A C-SPAN caller shocked viewers during Wednesday’s episode of “Washington Journal” after he said that two men who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump “had to step up and take that shot” to stop Trump. This disturbing statement came just days after a Secret Service agent thwarted an apparent assassination attempt on Trump by shooting at a man Golf Club.
The caller, identified as Willie and a self-proclaimed Democrat, went on to introduce himself as a Vietnam War veteran with 20 years of military experience, including two tours in Vietnam and being wounded in 1966. He then proceeded to say that he and his fellow military men were trained to “kill, capture, and destroy” the enemy by any means necessary, and that they had let Trump “destroy America.” He ended his shocking statement by expressing his belief that “these two people had to step up and take that shot.”
Host John McArdle was visibly taken aback by Willie’s words and asked him if he was advocating for violence. Willie quickly clarified that he was not talking about violence, but rather defending his country. However, his disturbing statement had already been made, leaving viewers and the show’s host in shock.
This type of dangerous rhetoric and support for violence against a former president is extremely disturbing and should not be tolerated. However, it is unfortunately not an isolated incident. A recent poll by Napolitan News Service showed that over a quarter of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters believe that the United States would have been better off if Trump had been killed.
The Biden administration and other prominent Democrats have also repeatedly painted Trump as a “threat to democracy.” This type of rhetoric only fuels the fire for individuals like Willie, who seem to believe that violence is justified in order to stop Trump.
Trump himself has also weighed in on the recent assassination attempt, posting on Truth Social Monday and calling out what he believes to be “communist left rhetoric” that is causing “bullets are flying” and will only get worse. While it is true that political tensions are high and hostility between parties seems to be on the rise, it is never acceptable to advocate for or condone violence against anyone, regardless of their political beliefs.
The disturbing words of the C-SPAN caller and the disturbing poll results only serve to demonstrate the dangerous divide and animosity in our country. It is important for all individuals, regardless of their political stance, to remember that violence is never the answer and that we must strive for civility and understanding in our political discourse.