Well, here we are again. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) shows up on NBC’s “Meet The Press” and dismisses concerns about the extreme rhetoric coming from his party. It’s like déjà vu. Apparently, two assassination attempts on Donald Trump’s life are just minor inconveniences that we’re all supposed to ignore because, in Fetterman’s world, the Democratic Party’s rhetoric has no real impact, right? Never mind the fact that one of those attempts involved a Democrat donor hiding on Trump’s golf course with a rifle. Nah, that’s not a problem—it’s just an isolated incident! Nothing to see here, folks.
Kristen Welker, to her credit, tried to press Fetterman on this. After all, when two people try to kill a former president in a few months, maybe it’s time to have a serious discussion about the environment your party is fostering. But Fetterman? He wasn’t having any of it. He went right into full deflection mode, mocking Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), who brought up the very valid point that Democrats’ extreme language is stoking the flames of violence. Vance said it plainly: “No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months.” A strong point, but apparently one that Fetterman thinks is worth dismissing with a wave of the hand.
“Big difference between conservatives & liberals: No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in last couple of months. And 2 people have tried to kill Donald Trump last couple months. That’s pretty strong evidence left needs to tone down the rhetoric & cut this crap out”
– JD Vance pic.twitter.com/SzBmmyetAc
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 16, 2024
Fetterman didn’t even bother addressing the substance of the issue. Instead, he went straight for the jugular, attacking Vance’s credibility. According to Fetterman, Vance is just a guy known for saying “dumb things, pointless things.” Well, I guess calling out assassination attempts on a political figure isn’t worth discussing if it doesn’t fit the narrative. Fetterman’s response was all about downplaying Vance, as if that somehow makes the assassination attempts less real. And the smug arrogance? It practically dripped off his words. “No one’s listening to him. I’m certainly not.” Well, that’s convenient, isn’t it? Just don’t listen, and maybe it’ll all go away.
“Who’s actually listening to what Vance says? It’s been months already. No one’s really listening to him anymore. You know, he has developed a kind of reputation to say dumb things, pointless things, and offend everybody,” Fetterman said. “And he’s been picked as the most unpopular pick in history. But no one’s listening to him. I’m certainly not. And here we are right now.”
What’s truly mind-boggling here is that Fetterman tried to sweep this whole thing under the rug by claiming that every Democrat condemned the assassination attempts. Did they though? Have we seen Democrats really tone down the overblown, apocalyptic language they use whenever Trump’s name is mentioned? Doubtful. Fetterman even had the nerve to say this: “Let’s just have a serious conversation about this election.” A serious conversation? Is this the same guy who just mocked concerns about political violence and refused to acknowledge the role of the Democratic Party’s reckless rhetoric?
“Now, that’s absolutely absurd,” Fetterman claimed. “Every Democrat condemned the assassination attempts, and I did as well, too. And you know, they’re talking about eating the dogs and saying outlandish kind of things. Now, let’s just have a serious conversation about this election, not talking about the kind of empty kind of rhetoric from somebody like JD Vance.”
Let’s not forget that in the very same interview, Fetterman supported Vice President Kamala Harris’ remark about shooting someone if they broke into her house. Yes, folks, the same Democrats who preach about de-escalation and “taking the high road” sure have an odd way of showing it. Of course, when Harris’ team got wind of how that comment looked, they rushed to say it was all a joke. Ah, yes, a classic “just kidding” moment. Because nothing says leadership like joking about violence while dismissing actual violence aimed at your political opponents.
Here’s the bottom line: Democrats have been painting Trump as the boogeyman for years, calling him a threat to democracy, an existential danger, and worse. When you ramp up the rhetoric to this level, don’t act surprised when people take it seriously—and act on it. But hey, according to Fetterman, it’s just an “empty kind of rhetoric,” and anyone who’s worried about it is just not worth listening to. Bravo, Senator, bravo.
