Trump allies cite Democratic rhetoric prior to assassination attempt as a contributing factor

Conservative allies of Donald Trump are pointing to rhetoric from Democrats as creating a hostile environment leading up to Saturday's assassination attempt of the former president.

Among them are U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who said, “Today is not just some isolated incident. 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.”

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, also said, “The Democrats and the media are to blame for every drop of blood spilled today. For years and years, they’ve demonized him and his supporters. Today, someone finally tried to take out the leader of our America First and the greatest President of all time.”

President Joe Biden condemned the attack, calling it “sick.” His campaign also announced it was “pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible.”

Trump called for unity Saturday night and again Sunday morning after he was shot in the right ear at a weekend rally near Pittsburgh.

Trump's defense attorney in his February 2021 impeachment trial played a four-minute video compilation of comments about the former president.

The compilation includes a clip of U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, saying, “I will go and take Trump out tonight” and of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Conn., saying, “take him out now,” referring to Trump.

It also includes a clip of an MSNBC commentator saying, “they’re still going to have to go out and put a bullet in Donald Trump” and of the musician Madonna saying, “I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House” when Trump and his family lived there.

It also includes a clip of comedian Ellen DeGeneres asking then U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, “If you have to be stuck in an elevator with either President Trump, [former Vice President] Mike Pence or [former Attorney General] Jeff Sessions, who would it be?”

Harris responded, “Does one of us have to come out alive?” She and Ellen both laughed profusely.

The compilation includes several clips of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, saying multiple times, “We’ve got to be ready to throw a punch,” presumably against Republican political opponents. It also includes clips of Democratic U.S. senators Jon Tester of Montana and Corey Booker of New Jersey saying they wanted to punch Trump.

It also includes clips of then Vice President Joe Biden on the campaign trail saying if he were in high school, he’d take Trump behind the gym and “beat the hell out of him.”

The compilation highlights clips of Democratic lawmakers appearing to incite violence against Trump supporters. One clip shows Waters shouting to a group, “push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore anywhere.”

Another is a Facebook post of Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Mich., saying, “this is just a warning for you Trumpers. Be careful, walk lightly. And for those of you who are soldiers, make them pay.”

Trump has also called out Hollywood, including for producing the 2020 movie, The Hunt. The movie appears to depict “a cabal of liberal ‘elites’” … who hunt and kill kidnapped conservative ‘deplorables’ … for sport.” Originally slated to air in September 2019, it was pulled after a mass shooting occurred in El Paso, Texas, one month prior that was characterized as politically motivated.

While several outlets depicted it as “political satire,” Trump warned, “Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate! They like to call themselves ‘Elite,’ but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite. The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos. They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!”

Several media websites criticized Trump's response to the movie.

After his failed assassination attempt, Trump called for unity, saying, “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win.”

Former First Lady Melania Trump also called for unity, saying, “A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out ... my husband’s life - his human side,” she said. “Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.

“And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm.

“Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.”