Madison Reporter

Brian Burch, president of Catholic Vote, said "political violence has no place" in the country after a second assassination attempt was made against President Donald Trump.

“Political violence has no place in our nation. The attempted assassination of President Trump on his own golf course is a stark reminder,” Burch said. “We don’t settle our differences with violence—we bridge them through dialogue and respect. Real strength isn’t in hostility, but in standing for peace, even when we fiercely disagree.”

On Sunday, September 15, an armed gunman waited in the bushes on the golf course in West Palm Beach, preparing to shoot President Trump as he played a round of golf.

The gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, pointed his gun through a fence off of the sixth hole and was spotted by secret service while Trump was still on the fifth hole. The Secret Service member fired at Routh, causing him to flee the scene. Routh was arrested 45 miles away on I-95. 

This was the second attempted assassination of President Trump in the past two months, the first having happened during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The President's ear was grazed by the bullet before he was rushed off stage otherwise unharmed. The shooter, twenty-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot by law enforcement. One Pennsylvania resident, Corey Comperatore, was killed. 

Trump and many others who support him, have attributed the assassination attempts on the “rhetoric” and “lies” from Kamala Harris and her allies. 

“Thankfully, the would-be assassin was stopped by the heroic action of law enforcement – but make no mistake,” said the Trump Campaign in a statement. “This psycho was egged on by the rhetoric and lies that have flowed from Kamala Harris, Democrats, and their fake News allies for years. Democrats used increasingly incendiary rhetoric against President Trump in the days, weeks, and months leading up to the two assassination attempts.”

There are numerous examples of the dangerous rhetoric used by Trump’s political opponents.   

“It is just unquestionable at this point that man cannot see public office again. He is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy, and he has to be eliminated,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) in an interview. 

Kamala Harris added to this rhetoric as early as 2018. “Does one of us have to come out alive?” Harris answered when prompted with the question on an appearance on the Ellen Show, “If you had to be stuck in an elevator with either President Trump, Mike Pence, or Jeff Sessions, who would it be?” 

Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance spoke out against the dangerous rhetoric on the left after two attempts had been made on his running mates’ life. He said that there is a “I admire the president for calling for peace and calm. The rhetoric is out of control. It nearly got Donald Trump killed twice."

“This is the difference between debate--even aggressive debate--and censorship. It is one thing to attack Kamala Harris for ‘destroying the country’ and quite another to say that President Trump should be ‘eliminated,’” continued Vance. “It is one thing to criticize overheated rhetoric, and another to say that a former president has invited an assassination on himself.”

Vance concluded his statement with bringing the humanity of Trump and himself to the table as he said, “President Trump is my running mate, and my friend, but he is more importantly a father and grandfather to people who love him very much. I want him to have many more years with his family. And selfishly, I'd like many more with my own.”

Madison, Wisconsin-based Catholic Vote is a nonprofit organization that focuses on mobilizing Catholic voters. Founded in 2008, its mission is to promote a Catholic perspective on public policy and encourage civic engagement among Catholics. The organization operates a political action committee and engages in advocacy efforts on issues such as religious freedom, life, and family.