Amid rising political tensions, Republicans claim Democratic rhetoric has fueled violence, while experts caution against false equivalencies.
In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, many of his supporters quickly sought to shift blame onto Democrats, alleging that President Joe Biden and other Democratic leaders’ rhetoric contributed to the violence. These claims were framed within the broader context of America’s rising political violence, with many asserting that left-wing rhetoric helped motivate the shooting.
Republicans, including lawmakers and pro-Trump commentators, pointed to Biden’s comments and actions leading up to the incident. Specifically, Biden’s statement on July 8, where he said, “It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s eye,” was cited as an example of violent political imagery. Some Republicans criticized Biden and other Democrats for framing Trump as a dire threat to democracy, which they argued had inflamed political divisions.
However, a Reuters analysis spanning 2021-2023 found that the majority of politically motivated violence was rooted in right-wing ideology, not left-wing. The report indicated that attacks on people, including fatal ones, were more often linked to right-wing beliefs, with Trump supporters being implicated in numerous violent acts, including threats against election officials and judges following the 2020 election.
Despite these findings, pro-Trump rhetoric flourished online, with some commentators predicting more violence unless Democrats are “stood up to.” A senior member of the extremist group Proud Boys even warned that their group would escalate its involvement in future political events.
Biden, who condemned the violence immediately after the Trump rally attack, reiterated that there is no room for political violence in American democracy. Trump, initially defiant, called for national unity, emphasizing the need for the nation to come together after the traumatic event.
Experts in political violence caution that escalating partisan rhetoric could lead to more violent outcomes. Dr. Megan McBride, a senior research scientist, stressed the importance of cooling partisan divisions to prevent a retaliatory cycle of violence. The investigation into the shooter’s motives remains ongoing, with reports revealing that the 20-year-old assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was a registered Republican.
