Amid overwhelming and bipartisan condemnation of the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday that injured the former president and killed a spectator, some Republicans were quick to point fingers at Democrats and liberals over the attack.
Trump, for his part, noted on social media a few hours after the assassination attempt: “Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.” And on Sunday morning, he did not lay blame, writing on his Truth Social platform: “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.”
Still, in the immediate aftermath, numerous Trump allies theorized a sinister motive inspired by the rhetoric of Trump’s critics — including President Joe Biden, who firmly condemned the shooting in remarks Saturday night.
“The Republican District Attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination,” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., wrote on X.
The reactions are emblematic of the deep polarization that has struck American politics. The assassination attempt unified top congressional leaders, who forcefully rebuked it and called for unity, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. But there remain figures who stoke us-versus-them divisions and lean on unverified information or conspiracy theories, using social media to inflame the message.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is running to be the next Senate Republican leader, wrote that “Democrats and liberals in the media have called Trump a fascist. They’ve compared him to Hitler.”
“This isn’t some unfortunate incident,” Scott’s post continued. “This was an assassination attempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left.”
The rapid reactions flowed in before authorities revealed the identity of the shooter. Late Saturday, the deceased suspect was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. But two senior law enforcement officers said the shooter’s motive remained unclear the morning after the attack.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., a victim of a politically motivated shooting in Washington in 2017, linked the Saturday shooting to “incendiary rhetoric” about Trump.
“For weeks Democrat leaders have been fueling ludicrous hysteria that Donald Trump winning re-election would be the end of democracy in America,” Scalise said in a statement. “Clearly we’ve seen far left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past. This incendiary rhetoric must stop.”
Two potential vice presidential contenders also blamed Trump’s political foes for the incident.
“Today is not just some isolated incident,” said Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. “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.”
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a vice presidential contender for Trump ahead of next week’s GOP convention, wrote on X: “For years, Democrats and their allies in the media have recklessly stoked fears, calling President Trump and other conservatives threats to democracy. Their inflammatory rhetoric puts lives at risk.”
“I’m really struck by the way Democratic elected officials are denouncing violence and urging calm, while Republicans like JD Vance are already blaming Democrats for the shooting even before we know anything about the motive of the shooter,” said Rich Luchette, a Democratic strategist. “Remember, Hinckley shot Reagan because he was obsessed with Jodie Foster, not because of his politics. I think it says a lot and none of it’s very good, especially in this age of hyperpartisanship and misinformation.”
Chris LaCivita, a co-manager of Trump’s campaign, said on X that “for years, and even today, leftist activists, democrat donors and now even @JoeBiden have made disgusting remarks and descriptions of shooting Donald Trump,” adding that it’s “high time they be held accountable for it” and that “the best way is through the ballot box.”
And Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted: “This is either one of the worst failures in Secret Service history or a deep state plot. There’s no way this should have ever happened.”
Some Republicans circulated a recent report in which Biden, on a private call with donors, used the word “bull’s-eye” to describe turning the focus to Trump, describing it as violent rhetoric.
The full remarks, provided to NBC News by a source on the call, shows the president using the metaphor as he urged his party to stop its internecine fighting about the future of his candidacy following his poor debate performance, instead turning its attention back to making the case against Trump and Project 2025.
“We can’t waste any more time being distracted,” Biden said, according to the transcript of the call. “I have one job and that’s to beat Donald Trump. … I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye. He’s gotten away with doing nothing for the last 10 days except ride around in his golf cart, bragging about scores he didn’t score.”
Biden added: “But look, the fact is that he’s not answering questions. He’s now running away from everything he said he’s for: Project 25, which is a disaster for America.”
Late Saturday, Biden condemned the shooting as “sick,” calling it “one of the reasons we have to unite this country.” He spoke to Trump that night, according to a White House official.
In an interview, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said “it is obvious” the shooting at the Trump rally “was because of the leftists.” While he said he condemns “100% of all political violence,” he argued it was “much more so on the left than on the right — people feel like they can’t wear anything that reflects their Make America Great Again, Republican beliefs.”
When Collins, the Georgia Republican congressman, posted without evidence Sunday that “Joe Biden sent the orders,” it drew a rebuke from Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.
“This is a continuation of the bulls— rhetoric that drives political violence,” Pocan responded. “A likely assassination attempt and gun violence on Trump is awful on many levels. Adding jet fuel to the political climate is unbecoming of a member of Congress.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
