Since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, there appears to be a concerted effort by the Biden administration and the Biden campaign to minimize the potential political impact the assassination might have on the election. While some Democratic experts believe it won't impact the election, others believe that it will help Trump. A few others think that the presidential election is over.
Naturally, Team Biden is trying to navigate the situation and minimize any boost it might give to Trump. The most pathetic thing I've heard so far are the warnings of "retaliatory" attacks.
On Sunday, Samantha Vinograd, a former Obama official at the Department of Homeland Security, told CBS that she believes the "biggest threat" after the assassination attempt was possible "retaliatory violence."
"As a former operator, I'll say what is happening at the moment is really two concurrent investigations. One is an investigation into the perpetrator, whether he did act alone, and whether any other individuals could be inspired by his actions to copy what he did. So there's that piece of it," she explained. "There's an investigation into the security failures that resulted in this incident. And then the biggest threat that officials are telling me tonight is in the form of retaliatory violence."
She also claimed that suggesting that Biden bore some responsibility for the assassination attempt was "unpatriotic" and "stoking the flames."
"At this hour leading officials within the U.S. government still don't know what transpired, and it is frankly unpatriotic at this moment to be stoking the flames when we know we are sitting on a cauldron of tensions," she said. "We know that tensions were already high before this incident, and the counter-terrorism officials and homeland security officials that I've spoken to in the last few hours are deeply concerned that this event will be used as a rallying cry to launch attacks against individuals associated with the Biden campaign and lead to broader domestic distress. "
On CBS, Margaret Brennan and Samantha Vinograd talk up "retaliatory violence" from right-wingers, and then we hear of January 6. Knew this line was coming.... pic.twitter.com/JO9572UlXn
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) July 14, 2024
After George Floyd's death in 2020, leftists rioted across the nation, causing extensive property damage and loss of life, especially in Minneapolis. Yet following the attempt on Trump's life, there has been no comparable upheaval.
The media, however, are determined to shift the narrative about political violence in this country. They are trying to blame Trump for the assassination attempt on his own life and paint Trump supporters as the main perpetrators of violence. Meanwhile, the anticipated "retaliatory violence" has not materialized.
However, the effort to push the narrative that this is a real problem continues.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint bulletin to law enforcement nationwide about potential "follow-on or retaliatory" attacks following the assassination attempt against Trump. They emphasized the threat posed by violent extremists who may target events related to the 2024 presidential election, urging heightened vigilance and reporting of suspicious activities. The bulletin highlights concerns over threats originating from online communities in response to the assassination attempt.
I think security should be amplified for all campaigns for sure, but let's stop pretending that the hateful and violent rhetoric is somehow evenhanded. Democrats have been calling Trump Hitler and a threat to democracy for years. I'm sick of the concerted effort in the wake of the assassination attempt to turn this into a moment to blame "both sides" for the current tone.
