If you’re looking for America’s top Democrat leaders, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to tone down the dangerous anti-Republican rhetoric from the nation’s radical left, don’t count on it.
Yesterday, the White House made it clear that double standards are being enforced on the playing field and that former President Donald J. Trump got exactly what was coming to him, a second assassination attempt.
The White House said Trump’s own dangerous rhetoric is solely to blame for two assassination attempts when pressed by reporters on Tuesday.
Fox’s Peter Doocy just ROASTED Karine Jean-Pierre for her and the White House’s continued violent rhetoric, and KJP got TICKED
DOOCY: “How many more assassination attempts on Donald Trump until the president, vice president, and you pick a different word other than… pic.twitter.com/QuE2SHkDXC
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 17, 2024
Doocy said that only the left is trying to assassinate a political candidate, to which she lost it and deflected.
When Fox News’ Peter Doocy pressed White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Senator J.D. Vance’s inflammatory comment—claiming the difference between Republicans and Democrats is that no one has attempted to assassinate Vice President Kamala Harris—Jean-Pierre delivered a sharp rebuke, condemning dangerous political rhetoric.
She emphasized that leaders have a responsibility to make life better for their communities and should avoid language that could potentially incite violence.
Jean-Pierre stressed how influential leaders are, warning that words can be taken seriously and could lead to dangerous consequences when misinterpreted.
She was talking about Trump, not her bosses, the president and vice president who have deemed their opponent, Trump, to be a danger to democracy and that he is coming after all of the freedoms Democrats believe in.
Jean-Pierre pointed to recent incidents, such as the January 6 Capitol attack and the violent assault on Paul Pelosi, as examples of political rhetoric spiraling out of control. She argued that Vance’s comments fuel the kind of division that can lead to violence, reinforcing President Biden and Vice President Harris’ consistent calls to tone down heated discourse.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both coined Trump as a ‘threat to democracy’ in recent days.
In her response, she asserted that “this type of language is dangerous” and that such rhetoric should have no place in American politics.
While the White House is correct in calling out Vance’s remarks as inflammatory, there’s a noticeable gap in their response. Jean-Pierre’s criticism was heavily focused on political violence coming from the right—citing January 6 and the Pelosi attack as examples—but she neglected to address or condemn the instances of incendiary rhetoric and actions from the left. This one-sided framing undermines the White House’s overall message of calling for less political violence.
For instance, during the summer of 2020, as riots broke out following George Floyd’s death, there was significant destruction and violence in cities across the U.S. Calls for defunding the police, as well as inflammatory statements made by prominent left-wing figures during protests, were seen by many as fanning the flames. Political violence, regardless of party lines, is a real issue, and the White House’s failure to acknowledge these moments from the left feels like selective condemnation.
Moreover, statements like “when you make comments like that, all it does is open an opportunity for people to listen to you and potentially take you very seriously” could easily be applied to left-wing politicians who’ve used polarizing language, encouraging heated protests or civil unrest. The refusal to mention these episodes gives the impression that dangerous rhetoric is only a right-wing problem, which further fuels the very division they claim to want to resolve.
While Jean-Pierre’s call to “tone down” political rhetoric is valid, it would resonate more if it was a balanced critique. Political rhetoric from both sides of the aisle has grown increasingly intense, and pointing fingers at only one side while ignoring the other doesn’t contribute to real solutions. If the White House truly wants to de-escalate political violence, they need to acknowledge that inflammatory rhetoric is a bipartisan issue that requires accountability from everyone, not just one side.
