In what can only be described as one of the most insane takes on the Trump assassination attempt ever, Axios co-founders Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei are essentially blaming Trump for the attempt on his life, and want him to accept the blame for it.
"Former President Trump has something rare, precious and definitional: a moment — a fleeting chance to redefine himself, this election, America," they wrote.
Reality check: He's Trump. He could just become old Trump again.
- Incendiary attacks have flown from him and his allies. He has made Jan. 6 a cornerstone of his campaign, and defended those charged with crimes as "hostages" and "unbelievable patriots."
- Don Jr., campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), a finalist to be Trump's running-mate, attacked Democrats and the media on X in the hours after the shooting. LaCivita deleted a post blaming Trump political opponents for the attack in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Oh really? It's all just coming from Trump and his allies, is it?
What did they think would happen? pic.twitter.com/W5JIsIexTM
— Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) July 13, 2024
Joe Biden on 7/12/24: "Most importantly—and I mean this from the bottom of my heart—Trump is a threat to this nation."
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) July 15, 2024
A day later, Trump was shot. pic.twitter.com/Ss4zNq0GDr
According to Allen and VandeHei, Trump, not anyone on the left, has "a legitimate moment to change, substantively."
They offered four options to this point, such as unifying the Republican Party—which Trump's arguably already done—and other things like offering RFK Jr. a role in his administration in exchange for an endorsement, which won't happen. Fnally, they suggest he could "show a different side of himself."
But what was really absurd was their second point.
2. He could unify America. Imagine he gave a speech featuring something he rarely shows: humility. Imagine him telling the nation that he has been too rough, too loose, too combative with his language — and now realizes words can have consequences, and promises to tone it down and bring new voices into the White House if he wins.
How in the world do Allien and VandeHei conclude that in light of what happened on Saturday, it's Trump who has to say he's been "too rough, too loose, too combative with his language" and now "realizes words can have consequences," when for years, it's been Joe Biden and the Democrats comparing him to Hitler, calling him a fascist, calling him a threat to democracy, calling for uprisings and advocating for political violence. According to them, Trump needs to apologize for getting shot.
Related: Trump Rewrites His Convention Speech, and for a Very Good Reason
The sheer audacity to blame Trump for the assassination attempt on his life is beyond appalling. It takes a twisted sense of irony to demand that Trump change his tone to “unite” the country, all while conveniently ignoring the divisive and violent rhetoric that has been incessantly spewed by the left. For years, left-wing figures and their media allies have relentlessly stoked hatred and violence against Trump, creating a hostile environment that culminated in this attempt on his life. Yet these same critics now have the gall to praise Biden, a president who has consistently used inflammatory language against conservatives, as a beacon of unity.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member