Pompeo: The Partisan Political Rancor That Led Up To an Assassination Attempt on a President and How We Can Move Forward as a Nation With Unity and Civility

Last Saturday evening, Americans witnessed a terrible moment in our nation’s history when an assassin attempted to take the life of former President Donald Trump.  Tragically, a man in the crowd was killed by the gunman’s bullets, multiple other spectators were injured, and President Trump himself was injured.  This is a seminal moment for our country, and I believe that Americans are ready to meet it by setting aside the political rancor that has dominated our election cycles, and instead unite behind a new agenda and attitude: one that recognizes what a blessing it is to live in a nation where we are free to choose and elect our leaders.  This goes beyond politics.  This is about our national identity and future.

We should be clear: The fact that a gunman obtained an elevated position just a few hundred yards from where the President was speaking is an unacceptable and striking security failure.  Leaders in Congress should ensure that those responsible for that failure are identified and dealt with.

The responsibility for what happened on Saturday lies with the individual who perpetrated the wicked attack, and we should be cautious before assigning any motive to his actions before more information comes to light.  We must also be mindful, though, that this was not an isolated incident.  Regardless of one’s political beliefs or affiliation, it should be clear to all reasonable Americans that when a political party repeats ad nauseum – for eight years now – that its particular political opponent and the movement he represents are grave, “existential,” threats to American democracy, the risk for these kinds of tragic events increases exponentially.  This fearmongering was always unmoored from reality, but that didn’t stop President Biden from making it the crux of his re-election strategy, nor did it stop the mainstream media from making it a central piece of its narrative, which it has used to inexhaustibly attack the former President.  Americans must demand better from our press, our political parties, and our leaders.

At a moment like this, we have to remember that we are all Americans first.  The people at President Trump’s rally last Saturday went there to participate in American democracy and support the individual they felt would keep their children safe and their families prosperous.  They weren’t dangerous.  They weren’t “threats to democracy.”  They are Americans.  We can certainly debate, even contentiously and passionately, our political differences and the best path forward for our nation.  But fundamental respect for our fellow Americans must always define that discourse.

Respect has been notably missing in the past four years, despite President Biden’s promise to “unite” the country.  Two years ago, he delivered one of the most divisive speeches in American history, in which he stated that “MAGA Republicans” constituted a threat to America on par with the Chinese Communist Party.  At the time, I wrote here, “We don’t fight with our fellow Americans – we disagree, debate, persuade, and convince.”  I was pleased that President Biden attempted to finally send this very same message last Sunday when he called on Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics” and “remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies,” but “friends, co-workers, citizens,” and “fellow Americans.”  Unfortunately, he followed up those words by repeating his “threat to democracy” talking point in an interview the very next day.  This does not unite the country; it divides it.

In the coming months, political leaders on both sides need to be clear: We live in the freest, greatest nation on earth and political violence has no place here.  More importantly, we need to back up these sentiments with our actions.  We can start by donating to help the family of the good man who was killed during the assassination attempt.  No family should have to suffer what that family is going through right now, and we should do what we can to help.

After the wicked attack last Saturday and the American people’s response to it, I think our country is going to approach this election differently.  It won’t just be about specific policies.  The majority of Americans are going to base their vote, first and foremost, on which candidate they feel truly wishes to unite the country around our shared American principles.  I am confident that the candidate who does that will win their support and be the best leader to help our country move past what we saw last Saturday.