Ex-President of United States, Donald Trump, held a distinct stance on Monday, attributing the sense of heightened political tension and the second attempt on his life over the past weekend to the contentious comments made by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. Irrespective of the lack of clarity surrounding the motives of the assailants, Trump was adamant that Biden and Harris’ polarizing statements incited the alleged aggressor, Ryan Wesley Routh, to make a move on Sunday.
“Intriguingly, Routh was influenced by Biden and Harris’ tirades, making a move based on their speeches,” stated Trump in a discussion with Fox News Digital. He continued, “it’s rather ironic that their contentious speeches are resulting in assassination attempts on me, whilst I am at the forefront of safeguarding the nation, and paradoxically, they are heavily engaged in destabilizing it – both internally and externally.”
While the intent behind Routh’s actions remains indeterminate, the FBI is meticulously examining his past, considering the possibility that he might have been agitated with Trump’s perspectives on Ukraine. The bureau is addressing the episode that occurred on Sunday as an ‘attempted assassination,’ yet the specificity of Routh’s target and whether he discharged his weapon continues to be ambiguous.
The episode evolved near the Trump International golf course. FBI agents retaliated and fired after spotting Routh’s rifle through the fence line, as told by multiple sources to ABC News. Subsequently, Routh made an appearance in a federal courtroom at West Palm Beach Monday morning, facing two charges related to firearms.
In a contradictory fashion, after blaming the Democrats for employing ‘highly volatile language,’ Trump spared no time in launching an offensive against his opponents, categorizing them as enormous threats and adversaries. He argued, “These are individuals who harbor an intention to devastate our country. They’re essentially the enemies harbored within, presenting the real danger.”
Proliferating his comments on his social media platform later the same Monday, Trump asserted that the Democrats made ‘untrue declarations’ concerning him, escalating the level of politics in the nation to unprecedented heights of hostility, exploitation, and skepticism. According to Trump, the effect of the Democrats’ heated diatribes was very palpable – ‘bullets were being fired, and the situation seems likely to exacerbate.’
As for the reaction from Harris’ campaign and the White House to Trump’s remarks – they chose silence over statements for the moment. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, took a different approach, calling on the left-wing to ‘turn down the volume of the rhetoric.’
Addressing an audience at the Georgia Faith and Freedom Dinner in Atlanta on Monday, Vance remarked, “Many quarters on the left would like us to believe that the problem lies with both sides. While I’m not saying that we don’t make mistakes or that conservatives are always right, it’s important to note the stark difference – no one has made an assassination attempt on Kamala Harris in recent months, and Trump has had to thwart two attempts on his life.”
“This alone serves as convincing evidence that the left needs to lower the volume and stop the nonsense,” he continued, “due to this reckless behavior, someone’s bound to get injured, and it will lead to the nation’s ruin.”
Trump’s comments intensely steeped in political rhetoric marked a shift from his initial response to the assassination attempt previously this summer in Butler, Pennsylvania. In the aftermath of the shooting incident, he had urged for political unity, specifically calling on his allies to refrain from placing blame across party lines.
“In such testing times, it’s of utmost importance that we stand united, and showcase our true identity as Americans, remain robust and resolute, and not let evil prevail,” Trump had expressed. The motivation behind the suspected assailant in Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks, aiming at the ex-president remains undetermined.
Flash forward to Sunday, Secret Service agents had to resort to firing at Routh who was armed with an AK-47-style rifle near the Trump International Golf Course. The incident took place in West Palm Beach, Florida.
On Monday, when asked about the incident, Biden opportunistically used it to advocate for strengthening the Secret Service. “I emphasize that the Secret Service requires more reinforcements, and I believe that the Congress should address their needs, should they require more personnel,” said Biden, while leaving the White House.