Politics
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September 17, 2024
The gunman by no means had him in his line of sight nor fired a shot. Trump ignored Secret Service warnings about safety at his golf course. But he’s blaming Democrats and elevating cash.
Palm Seaside County Sheriff personnel block a highway close to the Trump Worldwide Golf Membership after an obvious assassination try of former president Donald Trump on September 16, 2024, in West Palm Seaside, Florida.
(Joe Raedle / Getty Photographs)
Supposed strongman Donald Trump is surprisingly good at taking part in the sufferer. After what’s extensively being known as his “second assassination try”—a person arrange a rifle within the woods exterior his Trump Worldwide Golf Membership in West Palm Seaside, Florida, on Sunday–he blamed the “extremely inflammatory language” of Democrats for the violence. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have known as him “a menace to democracy,” he famous.
“These are people who need to destroy our nation,” Trump countered. “It’s known as the enemy from inside. They’re the actual menace.”
Who’s utilizing “inflammatory language”?
His operating mate and lackey Senator JD Vance sounded the identical notes. “Nobody has tried to kill Kamala Harris in final couple of months and two individuals now have tried to kill Donald Trump within the final couple of months. I’d say that’s fairly sturdy proof that the left must tone down their rhetoric.”
Vance was additionally echoing Twitter destroyer Elon Musk, who stated on his hellsite: “And nobody is even attempting to assassinate Biden/Kamala.” (He later took the submit down, saying critics misunderstood his try at humor.)
In the meantime, The Washington Publish reported that after Trump’s 2016 election, the Secret Service briefed him on his vulnerability whereas {golfing} at his personal programs, “due to their proximity to public roads.” They even introduced pictures to assist persuade the notoriously inattentive president that his programs have been robust to safe. It didn’t work; Trump stored {golfing} at Trump properties. (His West Palm Seaside course is likely one of the most uncovered, bordered by busy main thoroughfares close to the native airport).
Present Challenge
Trump additionally made his personal safety tougher final Sunday by {golfing} unexpectedly, forcing safety to scramble. “The president wasn’t even actually purported to go there,” appearing Secret Service head Ronald Rowe informed reporters Monday. “It was not on his official schedule.” He additionally stated the gunman, repeated gun felon Ryan Wesley Routh, by no means had Trump in his sights and by no means fired a shot.
Against this, President Obama, additionally an avid golfer, largely golfed on the course on the army’s Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, or on army bases in Hawaii whereas vacationing there. Clearly, safety there was tighter, with inflexible screening protocols.
Individuals who’ve golfed at Trump Worldwide informed the Publish they have been stunned how little screening they obtained and the way shut they might get to the previous president: “One one who performed final 12 months stated he wasn’t requested any questions or subjected to a bag search. After he completed his spherical, this individual stated, he walked into the clubhouse and took a nook desk close to the place Trump later got here to dine.”
I’m not blaming Trump for Routh’s alleged intention to shoot him. I’m simply noting that he’s made it tougher for Secret Service and different legislation enforcement officers to guard him—on the taxpayers’ expense. To this point, Routh has solely been charged with gun crimes, not tried homicide or assassination. But Republicans are usually not solely raving a few second assassination try however blaming Democrats for it.
Even the mainstream media is often resorting to false equivalence about rhetoric on “either side.” However as David Frum succinctly tweeted Tuesday:
The upsetting issues stated by Trump and Vance are usually not true.
The upsetting issues stated about Trump and Vance are true.
(Learn the entire thing right here.)
Enragingly, Trump and Vance proceed their lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, killing and consuming cats and canines, which Republican Governor Mike DeWine informed reporters has led to at the very least 33 bomb threats. Town has needed to cancel its annual cultural pageant. State troopers are patrolling 17 native faculties, after many needed to be evacuated. DeWine known as his fellow Republicans’ claims “rubbish,” and begged them to cease the lies. They received’t.
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One remaining irony: The US Lawyer serving to to analyze the menace to Trump, Markenzy Lapointe, is a Haitian immigrant.
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