Although President Donald Trump has advocated for the cessation of political violence following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he has not addressed the recent threats, violent incidents, and killings involving Democrats.
In his remarks on Wednesday night, shortly after Kirk, a conservative influencer associated with Trump’s circle, was killed, Trump released a video denouncing the shooting and other instances of political violence, citing some recent incidents.
“From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, which claimed the life of a husband and father, to the assaults on ICE agents, to the brutal murder of a healthcare executive on the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical Left political violence has inflicted harm on many innocuous individuals and claimed too many lives,” he stated.
Trump’s comments didn’t recognize several acts of violence that affected Democratic individuals within the last year.
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On June 14, Minnesota state legislators and their spouses were allegedly targeted in their homes by a masked gunman reportedly disguised as a police officer.
Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed along with their dog, while State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured by gunfire.
Authorities apprehended and charged Vance Luther Boelter in connection with the shootings, alleging that he possessed a hit list comprising numerous other targets, including Democratic lawmakers, abortion service providers, and pro-choice activists.
Boelter has been charged with state and federal crimes, including murder and animal cruelty, and has pleaded not guilty.
Following the Minnesota shooting, Trump called the incident “absolutely terrible,” however, he slammed Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and did not call him.
“I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” he told ABC News’ Rachel Scott on June 15.
Vice President JD Vance, Walz’s vice presidential opponent during the 2024 election, did contact the governor the day of the shooting, according to sources.
However, Trump continued to lambast the governor to the press.
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“Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” Trump told reporters on June 17.
Trump did call Walz following the Aug. 22 shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 21 others were wounded.
The Minnesota state legislators’ shooting took place two months after a Democratic governor and his family were said by police to have been targeted in their own home.
On April 13, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was set on fire by a suspect while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were celebrating Passover, police said.
No one was seriously hurt and the suspect, Cody Allen Balmer, turned himself in, according to the police.
Balmer allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with the hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, according to investigators.
Balmer has pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include terrorism.
Trump was asked about the attack a day after and said the suspect was “just a whack job.”
“The attacker was not a fan of Trump. I understand just from what I’ve read and from what I’ve been told,” said Trump, adding that he was not informed of the motive in the incident.
“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody. Probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen,” he added.
Shapiro told reporters that Trump called him six days after the incident, and that he appreciated the call.
“He was very gracious,” Shapiro said.
Despite Trump’s lack of acknowledgment of these incidents, other Republicans have mentioned the Democratic targeting in their responses to Kirk’s shooting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox noted Shapiro’s alleged attempted assassination and the Hortmans’ deaths during his news conference on Wednesday.
“When someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened,” he said.
“Our nation is broken. We’ve had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination of the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former president of the United States, and now current president of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country,” Cox added.
Several Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, also put out statements condemning Kirk’s assassination.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” Biden said.
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