric coming from prominent Democrats and much of the left-leaning media as what it truly is: a permission slip for unstable people to commit violence. Her appearance on Wake Up America made clear that this isn’t rhetorical nitpicking — it’s about real threats to officers and agents who are doing the hard, dangerous work of keeping Americans safe.
Those warnings aren’t empty talk. DHS has reported dramatic spikes in assaults against ICE and other DHS personnel, with coverage and agency statements noting increases in the hundreds of percent as violence escalates around enforcement operations. When the federal government itself says attacks on its officers are surging, the only reasonable response from decent leaders is to dial down the incendiary talk — not cheer it on.
We have seen the poisonous effects in specific incidents, such as the doxxing and targeting of DHS employees during protests tied to enforcement actions, where political operatives handed protesters names and contact details and agents were subsequently hurt. This is not abstract responsibility; it is negligence bordering on complicity when elected officials and pundits stoke fury while precious few of them face the consequences of the chaos they inspire.
Meanwhile, national outlets and some Democratic leaders reflexively blame enforcement for the backlash instead of owning their role in inflaming it, which only validates extremists who believe violence is a legitimate tool of political persuasion. The Department of Homeland Security has gone so far as to publicly call on the media and the so-called far left to stop the demonization campaign that is literally putting American lives at risk. That is not censorship — it is a plea for safety and basic decency.
When violence does erupt, the left often points fingers at the right to avoid accountability, but the country cannot afford that gamesmanship. Recent attacks at ICE facilities and the chaotic, dangerous scenes that follow have prompted even neutral outlets to report on the seriousness of assaults against federal officers and the administration’s warnings that rhetoric has consequences. Patriots who believe in law and order should demand leaders stop posturing and start protecting.
Tricia McLaughlin deserves credit for saying aloud what responsible Americans already know: vilifying the people who enforce our laws encourages violence and weakens the social fabric. If Democrats and sympathetic media outlets truly cared about peace, they’d stop the theatrical outrage and work with the rest of us to restore order, support our officers, and punish those who incite attacks, not reward them with headlines. The safety of hardworking Americans and the rule of law depend on it.
