Amid overwhelming bipartisan condemnation of the shooting at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday that wounded the former president and killed one spectator, some Republican lawmakers blamed Democrats and liberals for the incident.
Meanwhile, President Trump said on social media a few hours after the assassination attempt, “At this time, we know nothing about the shooter. The shooter is already deceased.” On Sunday morning, without placing any blame on anyone, he posted on his platform, “Truth Social,” “At this moment, it is more important than ever that we come together, show our true character as Americans, be strong and determined, and do not let evil win.”
Still, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, many Trump supporters speculated about possible sinister motives, inspired by comments from Trump’s critics, including President Joe Biden, who strongly condemned the shooting in comments Saturday night.
“The Republican District Attorney of Butler County, Pennsylvania should immediately charge Joseph R. Biden with soliciting assassination,” Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia, wrote on X.
These reactions are emblematic of the deep divisions that have gripped American politics. The assassination attempt has united top congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who have strongly condemned the attempt and called for unity. But there are still individuals using social media to fuel their messages, relying on unconfirmed information and conspiracy theories, and stoking an us-versus-them divide.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is running to become the next Senate Republican leader, wrote, “Democrats and liberals in the media are calling Trump a fascist. They are likening him to Hitler.”
“This is not an unfortunate incident,” Scott’s post continued, “this is an assassination attempt by a madman inspired by far-left rhetoric.”
The swift response came before authorities released the identity of the shooter. Late Saturday, the dead suspect was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. But two senior law enforcement officials said the shooter’s motive remained unclear the morning after the attack.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was the victim of a politically motivated shooting in Washington in 2017, linked Saturday’s shooting to “inflammatory rhetoric” against President Trump.
“For weeks, Democratic leaders have been stoking absurd hysteria that the reelection of Donald Trump would mean the end of American democracy,” Scalise said in a statement. “Clearly, we have seen far-left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past, and this inflammatory rhetoric must stop.”
Both of Trump’s vice presidential candidates also blamed the incident on Trump’s political opponents.
“Today is not just an isolated incident.” Said Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio): “The Biden campaign’s central argument is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. This rhetoric led directly to the assassination attempt on President Trump.”
Ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention, Trump’s running mate, Senator Tim Scott of Scotland, I wrote to X“For years, Democrats and their media allies have recklessly stoked fears about President Trump and other conservatives, calling them a threat to democracy. Their inflammatory rhetoric is putting lives at risk.”
“It’s really astounding that while Democratic elected officials are condemning the violence and calling for calm, Republicans like J.D. Vance are already blaming Democrats for the shooting before we know anything about the shooter’s motives,” said Democratic strategist Rich Ruchette. “Remember, Hinckley shot Reagan because he was infatuated with Jodie Foster, not for political reasons. That says a lot, but I think none of it is very good, especially in this time of hyper-partisanship and misinformation.”
“For years, and even today, left-wing activists, Democratic donors, and now even @JoeBiden have made disturbing statements and portrayals of taking shots at Donald Trump,” Trump campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita said on X. “It’s about time we hold them accountable,” adding, “The best way to do that is through the ballot box.”
and Trump’s 2020 campaign chairman, Brad Parscale. Tweeted“This is either one of the worst Secret Service failures in history or a Deep State conspiracy. This should never have happened.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-N.Y.) was asked on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning about his Republican colleagues, including Vance and Collins, blaming the left and Biden for the shootings, and said he “doesn’t want to go down that path right now.”
“There are many complaints on our side about the way President Trump was treated,” Graham said, “but I’m grateful today that he’s alive. … We’ll have a chance to sit here and talk about what’s best for America. But let’s be grateful today that our former president and political candidate survived an assassination attempt.”
Some Republican lawmakers circulated a recent report that Biden, in a private call with donors, had shifted focus to Trump, using “point-blaming” language and describing his rhetoric as violent.
The full transcript of the call, provided to NBC News by a source on the call, shows the president used the analogy to urge his party to move away from the intraparty battle over the future of his candidacy in the wake of his poor performance in the debate and instead refocus attention on his rebuttal of Trump and Project 2025.
“I can’t waste any more time with distractions,” Biden said, according to a recording of the call. “I have one job and one job to do, and that’s to defeat Donald Trump. … I believe I’m the best person to do that. So no more debate talk. It’s time to attack Mr. Trump head on. He’s spent the last 10 days doing nothing but riding around in a golf cart and bragging about scores he didn’t get.”
Biden added: “But the fact is he’s not answering the question. He’s now running away from everything he said he stood for. Project 25 is a disaster for America.”
Late Saturday, Biden condemned the shootings as “sick” and called them “one of the reasons we need to unite our country.” A White House official said he spoke with Trump later that evening.
In response to Biden’s promise to investigate the assassination attempt, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suggested an investigation was necessary but that Washington’s “bureaucracy” wasn’t up to the task. “Failures of the Washington bureaucracy rarely lead to accountability. This time needs to be different. Our country is in danger in part because the Washington ruling class has consistently avoided responsibility for its failures,” DeSantis said in a post on X.
In an interview, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden said it was “clear” that the shooting at the Trump rally was “the fault of the left.” He said he “100% condemns political violence,” but argued, “The left is much worse than the right. People feel they can’t wear something that reflects the Republican Party’s belief in ‘Make America Great Again.'”
Collins, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia, Posts On Sunday, he drew accusations from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), who said without evidence that “Joe Biden gave the order.”
“This is a continuation of the rhetoric that incites political violence,” Pocan said. Responded“The assassination attempt and gun violence against President Trump are terrible in every sense of the word. Adding jet fuel to the political situation is unbecoming of a member of Congress.”
