FEEDING THE FIRE

Many were shocked that Trump did not tone down his inflammatory rhetoric after a week of white supremacist attacks. But Trump continuing to feed the fires of hate and violence were entirely expected.

It has become increasingly clear over the past two years that Trump and his Republican enablers are comfortable with tolerating political violence against their opponents. A few recent examples:

Trump expressly praised Montana Representative Greg Gianforte for physically assaulting a journalist that asked a question the Congressman didn’t like.

The Manhattan Republican Club invited the leader of the pro-authoritarian street gang Proud Boys to speak at their establishment, and (predictably) the Proud Boys engaged in street violence against political opponents.

Trump warned of violence if Republicans did not retain Congress after the mid-term elections (this is on top of Trump’s routine use of veiled threats of violence against his political opponents).

Neither Trump or the Republican-controlled Congress has any intention of taking action that will make the sort of far-right terrorism Americans have recently confronted less likely. They have too much to gain by encouraging such violence.

That is why we must turn to other centers of power in American society to condemn Trump and the Republican Party’s embrace of violent political extremists.



