On Saturday, July 13, President Donald Trump came within a hairsbreadth of being assassinated while on a stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, rallying the troops prior to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Had the former president and current presidential nominee not turned his head to the right a moment before to point to a chart about immigration trends, the outcome could have been fatal.
This event harkened back to the days of previous assassinations and assassination attempts and brought back images of other such incidents such as attempts against Gerald Ford (1975) and Ronald Reagan (1981). Current independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., lost his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, and uncle, John F. Kennedy, to gunfire in the 1960s.
In 1835, Andrew Jackson survived two failed assassination attempts. Presidents elected in even-numbered years from 1850 (Zachary Taylor) through 1960 (JFK) all died in office, either from disease, natural causes, or assassination. President Ronald Reagan broke that seven-presidency streak when he was injured by an assassin’s bullet.
The political rhetoric now seems to be the same as in those years gone by. The clarion call since Saturday’s shooting has been to tone down the rhetoric.
“The way President Trump has been targeted and vilified has gone too far. This act of political violence and pure hatred is unacceptable,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R – Staten Island). “As Americans, we can disagree but should respect opinions from across the political spectrum and engage in respectful dialogue about the important issues facing our country today. The attempted assassination of any political candidate is unacceptable and only further divides our nation.”
While pointing out that “[t]he responsibility for this act is that deranged, demonic shooter who did not have the benefit of a good upbringing,” New York State Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza said “it is important to understand what may have contributed to this moment.”
“Young people listening to the media hear people saying Trump is like Hitler. Anyone of us who looks at what happened during World War II, if you’re a decent person, would say to yourself, ‘I wish I was there – I would have loved to be the person who stopped Hitler before he caused the death and murder of tens of millions of people,’” said Lanza (R – Great Kills, Staten Island). “What do you think is going to happen when you say the man running for office is Hitler? What do you think some impressionable person might think to themselves after you convinced them that the person running for president is Hitler? They [Democrats] demonized this person [Trump] and then you’re surprised when someone does this?”
Lanza, a former prosecutor, listed an array of court cases brought against Trump. “They arrested Donald Trump, they indicted Donald Trump, they prosecuted Donald Trump, they tried Donald Trump, the left convicted Donald Trump, they shot Donald Trump,” hensaid. “Don’t be surprised. This is what happens when you demonize people in politics. This is what happens when your best pitch is hate. This is when your only pitch is hate.”
Assemblyman Chris Tague (R – Schoharie, Schoharie County) was a delegate to the Republican National Convention and the convention whip. “The tone has been changed a little bit because of what took place on Saturday, but the message is still the same – what can we do to make America great?” Tague said from Milwaukee.
One upstate U.S. congressman, Marcus Molinaro (R – Catskill, Greene County) said, “We need to choose our words carefully.”
New York’s governor, a Democrat, issued a statement about the attempted assassination. “I’m heartened to hear that former President Trump is doing fine and I do want to acknowledge the swift actions of law enforcement in the aftermath and other agencies involved. This is a deplorable act, as is any act of political violence,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote in a prepared statement. “Let me be clear: Violence in our politics is abhorrent and we thoroughly, thoroughly condemn it. It was a disgusting, cowardly act and it does not represent the values of our country. Our democracy was built on a foundation of vigorous debate and the peaceful transfer of power. We should aspire to be a people of words, not bullets.
“Our prayers continue to be with him [Trump] and with [the families of those] so tragically killed or injured. I know that New Yorkers across our state, across this country are feeling anxiety and apprehension about the future and indeed, their own safety. It’s absolutely critical that everyone, regardless of your ideology or affiliation, can peacefully express your political views without fear of violence,” Hochul concluded.
Among a chorus of Assembly Republicans condemning the attempted assassination was another member from the Staten Island delegation, Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R – Great Kills), chairman of the Staten Island Republican Committee and a delegate to the convention in Milwaukee. Staten Island has a high percentage of first responders in a borough that is heavily Republican.
“It doesn’t matter who he is. It doesn’t matter why he did it. The fact is he tried to kill President Trump. We condemn those actions. Violence is not the answer. Violence should not breed more violence. We have to condemn this action as well as any type of political violence in our nation,” Tannousis said. “I want to also thank and applaud the first responders who were at Saturday’s rally. Thanks to their quick actions, they were able to remove President Trump safely from the location and they were able to clear out everyone from the stadium.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, lawmakers say it is time to get answers. Those questions and answers will come from Congressional hearings that could begin as early as Monday, July 22.
“Someone failed the people of this country. We ought to ask questions to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Lanza said. “We saw a man whose soul is stronger than the hatred being leveled against him. Let’s put hate behind us. From this point on, let’s lead on the merits.”
Molinaro agreed. “We know, without question, there was a colossal failure of security and a breach of the security protocols that allowed an individual far too close, for far too long with a weapon and ultimately came very close to taking the life of a former president.” He called President Trump’s resilience “undeniable.”
“President Trump came within just a half an inch and perhaps only seconds from assassination. I can’t imagine anybody coming this close to death, knowing that he had a target placed on him, [who] doesn’t have a moment of introspection. He’s rewriting his message to be more unifying,” Molinaro said.
Possibly as early as next week, the focus will turn to Washington, D.C., where hearings on the shooting will take place. Molinaro said the House Oversight and Accountability Committee as well as the Homeland Security Committee will be conducting the hearings.
“There will be a refresher as to the tools available to the folks on Capitol Hill to ensure appropriate security and protection,” he said. “We get the facts, we respond to those facts, we ask the questions, and we ultimately hold people accountable. The individual who pulled the trigger is ultimately responsible for the crime. That person would have been held accountable. You don’t dismiss the past. You simply learn from it and hope that by example we can display something that draws us closer together.”
The only New York House Republican to have a seat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee is Nick Langworthy from western New York, a former state Republican Party chairman. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez representing Queens and the Bronx and Manhattan’s Dan Goldman are the only New York House Democrats on the committee.
Members of the House Homeland Security committee from the New York delegation are Nick LaLota, Andrew Garbarino, and Tony D’Esposito. The trio all represent Suffolk and Nassau counties on Long Island. They are the only New York House Republicans on that committee, while Tom Suozzi, who represents Nassau and Queens counties, and Goldman, Brooklyn’s Yvette Clarke, and western New York’s Tim Kennedy are the only New York House Democrats on the committee.
