Source: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty
As of Thursday morning, a total of 10 pipe bombs were mailed across the United States with intent to harm prominent critics of Donald Trump, including former President Obama, former Vice President Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic Representative Maxine Waters, political activist and investor George Soros, actor Robert DeNiro, and former CIA Director John Brennan. The parcel intended for Brennan was sent to CNN Headquarters in New York City with a return address from Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
While he may not have made the arbitrary pipe bombs with misspelled names and incorrect addresses (although the aforementioned grammar mistakes seem likely), his hateful rhetoric is a direct contributor to the cause. As the leader of the free world, he has a responsibility to lead by example. His hateful speech, obviously has real-life consequences, like bombs and white powder being sent through the mail!
It’s no secret that the president has publicly called out these individuals as well as the press during his time in office. When addressing the situation at a political rally Wednesday night, Trump called for “harmony” before blaming the media for “hostility,” adding that reporters have a “responsibility to set civil tone” and need to stop the “false attacks.” He has yet to address his own hateful, violence-inciting, and false rhetoric.
Like the time he encouraged his supporters to laugh at the fact that Congressman Gianforte body slammed a reporter.“ He’s my guy,” he smiled.
Then there’s the time he encouraged his loyal followers to chant “lock her up” in regards to former Secretary of State Clinton at a rally just hours after the bombs were discovered .
There’s the fact that Trump locked immigrant children in cages and bolstered false claims that the caravan of migrants from Central America are protestors paid for by Soros. There is no evidence to support those false attacks.
There’s also his response to former Attorney General Holder’s controversial statement of “when they go low, we kick ‘em.” Trump threatened Holder on Fox & Friends with, “He better be careful what he’s wishing for.”
45 often refers to representative Waters, as “low IQ.” She’s also been told to “Be careful what you wish for.”
He called Biden “1% Joe” as well as “weak, both mentally and physically” and someone who would “go down fast and hard, crying all the way” if they ever go into a physical altercation.
Then there’s all the other ignorant statements and half truths he’s made about the Obama Administration in regards to unemployment and the economy.
The list is seriously long and I’m losing brain cells as I ingest more of his Twitter feed, so I digress.
Thankfully, none of the bombs have detonated, but in the wake of it all, Trump overlooking his own part in this matter is the most worrying. While most of what he says goes in through one ear and out the other, my ears tuned in specifically to one line and one line alone during his political speech Wednesday night.
“There’s one way to settle our disagreements, it’s called peacefully at the ballot box.”
Heard that! See you at the polls November 6.
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