On July 13, 2024, the 45th President of the United States and the same man likely to become the 47th president came within inches of being assassinated by a gunman from a rooftop in Butler, Pennsylvania. While the attack and the abysmal security failure that led to it are still being investigated, the potential for an assassin or assassins to target Donald Trump has been apparent — and predicted by many — for some time. No modern day leader in American history has been subjected to more lies and vitriol than Mr. Trump, and the purported attempt on his life is cause for reflection on all that has led us to this time in our nation’s history.
Starting eight years ago, the Democrats and the Left in general tried to discredit Donald Trump and drive him from the campaign for president and then from office with the Trump-Russia collusion hoax. When that failed, they tried to impeach him over a phone call to the president of Ukraine and Trump’s inquiry into Joe Biden’s documented family corruption in that country. When that too failed, he was impeached and later acquitted for alleged incitement of insurrection concerning the January 6th riot at the Capitol in 2021.
When Mr. Trump made clear his intention to again seek the presidency, they raided his home and indicted him not once or twice, but four times on wild and unprecedented theories, mostly in deep blue jurisdictions hostile to the former president. Recently, in a kangaroo court in New York, they convicted him on multiple trumped-up felonies concerning business records from nearly a decade ago, and Democrats in Congress even sought to strip Trump of his Secret Service protection following that show trial. All the while, they have simultaneously sought to kick Trump off the ballot, including in Maine, and bankrupt him in those same Democrat-run cities through multiple sham civil lawsuits.
As unparalleled and illegal lawfare was waged against Trump, the Left’s media industrial complex deplatformed him from social media, refused to cover his statements in real time, and well beforehand engaged in serial deception concerning his acts and statements, with the Charlottsville lie atop the propaganda campaign, wherein liberal politicians and personalities falsely claimed that Trump praised as “very fine people” the neo-Nazis that marched in that town in 2017. Seven years later, the fact checkers at Snopes finally admitted Trump denounced neo-Nazis and was instead referring to regular folks that don’t want to see historical confederate monuments removed from the public square.
Recently, left-wing magazine The New Republic had Trump as Hitler on their cover, echoing the Democrat Party’s longstanding mantra that Trump is an existential threat to American democracy. Indeed, the dehumanization of Trump and his supporters across the media and among too many Democrat politicians has become a staple of the current political landscape. Joe Biden himself went so far as to declare Trump’s philosophy “semi-fascism” that embraces “political violence” and has repeatedly said that Trump “threaten[s] our very democracy.”
By depicting Trump as a fascist dictator, Trump’s haters have spawned the very violence they so desperately claim to oppose. Excluding Saturday’s shooting, this consists of hundreds of documented acts across the country against Trump voters over the years, such as assaults and vandalism, and high profile threats against Trump directly.
As for the assassination attempt, some on the Left will try to deflect responsibility by declaring the 20 year old shooter was a registered Republican, as news media outlets have reported. However, due to Pennsylvania’s primary rules, it’s entirely plausible, even likely, that the shooter registered with the GOP to cast a protest vote against Trump in the primary. Further, the hate aimed at Trump and so-called MAGA Republicans is not isolated to within official members of the Democrat Party. There are Never Trump Republicans as unhinged as their Democrat counterparts when it comes to opposition to the man and his agenda, and regardless, the shooter also donated to left-wing political causes, including Biden’s campaign. Whatever the shooter’s motives were, the current political climate towards Trump is beyond toxic and dangerous, and it must end.
None of this is to declare Trump a saint or free from harsh criticism. He, like all of us, has plenty of shortcomings and he has made his share of mistakes. But none of Trump’s faults are justification for the treatment he and his political movement have received from day one. Moreover, Trump’s record while in office was highly effective and his agenda during the current campaign is quite mainstream.
For the Right, there are two broad options when it comes to a response. Return in-kind the unprecedented tactics used against Trump, or reject such methods outright and seek to forever discredit that behavior in American politics going forward. As tempting as option one may seem, we must choose the latter. The former is a path to self-destruction.
The last time America was this divided, one of her great leaders declared, “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” Abraham Lincoln’s call for national unity at the end of his first inaugural in March of 1861 failed, and the bloodiest war in American history ensued shortly thereafter.
Applying Lincoln’s words today and the lessons of the Civil War that followed is not a call to acquiesce to the Left’s hate and violence, any more than those words were an acceptance of slavery. To the contrary, it is now imperative that Donald Trump win the election if for no other reason than to discredit the people and tactics used against him.
In seeking victory, as Trump himself has noted, the greatest form of retribution will be success upon taking office. Success in securing the border, in ending inflation, in growing the economy for the working class and middle class, in reducing crime and de-weaponizing the justice system, in fostering global peace, and so on. In other words, by Making America Great Again.
As for the Trump haters, feed their ideology to the voters, so it can be dumped and left on the ash heap of history.
“In seeking victory, as Trump himself has noted, the greatest form of retribution will be success upon taking office. Success in securing the border, in ending inflation, in growing the economy for the working class and middle class, in reducing crime and de-weaponizing the justice system, in fostering global peace…”
Exactly why they hate him.
I was watching Saturday and saw the attempt on Donald Trumps life on television. The first gunshot I heard as President Trump was speaking, I prayed as our leader dropped to the floor for his life. As many in this country over the past year have said Donald Trump is going to either have an attempt on his life or will be assassinated. Why would we as Conservatives and supporters of President Trump have any other thought? The Democratic Party has used every possible underhanded trick in the Political Handbook to defeat President Trump. They have failed at every attempt!
When he was elected as President in 2016 in a fare and free election, the Democratic Party immediately set their plans to defeat this man at any cost. Our Speaker of the House denounced him as our President and stated “We Will Impeach Him”. Hillary Clinton stated that he was an “Illegitimate President” both Pelosi and Clinton announced this on Television. Then the Clintons waged a proven false allegation of a Russian Collision Hoax. Then they used Covid as a way to gain an advantage in the 2020 election? You will never convince me that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received over 10 million more votes than Barack Obama! They got just enough to beat Donald Trump, but were there questions of fraud in the election, Absolutely.
The Democrats have continued to morally and financially ruin him with trumped up charges. Found him guilty of 34 Fellony Charges in a Kangeroo Court by a Judge that said he was guilty before the trial even began?
Donald Trump and his family do not need this, they all have fabulous lives. Why is this man still standing in a race that has now resorted to an attempt on his life “Because Donald Trump Loves This Country”!
President Biden gets on TV after the assignation attempt and says that we need to turn down the political rhetoric. Blames Republicans for the countries division? Republicans have let him get away with too much already. Biden should have been Impeached when he and Kamala Harris failed to defend our borders allowing millions into our country completely Un-Vetted? If you are looking for the real criminal and the reason our country is so divided, Look At Joe!
Lastly, I watched most of the opening day of the RNC. I payed very close attention to what was being said. I also watched the recap on CNN to see what their response would be. I was not surprised, but very disappointed after the events just a few days earlier the rhetoric that the reporters continue spread. This is the problem with our country and the reason for our severely divided nation.
Thank God President Trump is still alive and still wants to run for President again. This man knows how much this country needs him, he shows his love every day for all the people and our Republic. Thank you Maine Wire for being a source of truth.