Vance Blames Liberal Rhetoric for Assassination Attempts on Trump: “No One Has Tried to Kill Harris”
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of gun violence that some readers may find distressing.
Republican nominee Donald Trump was escorted to safety this Sunday after what the FBI classified as a possible assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf course. The incident unfolded nearly two months after a July shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that the former president survived with a mere graze to his right ear. In light of these attempts, Trump's vice-presidential nominee, J.D Vance, recently argued a difference between conservatives and liberals.
As reported by CNN, at Atlanta's Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition dinner, Vance said, “I know it’s popular on a lot of corners of the Left to say that we have a both-sides problem. And I’m not going to say we’re always perfect. I’m not going to say that conservatives always get things exactly right. But you know, the big difference between conservatives and liberals is that we have— no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months, and two people now have tried to kill Donald Trump in the last couple of months.”
Yesterday, Donald J. Trump nearly lost his life. An armed gunman waited for him in the bushes. He brought a go-pro camera to record it. A secret service agent spotted the barrel of a gun through a fence and shot at the gunman. The gunman fled. He was caught. And now we slowly…
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 16, 2024
He added, “I’d say that’s pretty strong evidence that the Left needs to tone down the rhetoric and...to cut this crap out. Somebody’s gonna get hurt by it, and it’s gonna destroy this country...And you think about what an incredible wound it would open up in the United States of America, all of us, and I promise I will do my part to tone down the rhetoric. But in particular, the people telling you that Donald Trump needs to be eliminated. You guys need to cut it out, or you’re gonna get somebody hurt.”
As reported by Politico, Vance also shared a lengthy statement on X. He penned, “When I ask you to ‘tone down the rhetoric’ it’s not about being nice — our citizens have every right to be mean, even if I don’t like it— or empty platitudes. Instead, I’m asking all of us to reject censorship. Reject the idea that you can control what other people think and say.”
I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024
He continued, “It is one thing to say that pets are not, in fact being eaten, and another thing to say that anyone who disagrees is trying to murder people. Dissent, even vigorous dissent, is a great tradition of the United States. Censorship is not.” Meanwhile, on Sunday, Vice President Harris said she was grateful that Trump is safe. She asserted, “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."
Law enforcement identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh from Hawaii, who was captured just minutes after he fled the scene. Using a license plate reader to track his location, deputies quickly set up roadblocks along I-95, covering every exit, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder. The sheriff informed that the suspect was unarmed when officers arrested him and remained calm and expressionless the entire time.
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