Vance: Tone down the rhetoric on the left
J.D. Vance's comments on toning down the rhetoric on the left, citing assassination attempts on Trump, are an astonishing attempt to gaslight the American people. The notion that the left's rhetoric needs to be toned down is beyond laughable when you consider the torrent of vitriol that has flowed from Trump and his supporters over the past nine years.
To be fair, Vance is another casualty of Trumpism. He had the potential to be a rational, appealing conservative. His early criticisms of Trump showed a glimmer of someone who understood the dangers of demagoguery. But like so many others, he caved, choosing the path of least political resistance. And now he has the audacity to suggest that the left’s rhetoric is somehow responsible for the toxic political climate?
Trump has openly encouraged violence at his rallies, telling supporters to “knock the crap out of” protestors and offering to pay their legal fees. His language has only become more inflammatory, constantly labeling the media “the enemy of the people” and casting his political opponents as traitors. In this context, Vance’s call to tone down the left’s rhetoric is not just wrong — it’s offensive.
Trump’s rhetoric has led to real-world violence, from the insurrection at the Capitol to, according to the FBI, a rise in politically motivated attacks and a greater threat from white supremacy groups.
NBC News, The Hill, Associated Press.
