Donald Trump is directly complicit for this planned kidnapping. When the President of the United States feels sufficiently comfortable to tell a white supremacist group to “stand back and stand by”, he is a direct contributor to the violence, planned or otherwise. Other groups feed on this.
Violence or the threat of violence has been a constant in Trump’s rhetoric and began during his campaign and has continued till now.
The president’s rhetoric matters and can be powerful beyond all measure. Trump has deployed his words to incite fear, hatred and violence. In 2017, after making a token condemnation of the white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, VA, he then said there were “very fine people on both sides.” That is the only thing white supremacists and racists need to hear. With that one phrase, they know the Dear Leader has their back. And, by telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”, he has given them permission to lock and load and prepare to commit violent acts that tear at the fabric of our nation.
During Trump’s presidential campaign and his subsequent election, many were concerned that his divisive rhetoric would embolden and inspire racists, contributing to more hate crimes. The data after Trump’s election bears this out.
The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that in the 10 days following Trump’s election, there were almost 900 reports of harassment and intimidation from across the nation, with harassers invoking Trump’s name during the attack, making it clear the motivation for their actions.
In another study, the Southern Poverty Law Center surveyed more than 10,000 teachers, counselors, administrators and others who work in schools. “A full 80 percent were worried about the impact of the election on themselves and their families”, again, driven and amplified by Trump’s language.
This increase was neither an aberration nor temporary. Additional data collected by the FBI show a clear correlation between Trump campaign events and incidents of prejudiced violence. FBI data show that since Trump’s election there has been a spike in hate crimes concentrated in counties where Trump won by larger margins. In the 25 years for which data is available, it was the second-largest uptick in hate crimes, surpassed only by the increase in hate crimes after 911.
Is Trump complicit in the planned kidnapping of Michigan governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer? You better believe it.
Here is laughing at ignorance at its finest!