As news of the attempted assassination of former President Trump spread over the weekend, there was little grace to be found in the liberal corners of the internet.
On X, sick jokes about the shooter’s poor aim mixed with posts detailing why they still hated Mr. Trump.
On Reddit, a popular site for young adults who skew liberal, users searched for distractions from the shooting, rehashing old accusations about the former president being a sexual predator or comparing him to fascist leaders in history.
“Trump is a fascist. Him being shot does not make that not a true statement. I am not going to shut up just because some idiot shot another idiot,” wrote one user under the account “tie-dye-me.”
Other posters searched for ways to blame Mr. Trump for the shooting, celebrating news reports that claimed the 20-year-old man accused of the shooting was a registered Republican or “definitely conservative” — or at the very least not politically motivated.
“Conservatives NEED him to be liberal dem to ‘prove’ it’s really democrats inciting violence and not their own conservative rhetoric and also to prove no republican really dislikes Trump,” wrote a user under the account ‘psychoticdream.’”
“Republican shoots at a fellow Republican after years of Republicans encouraging political violence,” wrote another.
And still another pleaded with Democrats to use the shooter as part of an appeal to Republicans that Mr. Trump’s own party doesn’t like him.
“Hammer at the reality that this is Trump’s own party imploding into violence and make it clear that he is reaping the whirlwind,” wrote ‘zombiepete.’”
In conservative corners of the internet, people sought explanations for why someone who matched the shooter’s name, age and general locations had registered as a Republican. They pointed to a campaign donation to a liberal group made in 2021 by someone who also matched the shooter’s name and state.
Speculation about the shooter soared even as President Biden called on all sides to cool the rhetoric, saying in an address from the White House on Sunday night that too little is known about the shooter right now.
“We do not know the motive of the shooter yet. We don’t know his opinions or affiliations. We don’t know whether he had help or support or if he communicated with anyone else,” Mr. Biden said.
That didn’t sit well with some Trump opponents.
“This whole ‘let’s condemn all violence’ and ‘I think both sides should tone down the rhetoric’ is identical to the whole All Lives Matter vs. Black Lives Matter paradigm,” one said. “Uh, no. How about we focus on the primary source of violence — right-wing extremism?”
Mr. Biden’s call also landed flat with conservatives who pointed to the president’s own heated rhetoric calling Mr. Trump a “genuine threat to this nation.”
“Biden should bow out of the race and endorse Trump. That will lower the temperature,” one online wag wrote.
Others offered some nuance.
“It’s not fair to determine that one crazy bad actor should determine Democrats,” said one poster on Reddit’s conservative forum. “It wouldn’t be fair for them to say the same to Republicans. Crazy fringe theories have been the main source of political rift and violent problems we are encountering today.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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