BUTLER, Pa. – One day after the shock attempted assassination With former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the nation is wondering if the political polarization sweeping the country has become too extreme.
Leaders of all political persuasions expressed shock and horror at the first shooting of a US president since Ronald Reagan, and calls to tone down the rhetoric came from across the country and the world. almost killed Leaving a hotel in Washington more than 40 years ago.
“We are all Americans and we should treat each other with dignity and respect,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. interview “This Weekend” on NBC News Sunday. He repeated the blame that Trump’s allies put on “President Joe Biden, who uses his word.bull’s eye” on a campaign call with donors last week.
“I mean, I know he didn’t mean it,” Johnson said Sunday of Biden’s comments, but added, “That kind of language has to be called out on both sides.”
Violence begets more violence, and experts fear that instead of calming down, the shooting will inflame tensions, with stakes on both sides heading into the presidential campaign.
“This is a very dark moment in our history, and unfortunately this election season is very unlikely to see an end to political violence,” said Jacob Ware, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies domestic and international terrorism. “A range of scenarios, from low-level conservative violence to high-profile assassination attempts, are likely to characterize the next few months.”
Once violence is seen as a legitimate way to settle political scores, “it’s hard to know how to reverse this development,” Ware said.
It has become violent rhetoric more familiar it is sometimes part of political campaigns in recent years as well violent clashes between protesters, counter-protesters and the police. But conspiracies have not been observed in American politics for decades.
Trump, who was shot in the ear, was released from the hospital on Saturday night the audience The seriously injured remain in the hospital. Another spectator was killed.
“At this time, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our True Character as Americans, Stay Strong and Resolute, and not allow Evil to win,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website Sunday morning.
Biden again condemned the violence from the White House on Sunday. He will speak in the Oval Office on Sunday at 8 p.m
“As I said last night, there is no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt goes against everything, everything we stand for as a nation. It’s not who we are as a nation. This is not America and we are not going to let it happen. we can’t give,” said Biden. “Unity is the most difficult goal of all, but there is nothing more important right now – unity. We will discuss and disagree. That will not change, but … we will not lose sight of the truth of who we are as Americans.”
Witnesses at the rally described chaotic scene in the moments after the shooting.
At the front row of the rally, attendees heard a series of pops and saw Secret Service agents rush onto the stage. Someone who identified herself as Erin told NBC News that she saw blood in Trump’s ear. He said he did not fear for his safety. “We were just worried about him,” he said, referring to Trump.
Investigators have not yet released the identity of the 20-year-old shooter, according to the FBI Thomas Matthew Crooks Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was can get close enough Shooting at Trump.
Police also have not offered a motive for Crooks, who was killed by police moments after he opened fire. Voter registration records show Crooks was a registered Republican, but authorities have so far offered no political motive for the shooting.
Some of them prominent Republicans pointed to Biden’s rhetoric about motivation before the shooter was identified. Biden’s allies pushed back, pointing to how often the sitting president has condemned political violence.
Experts warned Shooters often struggle with mental illness, which makes their motives incomprehensible to the rest of the world. John Hinckley, Reagan’s assassin, said that he trying to impress actress Jodie Foster After falling in love with her performance in Taxi Driver. Jared Loughner, the man who shot former Rep. Gabby Giffords, has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. writings a scientist “defended what he said”toxic mess left-wing and right-wing conspiracy theories, its sources range from Marx to Hitler to heavy metal.
Anthony Guglielmi, the head of communications for the US Secret Service, pushed back on claims that Trump’s campaign had requested additional resources but had been turned down.
“There is an untrue claim that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources and these resources were denied,” X said.
“This is completely false. In fact, we have added protective resources, technology and capabilities as part of the increased pace of campaign travel.”
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee has demanded answers from the Secret Service and their superiors at the Department of Homeland Security. letter Sunday.
Rep. Mark E. Green wrote in the letter: “The seriousness of this security failure and terrible moment in our nation’s history cannot be underestimated. “If the trajectory of the bullet had been slightly different, Trump could have attempted to assassinate the President.”
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has agreed to strengthen Secret Service protections for Trump and Biden in the short term, as well as independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He accused Biden denying him official protection for political reasons. (The White House denied this, noting that the Department of Homeland Security, along with congressional leaders, is responsible for such decisions.)
“Last night’s assassination attempt on former President Trump was a dark moment in our nation’s history. As the reports continue to emerge, it is clear that more protections are needed for all major presidential candidates,” Rep. Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, and Richie Torres, Democrat, said in a joint statement.
There was an assassination attempt suspended his presidential campaign It was already in turmoil, with many wondering about the 81-year-old’s mental and physical fitness as fellow Democrats called for Biden to step aside after last month’s debate performance.
The Republican National Convention to officially nominate Trump will begin on Monday, and officials said the event will go ahead as planned with heightened security.
Again, Trump campaign officials advisory staff Avoid the campaign’s Florida and Washington offices until safety is assessed.
“He is sick. This is sick. That’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country,” Biden said in a statement Saturday night, before he could speak with Trump. “We cannot accept that.”
Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton issued similar statements condemning the attack and calling for unity, while foreign allies such as new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “There is no place in our societies for political violence of any kind.”
David Brown, a Trump supporter from Pittsburgh, told NBC News on Sunday that he, like many Americans, feels the political animosity is spiraling out of control.
“We have to take a really deep breath,” Brown said. “I’m friends with a lot of Democrats, and they’re great people, but I think we need to realize that we’re demonizing each other too much… We need to look behind that white noise, so to speak. “
Across the aisle, Panfilo DiCenzo, a 40-year-old reluctant Democratic voter, saw the shooting as “a symptom of where we are now politically and socially.”
He pointed to political fragmentation and cultural and economic upheaval, saying it had created “a very disillusioned person”.