Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. That was true before the first assassination attempt on the former president, on July 13, and it remains true now, after the second attempt, which was foiled at his golf course on September 15. Political violence in general, and assassinating presidential candidates specifically, also poses risks to democracy. There is no contradiction between these ideas whatsoever. Yet Trump’s supporters have responded to both attempts on his life by muddying the waters, exploiting the near tragedies with cynical efforts to redefine critiques of Trump’s authoritarian inclinations as violent provocation.
Conservative commentator Ben Domenech complained, “The commentariat insists on owning zero consequences for their constant repetition that Trump is an existential threat whose election will bring bloody fascism, when it’s absolutely obvious it motivated this would-be assassin.” The headline for a Miranda Devine story in the New York Post read: “Reckless Rhetoric From Dems and Media to Blame for Second Trump Assassination Attempt.”
Moderates and liberals, who correctly believe in upholding democratic norms, especially nonviolence, might be tempted to understand these arguments as based in principle. But the effort to rule criticism of Trump’s authoritarianism as dangerous and out of bounds is not motivated by or related to any defense of democracy or nonviolence. It is a purely cynical attempt to foam the runway for the election of a dangerous man.
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