Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) argued Sunday that the rhetoric of the current political landscape is “inspiring” political violence following the assassination attempt on former President Trump that left one bystander dead and others injured.
“No one should be shot and killed for their political beliefs. No one should be shot and killed because they support Donald Trump for president, and I, frankly, am fed up with the rhetoric,” Mace said on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” Sunday.” “I am a member who receives threats almost every day.”
Mace later went after President Biden, who tried to paint Trump as a threat to democracy ahead of November’s presidential election. Trump’s GOP allies pointed to a comment Biden made to donors last week that Trump has to be put “in the bullseye.”
“That poor Joe Biden last night, in his speech, didn’t even admit that this was an assassination attempt,” she said.
In an address to the nation shortly after the shooting, Biden condemned the violence and urged others to do the same.
“Look, there is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. We can’t be like this. We cannot tolerate this,” he said, adding: “Everyone must condemn it.”
Asked if it was an assassination attempt, Biden said he did not have enough facts to give an opinion.
Mace was then asked if she was suggesting that Biden inspired the incident.
“Oh, absolutely. The rhetoric is inspiring political violence. I see it every day, Leland. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of the threats to my family, to my office, to my team,” she responded. “I mean, the rhetoric has to stop, and this has been going on for years, and it has to stop now. And it starts with Donald Trump as president.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
A gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, wounding the former president, who said a bullet pierced his ear. One spectator was killed and two other attendees were seriously injured, the US Secret Service said.
The FBI later identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by authorities at the scene. The FBI has not yet identified a motive for the shooting, Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said Saturday night.
At the start of the interview, Mace said he believes this week’s Republican National Convention should present a “unifying message.”
“Right now, many of us are angry. We are reeling from the shocking events of last night,” she said, later adding: “We should have a unifying tone. I think it will happen naturally, that we will have a unifying message, not just for the Republican Party, but for a nation that will be hurting and will need time to recover in the coming weeks and months.”
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