CNN host Boris Sanchez on Monday asked Republican Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania why former President Donald Trump toned down his “statement” just one day after a second suspect tried to assassinate him.
On Sunday, federal and local authorities confirmed the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on suspicion of attempting to assassinate the former president. Speaking on CNN News Central, Muether criticized the rhetoric of the media and Democrats as “pretty awful” and suggested “both sides have work to do,” but Sanchez pushed back, pointing to past comments by Trump.
“I think that's an important and meaningful sentiment, that at the end of the day we are all Americans. Of course it's important to condemn all forms of political violence, but I'm interested to see how you evaluate it given that, as you said, this is a two-way street, because Donald Trump has been a firebrand ever since he went down the escalator in 2015. He has accused Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of all trying to destroy this country,” Sanchez said.
“He's also used dehumanizing rhetoric, including against immigrants, and that was certainly the language used in the aftermath of the El Paso shooting a few years ago,” Sanchez continued. “So I'm curious what message he wants to send to the former president himself. As you said, toning down the rhetoric is a two-way street.”
Muether added that the media has portrayed Trump's comments “in the darkest possible light,” while President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have portrayed the opposite view. (RELATED: “Don't you realize?”: JD Vance accuses Dana Bash of “engaging in basic propaganda”)
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“Boris, maybe we can debate this and even retaliate in the process, because when he says that Comrade Kamala, or Sleepy Joe, or Iran are the work of stupid people; [nuclear] “He's not saying anything about this trade or anything like that. Look, he's also saying illegal immigrants coming here are poisoning our youth, our people. I've heard all that. But what he's really saying is fentanyl, opioids, stuff like that, poisoning the blood,” Meuser replied.
“In my opinion, much of the media has portrayed it in the darkest possible light. And [with] “Vice President Harris and Joe Biden are very often portrayed in the best possible light. But other networks are certainly saying the opposite. What I'm saying is, we need to really think about our language, not make it personal, stop the personal attacks,” Meuser continued. “Let's have policy debates. Let's try our best to find common ground. But if we can't do that, then the election is going to matter and the public is going to vote for what direction we want to take our country.”
At the time of the incident, Routh was in the bushes with “an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tiles hanging from a fence, and a GoPro with which he intended to take pictures,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said. Campaign finance records show that the 58-year-old suspect has donated multiple times to the 2020 presidential campaigns of Tom Steyer, Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard and Beto O'Rourke, and has donated more than $100 to ActBlue.
While Routh previously appeared to support the former president in 2016, social media posts suggest he has since changed his opinion of Trump, saying in 2020 that he would be “happy when the former president is gone.” According to To CNN.
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