The Trump rally shooting is yet another opportunity to change the nation’s deadly gun culture | Editorial

Fortunately, Donald Trump is safe following an assassination attempt during a campaign rally outside of Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

At a time of deep political divide, the harrowing event is a stark reminder that there is no place for gun violence in America. The best thing that could come from the attempt on Trump’s life would be for all sides to dial down the incendiary rhetoric and recommit to stopping the nation’s deadly gun epidemic.

Semiautomatic rifles are the weapon of choice in many mass shootings. Assault weapons were banned in 1994, but federal lawmakers allowed the measure to expire.

Gun makers have marketed the weapons of war to young males as something macho. The National Rifle Association and many Republican lawmakers have long opposed efforts to reinstate the ban.

President Joe Biden helped pass the measure when he was in the Senate and has rightly called for prohibiting the manufacture and sale for civilian use of semiautomatic weapons. Earlier this year, Trump told the NRA that he did nothing to curb guns during his term as president and promised if he was reelected in November that “no one would lay a finger on your firearms.”

Assault weapons — which are designed to kill many people in a short period of time — have no place for recreational use by hunters. Trump could do a great service and save thousands of lives by joining the effort to ban these weapons and pass other sensible gun safety measures.

No other developed country has such ease of access to guns. Or such a high tolerance for daily gun violence. Despite repeated high-profile shootings in schools, churches, theaters, grocery stores, and elsewhere across America, lawmakers repeatedly fail to meet the moment and act as if the killings are the price of freedom.

That is not the case. The assassination attempt on Trump is yet another opportunity to change the country’s deadly gun culture. Will voters demand change? Will lawmakers finally come together or talk past one another?

Biden set the right tone by condemning the attempt on Trump’s life.

“Look, there’s no place for this kind of violence in America. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country,” he said. “We cannot be like this.”

The Biden campaign also rightly paused all television ads regarding the election.

Vice President Kamala Harris added that she and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, were praying for Trump, his family, and others impacted by the shooting. Other leaders, including former President Barack Obama, condemned the shooting and wished Trump a quick recovery.

Unfortunately, many Republicans seized on the shooting to dial up the rhetoric by blaming Biden and his allies for the violence. They claimed the criticism of Trump’s words and deeds had created a hostile environment.

In particular, they pointed to a recent comment by Biden who told donors it was “time to put Trump in a bull’s-eye.” That was a poor choice of words. Biden should use the opportunity to apologize and remind everyone that words matter.

Sadly, it will likely fall on deaf ears. Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio), a potential Trump running mate, said the shooting was “not just some isolated incident.”

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” he wrote on social media. Without any evidence, Vance added, “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Other Republicans rushed to voice similar divisive messages. This was not the time or place for such rhetoric. Of course, the indignation ignored how Trump for years has used inflammatory and violent language.

When Trump took office in 2017, he vowed to end the “American carnage.” During the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, many Trump supporters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” and built a gallows. Rather than condemn the angry mob, Trump said maybe his vice president should be hanged.

Just last year, Trump said retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, committed treason and should be put to death. He has also called his political enemies “vermin” and said that if he does not win the election in November there will be a “bloodbath.”

This is not normal language. It is especially dangerous coming from a leader with a devoted following. Trump’s hate and anger have a corrosive effect on the country. His comments have been compared to the rhetoric of autocratic leaders.

The inflammatory rhetoric and conspiracy theories that have spread in the wake of the shooting are reckless, irresponsible, and beyond the pale.

Calling out extreme language from every corner is not wrong and, in fact, is required to maintain a civil society.

Many details surrounding the shooting remain unknown. But that has not stopped many conspiracy theories from taking hold.

Some of the left claimed the shooting was a “false flag” pushed by Trump’s own supporters. Meanwhile, some on the right accused Biden of ordering a hit on his political rival.

With no evidence whatsoever, Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.) claimed “Joe Biden sent the orders.” He called for Biden to face charges for “inciting an assassination.”

Such comments are reckless, irresponsible, and beyond the pale. Politics has always been a dirty game, but this has gone too far.

This Editorial Board does not agree with Trump on most of his policy positions and actions, let alone his divisive style, criminality, and penchant for spreading lies. We believe he remains a danger to democracy.

But we wish him no harm and hope something good can come from this latest act of gun violence. A sound first step would be for Trump and Biden to stand together and denounce the heated rhetoric and false conspiracy theories.