Is Donald Trump trying to inspire violence, or does he merely want to intimidate and obstruct justice? Based on his behavior, those seem to be the most plausible explanations for his recent behavior.
In case you missed it, last week, Trump posted (and later deleted) a photo of him holding a baseball bat next to another photo of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was pictured holding his hands up. Trump’s post called Bragg “a degenerate psychopath” and threatened “death & destruction.” He also called Bragg, who is an African American, a “[George] Soros backed animal.” You know, Trump doing normal Trump stuff.
Bragg has subsequently received death threats, including a missive that reportedly included white powder and the words, “ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
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None of this should surprise anyone. Trump has stoked violence from day one, including during his 2016 Republican primary run.
Examples include a Trump supporter who said he “liked” sucker-punching a protester, adding: “The next time we see him, we might have to kill him.” Another Trump fan claimed that Trump inspired him to assault a protester at a different rally (Trump had previously said he’d like to punch a protester “in the face” and pledged to pay the legal fees for any of his fans who “knock the crap” out of protesters).
But that was kid stuff. The stakes were much higher when Trump summoned a mob of supporters to Washington, D.C, on Jan. 6, 2021, urging, “Be there, will be wild!”—and then incited a riot, telling his crowd of supporters to “Fight like hell.”
Now, this phrase deserves some explanation. If New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick tells his team to “fight like hell,” everyone understands he means to do so within the confines of the gridiron. When Trump says it, his most rabid fans understand that Trump wants them to engage in combat to take their country back from the socialists and pedophiles who are trying to install an illegitimate leader.
Don’t take my word for it, take the word of Jan. 6 rioters, who effectively said they were just following Trump’s orders when they beat cops with flag poles, and such.
Yes, when it comes to martial rhetoric, sometimes people get carried away with the pearl-clutching and the hand-wringing. Politicians “target” voters, which has nothing to do with wanting to shoot them. Harmless metaphors abound in the political (and political journalism) world.
That’s not what is happening here.
Indeed, we should all be more concerned about Trump’s rhetoric. The trouble is that many of us have become inured to it (how many Americans even remember Trump’s 2022 declaration that Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has a “death wish”?). Meanwhile, Trump’s defenders have adopted a strategically blasé attitude that mocks any concern as being overblown.
Again, though, as the old saying goes, “It’s not paranoia when they really are out to get you.” Those of us who warn of potential violence are not overreacting—as evidenced by the fact that political violence is a rising trend in America—particularly when it is stoked by Trump.
After the raid on Mar-a-Lago last summer, the intel community reported an “unprecedented” number of threats. A man who was reportedly armed with an assault rifle and a nail gun was shot and killed trying to enter the FBI’s Cincinnati office. Another man killed himself after ramming a U.S. Capitol barrier.
Sen. Lindsey Graham then warned that prosecution of Trump would lead to “riots in the streets.” Trump also issued a warning (or was it a threat?), saying: “Whatever we can do to help because the temperature has to be brought down in the country. If it isn’t, terrible things are going to happen.”
Now, let’s assume for a second that Trump didn’t actually mean to inspire his supporters to beat up protesters, storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, or attempt to enter an FBI building. Wouldn’t a decent or responsible person, realizing that his past words have inspired violence in the past, be extra careful not to incite more trouble?
Trump is neither decent nor responsible. He is either trying to ignite violence or he is, at least, utterly unconcerned about it.
It’s entirely possible that Trump will be indicted and nothing will happen. But even if there is just a 1 percent chance that violence occurs as a result of Trump’s behavior and rhetoric, this is something we should be taking very seriously.
What is more, we shouldn’t assume that the next attack will look like the last one.
This isn’t an original observation (I have recently heard Charlie Sykes and Jonah Goldberg both make this point), but Trump doesn’t need to radicalize or deploy thousands—or even hundreds—of MAGA foot soldiers for something catastrophic to happen.
All it takes is one for one disturbed fan to interpret Trump’s Truth Social messages as, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome D.A.”
America is a powder keg, and Donald Trump is playing with matches.
