The top Democrats in Congress said Wednesday it’s up to President Trump to live up to his own calls for civility in the wake of this week’s mail-bomb attacks.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said they “listened with great interest” as Mr. Trump called for unity and condemned the bombings — but said that’s not good enough.
“President Trump’s words ring hollow until he reverses his statements that condone acts of violence,” the two Democrats said in a joint statement.
“Time and time again, the president has condoned physical violence and divided Americans with his words and his actions: expressing support for the congressman who body-slammed a reporter, the neo-Nazis who killed a young woman in Charlottesville, his supporters at rallies who get violent with protestors, dictators around the world who murder their own citizens and referring to the free press as the enemy of the people,” the two said.
Bomb-like devices were sent to former President Barack Obama, the Clintons, an Obama aide who now works for CNN, former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and others.
Mr. Trump said he was “extremely angry” over the attacks.
“In these times, we have to unify and come together,” Mr. Trump said at the White House. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear and sacred as Americans.”
Democrats have long accused Mr. Trump of dividing the country and creating an atmosphere where violence could erupt, beginning with some of his own campaign rallies in 2016.
Some Democrats have also fueled the nastiness, with Mr. Holder recently saying that Republicans’ opponents should “kick” them, and Mrs. Clinton saying the GOP hasn’t earned civility right now.
Meanwhile a Democratic staffer has been charged with “doxing,” or releasing personal information, of GOP senators who then faced harassment during the confirmation process for Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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