Is Violent Rhetoric To Blame for the Trump Assassination Attempt?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman grapple with the current political climate in the U.S. after the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump over the weekend.

01:44—Trump's Assassination attempt

27:06—President Joe Biden's press conference

43:07—Republican National Convention begins today

52:08—This week's cultural recommendations

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Donald Trump Bloodied in Assassination Attempt," by Eric Boehm

"Assassination Attempt," by Liz Wolfe

"Trump's Defiance of an Assassin's Bullet Reaffirmed Populist Appeal," by J.D. Tuccille

"The 2024 GOP Platform Barely Mentions Gun Rights," by Jacob Sullum

"Against 'Incitement,'" by Matt Welch

"In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric," by Jack Shafer

"Blaming assassination on overheated commentary: No new tactic," by W. Joseph Campbell

'The #1 thing that you need to do is…to make it harder to hire illegal aliens in the first place.' In calling for 'large-scale deportations,' @JDVance1 calls for targeting businesses, which is a shift from traditional GOP priorities. pic.twitter.com/h840L24G6r

— Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) June 18, 2024

2023 American Values Survey on support for political violence

"Ukrainian President…Putin?" by Liz Wolfe

"Dave Weigel: What If Biden Quits?" by Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe

"Biden Can't Shake This," by Liz Wolfe

"Biden's BFFs Knew the Cognitive Decline Was Real," by Robby Soave

"Biden Blames the Elites," by Liz Wolfe

"The 2024 GOP Platform Promises To 'Make America Affordable Again.' So Why Are They Embracing Fiscal Insanity?" by Veronique de Rugy

"Republicans Confirm Their Plan To Let Social Security Go Insolvent," by Eric Boehm

"Trump's Veep: Better Burgum Than Vance or Rubio," by Robby Soave

"Bad Therapist," by Nancy Rommelmann

"'Migrant invasion,' mass deportations top 2024 GOP platform," by Rafael Bernal

Jesus Fucking Christ. The @OhioState University should be deeply embarrassed by this alum. https://t.co/cEUYVDUo18

— Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) July 14, 2024

"Trump's Morally Retarded Plan to 'Make America Great Again' Through Operation Wetback and the Trump Wall," by Shikha Dalmia

"Operation Wetback (1953-54)," by Immigration History

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Upcoming events:

• Tuesday, July 23: New York City premiere of Reason's Backpage documentary and panel discussion. Was the federal prosecution of online classified ad site Backpage.com a win for opponents of sex trafficking or a loss for First Amendment rights? View a new documentary by Elizabeth Nolan Brown and Paul Detrick and participate in a panel with Brown and Old Pros' Kaytlin Bailey about the case moderated by Nick Gillespie. Tickets are $10 and include beer, wine, soft drinks, and a light buffet. Seats are limited. Details here.

Today's sponsors:

• Students for Liberty
• Comparison is the thief of joy, and it's easy to envy other people's lives. It might look like they have it all together on their Instagram. But in reality, they probably don't. Therapy can help you focus on what you want, instead of what others have, so you can start living your best life. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online. Designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Stop comparing and start focusing, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/roundtable today to get 10 percent off your first month.

Audio production by Ian Keyser; assistant production by Hunt Beaty.

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

• Video Editor: Ian Keyser
• Producer: Hunt Beaty

---