Trump Endorses Violence Against Press at Montana Rally

Several months later, Trump picked up where he left off.

After being introduced by Gianforte at the Montana rally held last evening, Trump said, “any guy who can do a body slam,” adding, “he’s my guy” as he mimicked a body slam.

He continued, “I shouldn’t say this…there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

He went on to recount his own experience of hearing of the assault, noting both that he’d endorsed Giranforte and that the candidate was “way up” in the polls at the time of the assault.

“Then I said, well wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him. And it did,” Trump said.

Here’s video of that part of Trump’s speech:

The Guardian immediately released a statement condemning Trump’s remarks glorifying violence against the press. Guardian editor John Mulholland said:

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also released a statement. “We are disturbed once again to see President Trump standing up for those who would attack the press,” said CPJ advocacy director Courtney Radsch.

Aside from the optics of celebrating violence against a journalist the same week another journalist is brutally tortured and murdered abroad, Trump faces other criticisms for his celebration of Gianforte’s assault on Ben Jacobs.

They added:

Additionally, Trump’s remarks last night fly in the face of midterms slogans meant to characterize Democrats and liberals — and not conservatives and Republicans — as the real ‘violent’ threat. This has been a theme for several weeks across conservative media as personalities at Fox News and talk radio pundits all accuse the left of being a ‘violent mob.’

During his speech, Trump said the midterm elections next month will be an “an election of Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order, and common sense. That’s what it’s going to be.” He added, without a hint of irony, “Democrats create mobs. Republicans create jobs.”

But it’s more than that. By now most people know Trump lies constantly — even about trivial matters. That he would lie about who is prone to commit violence should surprise no one.

It’s the larger Republican party’s willingness to go along with that lie that’s disconcerting.

Whether they’re rationalizing the murder of a journalist who the U.S. had a sovereign duty to protect or inventing a narrative about the “violent left” to scare conservative voters enough to get them to vote, Republicans have, on the whole, adopted Trumpism as their standard operating procedure.

After noting that right-wing outlets blatantly ignore actual examples of right-wing extremist violence — such as the Proud Boys hate crimes in New York — they added:

The midterm elections are 18 days away. This is how the right is mobilizing their base — through unsubstantiated fear of “mob” violence, praise for those who literally assault the free press, and cover for foreign entities that murder journalists.

Related posts:

Socialization is a vital aspect of a dog’s development as it helps them become well-adjusted, confident, and friendly, making them happier and safer pets. It also prevents unwanted behaviors and…