Less than an hour after her initial X post, Greene shared a series of screenshots showing articles that noted there was an incident at Trump’s rally without describing it as a shooting. The screenshots were indicative of the kind of cautious language media outlets use in quickly breaking stories when the nature of the incident has not been confirmed. However, Greene framed them as deliberate lies and evidence for her claim the press was to blame.
“LIARS! These scumbags in the media are responsible for what happened today,” Greene wrote. “People were shot (potentially killed) and this is what they claimed happened.”
Greene has a long history of promoting conspiracy theories. She did not respond to questions about whether she was concerned her comments might further inflame tensions.
Another Trump-endorsed House member from Greene’s home state, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), similarly responded to the shooting with a post on X that declared “Joe Biden sent the orders.” Collins included a screenshot of a comment President Biden made during a call last week with Democratic donors discussing the concerns about flagging enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy and the state of his re-election race against Trump. In that call, Biden suggested that he wanted to “beat Donald Trump” and that, rather than focusing on Biden, it was time for the party’s leaders to “put Trump in a bullseye.” In a followup post, Collins suggested the political comment was grounds for authorities to “immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.” Collins did not respond to a request for comment.
Ahead of the event, Trump sent out a fundraising email suggesting he might announce his running mate on the stage. One of the Republicans who is widely considered to be in the mix for that position, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), also made an X post blaming Biden’s “rhetoric” for the shooting.
“Today is 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,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For his part, Biden responded to the incident with remarks where he denounced political violence. Biden has indeed framed Trump as an authoritarian threat. That characterization comes after Trump spearheaded a conspiracy theory-fueled effort to stay in power that helped lead to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Overall, the shooting of Trump is part of a rising tide of political violence in this nation. This nearly decade-long eruption has coincided with a wave of starkly polarized rhetoric and misinformation online. Today’s dark moment is further proof that the toxic political climate shows no sign of breaking.
This story originally appeared on Talking Points Memo.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
Things like this, and all the other crazy-ass crap that Trump-haters say have no effect on delicate minds. Right?
Identifying as African-American Lesbian who is identifying as a Gay Man and a Gay Journalist
Pronouns: what/me/worry
Rocker and a mocker and a midnight shocker
Things like this, and all the other crazy-ass crap that Trump-haters say have no effect on delicate minds. Right?
Trump's deranged followers are continually making death threats. Fortunately, their actions have been thwarted.
I am not sure if this is overreacting, but I suspect that darkness will come over the face of the earth on the day of Trump's inauguration, maybe rain cats and dogs as well.
Wasn’t Kathy Griffin roundly criticized by both the Left and Right? “CNN fired her from its New Year's Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper. Cooper said, "For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate."” And her career tanked afterward.
In other words, there were massive, for her, repercussions. Not that bill4long will consider these remarks, but one must always try I suppose..
Things like this, and all the other crazy-ass crap that Trump-haters say have no effect on delicate minds. Right?
Tell us you're an idiot without saying it.
Killers like the El Paso shooter were directly inspired by Trump's hateful rhetoric. We've provided dozens of examples of a right wing terrorists who are driven by Right Wing rhetoric, and all you got to balance it all out is some obscure nobody with a bloody head of Trump. That's it. There is no "both sides" here. MAGA is a death cult, period.
"I am not an American ... In my view premarital sex should be illegal ...(there are) mentally challenged people with special needs like myself- Ajax18
All I can think in response to this event is that you reap what you sow. I don't condone it, but it's not surprising at all. This is the culture Trump encourages, so it happened. If this moves people to vote for Trump, they're lying to themselves about it and part of the problem.
The only thing surprising about it is that it took this long for someone to make the attempt. The gun nuts ask for it every single day.
Religion is for people whose existential fear is greater than their common sense.
All I can think in response to this event is that you reap what you sow. I don't condone it, but it's not surprising at all. This is the culture Trump encourages, so it happened. If this moves people to vote for Trump, they're lying to themselves about it and part of the problem.
The only thing surprising about it is that it took this long for someone to make the attempt. The gun nuts ask for it every single day.
I think there is truth in these words. I have always said about Joseph Smith, Jr., that his murder was a reprehensible act of mob violence, but it was not exactly surprising that it happened, and it might have easily occurred earlier than it did.
"I have learned with what evils tyranny infects a state. For it frustrates all the virtues, robs freedom of its lofty mood, and opens a school of fawning and terror, inasmuch as it leaves matters not to the wisdom of the laws, but to the angry whim of those who are in authority.”
Would the MAGA supporters on this thread be comfortable being associated with this?
Because we weren’t seeing this very much before Trump and MAGA showed up.
Trying to pin the shooter on the Democrats is ridiculous since he was a gun nut, a registered republican and whatnot. Can we get Binger, AM, and say, Ceeboo to repudiate these Nazis?
Would the MAGA supporters on this thread be comfortable being associated with this?
Because we weren’t seeing this very much before Trump and MAGA showed up.
Trying to pin the shooter on the Democrats is ridiculous since he was a gun nut, a registered republican and whatnot. Can we get Binger, AM, and say, Ceeboo to repudiate these Nazis?
- Doc
They will say no, but the answer is obviously yes. Nazis and Klan members have been a part of the fanbase since 2016, and it doesn't seem to give them a second of self reflection
Identifying as African-American Lesbian who is identifying as a Gay Man and a Gay Journalist
Pronouns: what/me/worry
Rocker and a mocker and a midnight shocker
