OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sparked outrage online over her response to the second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in as many months last week.
“There never is a place for political violence of any kind in America. As the investigation into today’s incident continues, let us commend law enforcement for their actions to keep the former President safe from harm,” she wrote.
There never is a place for political violence of any kind in America.
As the investigation into today’s incident continues, let us commend law enforcement for their actions to keep the former President safe from harm.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 16, 2024
Online users and supporters of the former president immediately pounced, with most of them blaming her and fellow Democrats for using violent rhetoric against Trump, accusing him of being a “threat to democracy” and “dangerous” to the country.
“Nancy, you and the democrats are responsible for this. Your obstruction during J6, your constant attacks against Trump, etc. Hypocrites,” Valentina Gomez, a former GOP candidate for Missouri secretary of state, wrote, adding: “This wasn’t an incident, this was an assassination attempt.”
“What a Democrat did to Trump today was 100x worse than anything any Trump supporter did on January 6th. Yet you call J6 the worst day in American history and today’s assassination attempt an ‘incident’ – Resign,” conservative podcaster Benny Johnson wrote.
“You tore a President’s speech [sic] up during his State of the Union speech live for the world to see. You are a large part of the violence against Trump,” another user wrote.
“Same cookie cutter BS. Stop acting like you give a sh*t,” another said.
Same cookie cutter BS. Stop acting like you give a sh*t. pic.twitter.com/3bAs0IlrTi
— SaltyGoat (@SaltyGoat17) September 16, 2024
“It [was] an ass*ss*nation attempt. Shame on Nancy Pelosi for trying to minimize it,” said another.
One more wrote: “You are a pathetic human scum! You don’t give a damn and you and your cult party are the ones inciting this violence every single day!!”
It wasn’t an “incident.” Say it… assassination attempt.
You and your ilk are responsible.
— D. Mclaughlin – panem et circenses (@DonMcLaughlin9) September 16, 2024
You have created this crap! You belong in prison
— TrumpGirl (@Theboops01) September 16, 2024
Says the person who calls Trump a threat to democracy after a sip of vodka tonic to the radical host on any MSNDC show she appears on.
Sit back down. You’re equally responsible and at fault for this!
P.S. 0-2 😊
— Liberacrat™️ (@Liberacrat) September 16, 2024
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced after the second plot was thwarted that his state would conduct its own investigation into the incident, said on Thursday that the Biden-Harris administration was hampering the state probe.
In an interview Thursday with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, the two-term governor and former 2024 GOP presidential candidate said state investigators were “rebuffed” by federal authorities when they attempted to gain access to a site where the alleged attacker, Ryan Routh, 58, laid in wait for Trump as he played a round of golf last Sunday at his course near Palm Beach.
“I want to turn to another topic because we were relieved to hear that you are doing your own independent investigation in Florida concerning the second assassination attempt on President Trump,” Ingraham noted to begin her segment with DeSantis on Thursday. “My question to you tonight is, are the Feds being cooperative with your investigation? Are you concerned that you’re not getting the information you need?”
“The answer is, no, they’re not being cooperative. Yes, I am concerned. I mean, for example, we were rebuffed. Our investigators were rebuffed just going to the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” DeSantis said.