Do not allow Republicans to silence criticism of Trump

An assassination attempt is political violence, which we always condemn. But the brazen, cynical attempt by the GOP to silence Trump critics is grotesque and un-American.

Let’s be clear: Political violence is unacceptable and must be condemned.

That’s why Democrats spoke out forcefully against it when Nancy Pelosi was targeted for assassination by a MAGA extremist who attacked her husband in her home, while Republicans and Donald Trump mocked the brutal violence.

That’s why Democrats stood up against the violence of January 6th and the attempt to “hang Mike Pence!” and harm elected officials—an attack that was incited by Trump and carried out by his MAGA followers who bludgeoned police officers—and which Trump and Republicans have continually dismissed. Trump actually calls the thugs heroes and “hostages.”

And that’s why Democrats, including President Biden three times, including in an Oval Office address last night, forcefully condemned the assassination attempt against Trump by a 20-year-old at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania who was legally able to possess a weapon of war.

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Immediately, before Republicans knew anything about the shooter—who turns out to be a registered Republican—or anything about his motives, they were attacking President Biden and Democrats, claiming they inspired the attack by calling Trump an authoritarian and a threat to democracy.

Senator J.D. Vance, who may or may not be named Trump’s running mate today, posted on X: “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.”

Senator Tim Scott, another running mate contender, posted: “For years, Democrats and their allies in the media have recklessly stoked fears, calling President Trump and other conservatives threats to democracy. Their inflammatory rhetoric puts lives at risk.”

It went on and on like this and was echoed by MAGA followers on social media. But none of what Democrats have said is wrong or promoting violence. Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, and we have talked about how we have to stop him at the ballot box, which, unlike Republicans, we still believe in. That’s working peacefully within a Democratic system to create change.

Republicans, who tell us we're too quick to "politicize" gun violence when there is a mass shooting and children are shot to death in schools, suddenly thought it was fine to politicize this shooting, in which one bystander was killed and two were critically wounded, attacking Democrats and Joe Biden without knowing the details.

We’re learning more about the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who apparently contributed $15 to a progressive get-out-the-vote PAC on the day of Joe Biden’s inauguration—a strange day to be donating to a Democratic get-out-the-vote effort—when he was 17 years old. The group, Progressive Turnout Project PAC, is one of those spammy PACs that bombards your email inbox, and a lot of people may not even know what they’re contributing to.

At any rate, according to the group, Crooks unsubscribed from its email list two years ago, shortly before he registered as a Republican. He’s been described by classmates as “conservative,” “right-leaning,” “pegged as a Republican,” and a loner who was bullied. He was also found wearing a t-shirt for Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel all about guns and explosives.

We really don’t know much more about him or a motive, no matter his political inclinations as reported by friends. And it doesn’t matter in the larger picture. A 20-year-old was able to get access to an assault weapon and carry it around in an open-carry state, as Pennsylvania allows anyone to walk around with a killing machine strapped to them.

Even with all the security afforded to a former president and candidate, it's easy for someone with whatever motive to get a weapon of war in much of this country and attempt to kill that person.

And Republicans created this horrific reality.

They own the atmosphere of violence in the U.S., not just by allowing assault weapons to proliferate and fighting against gun reform but by promoting political violence again and again. Trump promoted violence over and over as president and as a candidate, from calling in 2016 for the “second amendment people” to deal with Hillary Clinton to warning in 2023 of “death and destruction” if he’s convicted of a crime.

President Biden and Democrats cannot let Trump and the GOP silence criticism of the GOP presidential candidate, and we have to make sure they hear from all of us.

If we really care about what’s happening in this country and the horrific reality of an assassination attempt on a political figure, then we have to point to the people who created this atmosphere of violence—and warn of the chaos to come if they gain power again.