Let’s think for a moment about yesterday’s assassination attempt on President Trump.
1. It goes without saying that I condemn this attack. Violence is not the way to solve political problems. It is worth remembering that Trump was not the only victim. One rally participant was killed and two were injured. The spectator who was killed was former firefighter Corey Comperatore. He died bravely to protect his family.The shooting of these three people is even more reprehensible than Trump’s actions. No one should have to die simply for attending a political rally. As for Trump, his misconduct should be addressed through the legal and political systems, not through indiscriminate violence.
It’s nothing like actually being shot, but I have received politically motivated death threats myself, including one from César Sayoc, a right-wing nationalist who was later identified as the “pipe bomber,” and I would not like to see such threats continue to spread.
Are political assassinations justified? Probably. Fanny Kaplan They were right to try to kill Lenin, and Von Stauffenberg et al. We had no right to try to assassinate Hitler, but unlike Lenin and Hitler’s minions, we are not faced with evil on the same scale and, more importantly, we still have peaceful means to counter it.
2. As opposed to gaslighting, there is no contradiction between condemning the attacks and saying that Trump is an authoritarian, an enemy of fundamental liberal values, and a threat to democracy. Trump has tried to use force and fraud to stay in power after losing the election (Facilitate In the process, a rebellion broke out.) Threatening to use government powerTrump has done so much, from failing to punish his political opponents to abusing thousands of innocent children with his illegal family separation policies. It was and is entirely legitimate to point this out then and now. What happened yesterday does not lessen Trump’s misdeeds. He is not Hitler. But being a run-of-the-mill wannabe dictator is bad enough. Enough to justify harsh condemnation and harsh language.
3. It is noteworthy that almost all of the leading Democratic Party members President Biden I condemned yesterday’s attack unconditionally. In contrast, Mr. Trump and many of his allies Defending and praising the January 6th attackersand downplaying other political violence by their supporters (e.g. Attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husbandFor those keeping track, prominent Democrats ( Biden Barack Obama also condemned the riots after the George Floyd riots (as did I at the time). There are a lot of horrible people and politicians in both major parties who abuse their power (for example, I have repeatedly criticized Biden). Attempting to raid the Treasury for a student loan forgiveness programBut the two parties are not morally equal when it comes to encouraging or condoning political violence by their supporters.
4. The culprit is identified He is a registered Republican and once donated $15 through Act Blue. (A left-wing political fundraiser) This pairing is not as surprising as it might seem. Many people have unusual political views that don’t fit neatly into the left-right political spectrum. This is true of many perpetrators of political assassinations. This man may have had strange political motives that only he could understand. Or he may have had even stranger, non-political motives. John Hinckley (the man who nearly killed President Reagan) went on a shooting spree because he thought he could impress movie star Jodie Foster and ask her out on a date. We may learn more about the shooter’s motives in the coming days, but until then, it’s best to avoid making unfounded claims about them.
5. I worry that this incident will increase Trump’s sympathy. It may only make a difference by a few percentage points in the next election, but it could be decisive in a close election. If so, it could lead to Democrats being more sympathetic than ever before. Replace Biden with a stronger candidate.
6. Those who claim that the Democrats and Biden are trying to kill Trump to stay in power should remember that even if Trump were assassinated, the Republicans could still nominate a more popular candidate in his place. Also The assassination would increase sympathy while also relieving Trump of any negative stigma. It would make it more likely that Republicans would win the election than in a world where the assassination hadn’t happened. Biden’s narrow self-interest would be better served by keeping Trump in the running. There are other problems with the conspiracy theory, but this is a big one that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere else.
