Former President Donald Trump says the alleged second assassination attempt against him is due to the violent “rhetoric” pushed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, The Hill reports.
After law enforcement arrested Ryan Wesley Routh for allegedly pointing a gun through a fence near the Trump International Golf Club where the former President was playing a round of golf on Sept. 15, the four-time indicted businessman called his political opponents “the real threat” as Routh “believed” them. “He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it. Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out,” Trump said.
“They do it with a combination of rhetoric and lawsuits they wrap me up in. These are the things that dangerous fools, like the shooter, listen to. That is the rhetoric they listen to, and the same with the first one.”
The incident happened close to two months after a gunman allegedly took a shot at Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, striking him in the ear and killing one man in attendance. Shortly after thanking supporters for their concerns and well wishes, he turned the tables on Biden and Harris again on X on Sept. 16, claiming they “want to destroy our country” and took the opportunity to issue his thoughts on immigration. “Because of this Communist Left Rhetoric, the bullets are flying, and it will only get worse! Allowing millions of people, from places unknown, to INVADE and take over our Country is an unpardonable sin,” he wrote in a lengthy post.
“Our border must be closed, and the terrorists, criminals, and mentally insane, immediately removed from American cities and towns, deported back to their countries of origin. We want people to come into our country, but they must love our nation and come in legally and through a system of merit. The world is laughing at us as fools; they are stealing our jobs and our wealth. We cannot let them laugh any longer. Make America great again!”
Both Biden and Harris expressed relief that Trump was OK, even condemning political violence. “I am deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today,” Harris said in a statement on Sept. 15.
“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.”
During the previous assassination attempt, Biden called for “cooler heads.” According to The Washington Post, Trump admitted that the President “couldn’t have been nicer” after calling to check on him — even asking if he needed more security detail.
The suspect has openly criticized Trump on social media and shared campaign slogans from Biden and Harris. However, authorities still have not identified a motive behind the actions. After Trump bashed Biden and Harris, several former GOP allies called him out for not having more accountability. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) issued a statement on social media saying that the incident is partly MAGA’s fault. “Look, violent rhetoric is wrong and has no place,” he wrote.
“But MAGA pretending they didn’t light this fire is gaslighting to the 100th power. Since Trump showed up, our politics has gone to crap. Literally just accused a group of people of eating our pets,” referencing the false claims of Haitian migrants eating neighborhood dogs and cats in Ohio.
RELATED CONTENT: Kamala Harris Inspires 175% Increase In Voter Registration Among Young Black Women