Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy directly confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday about the recurring claims from the White House that former President Donald Trump is a “threat” to democracy, following the second assassination attempt on Trump in the past two months.
A 58-year-old man was arrested by the Secret Service on Sunday for allegedly pointing an AK-47-style rifle at Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida. This comes just a few months after another assassination attempt in July, where a 20-year-old man shot at Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, killing one person and critically injuring two others. Doocy questioned whether the White House should reconsider their rhetoric, which repeatedly accuses Trump of being a “threat” to democracy, in light of these violent incidents.
“Do you think it’s time to choose a different word to describe Trump other than ‘threat’? How many more assassination attempts on Donald Trump until the president, the vice president, and you pick a different word?” Doocy asked pointedly.
Jean-Pierre responded by strongly disagreeing with Doocy’s question and calling it “dangerous.” She pointed out that the Biden administration has consistently condemned political violence, citing the Capitol riot on January 6th as one example. She also mentioned other instances where the White House has called for “lowering the temperature,” including the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s house and the Butler shooting.
“Do we really need to be bringing political rhetoric into discussions about policy?” Jean-Pierre asked, emphasizing that the White House has repeatedly denounced political violence and rhetoric.
Doocy then raised the concern that some viewers may not see the White House’s condemnations of violence and may only hear their portrayal of Trump as a “threat.” He pointed out that there may be “mentally unstable people” who take this rhetoric literally and act on it.
Jean-Pierre reiterated that the White House has been consistently denouncing political violence and cited the January 6th riot again. She made it clear that their use of the word “threat” is not just to label Trump, but to highlight the alarming events that have occurred, such as the Capitol riot.
Trump has faced numerous accusations from the liberal media and Democratic politicians that he poses a threat to democracy. Jean-Pierre herself had previously labeled Trump as an “extremist threat to our democracy” in August 2022, while Biden’s former campaign accused Trump of being the “instigator of an insurrection” in June. Some media outlets have even gone as far as comparing Trump to fascist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini.
Former Senator Claire McCaskill claimed that Trump is “more dangerous” than Hitler during a segment on MSNBC, while another commentator warned that Trump would create concentration camps if re-elected. These extreme accusations and labels from the media and politicians have sparked concerns about how they may be influencing individuals to commit acts of violence.
In light of the recent assassination attempts on Trump, Doocy’s question about the White House’s rhetoric is a critical one. With political tensions and divisions still high in the country, it’s important for leaders and the media to consider the impact of their words and strive for unity rather than further polarization.