Perspectives
July 14, 2024 | By William Osmulski
Policy Issues
Accountable Government Crime & Safety

Wisconsin Democrats’ Rhetoric Preceded the Trump Assassination Attempt

Wisconsin Democrats have long tried to dehumanize and vilify Donald Trump. Now that their rhetoric has led to actual consequences, they're attempting to distance themselves from it. All Wisconsinites should make them own it.

After years of vilifying Donald Trump, liberals throughout the country laid on the crocodile tears over the weekend following his attempted assassination. Calls for prayers and a return to civility echoed with deep hypocrisy coming from people who, up until just moments before, labeled Trump as everything from “extreme” to “a threat to democracy” to “dictator” to “Hitler.”

Naturally, Wisconsin liberals jumped onto the bandwagon, issuing their own statements decrying political violence. Curiously absent from those statements was anything remotely resembling an apology or a shred of personal responsibility. Had they gone that route, some of them would have had a lot of explaining to do. Here’s how some of Wisconsin’s notable liberals contributed to the political climate that directly led to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and how they tried to cover their tracks.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore

No one in Wisconsin politics has attacked Trump more openly or aggressively than Congresswoman Gwen Moore from Milwaukee. For years, she has repeated the leftist narrative that Trump wants to end democracy and make himself a dictator. After the assassination attempt, Moore posted a predictable statement to control the damage she’d done:

  • “Gun violence is not an acceptable form of political discourse. I pray for a full recovery for the former president, and anyone else who has been injured. I will continue to monitor the ongoing response from law enforcement.” (7/13/24)

An underwhelming statement like that could have been expected given her previous statements about the president:

  • He intended to install himself as a dictator & end democracy in America. And, shamefully, he had a lot of co-conspirators in Congress. (2/1/22)
  • We know this: Trump tried to install himself as a dictator and end our democracy. He must be held accountable. (3/28/22)
  • January 6th wasn’t spontaneous. It was an attack on our country orchestrated by Trump and his allies with the goal of invalidating the election and installing Trump as dictator. (6/6/22)
  • Trump refused to call off the insurrectionists because they served him and his purpose of ending democracy and becoming a dictator. (7/21/22)
  • Day by day, President Trump chips away at our democracy to advance his political and corrupt personal interests. In word and deed, Trump shows himself unfit to lead this precious democracy. These are the words of a dictator. (9/24/20)

Rep. Mark Pocan

Mark Pocan might be more visible on social media than Gwen Moore, but he definitely comes in second place when it comes to dehumanizing and violent rhetoric. That doesn’t mean it’s not extreme, and given the greater impact his words have, it’s a tossup whether he or Moore have done more to contribute to the violent political climate in this country. His lackluster response to the assassination attempt was:

  • “Awful. Violence is never acceptable. Period. My thoughts are with all impacted by this terrible event. If everyone takes our political rhetoric down a notch or two, we would all be better.” (7/13/24)

He immediately turned his attention to Congressman Mike Collins for suggesting the Biden Administration had something to do with it.

  • “This is a continuation of the bullshit rhetoric that drives political violence. A likely assassination attempt and gun violence on Trump is awful on many levels. Adding jet fuel to the political climate is unbecoming of a member of Congress.” (7/14/24)

Here’s some of the “jet fuel” Pocan has contributed to the political discourse in this country over the past few years concerning Donald Trump:

  • Trump's promise to become a "dictator" on "day one" should be taken very seriously. (1/8/24)
  • Trump's confession that he won't be a dictator, "except for day one," is yet another wake-up call on the importance of safeguarding democracy against this looming threat of fascism. (12/6/23)
  • A second Trump Administration would be a grave threat to Democracy and that’s no hyperbole. (11/18/23)
  • The rise of political violence, especially intensified during the Trump era, is disgusting. (10/29/22 – blaming Trump for the attack on Paul Pelosi)
  • I’m so over this giant embarrassment and scar on our history. Trump is such a loser. (9/4/22)
  • It’s the aftermath of the hate brought on by Donald Trump. (5/2/22 – in reaction to the end of Roe v. Wade)
  • He forgot white nationalists for Trump, fascists for Trump, Confederate statues for Trump... (8/17/20 – mocking Trump’s constituencies like “Boaters for Trump” and “Bikers for Trump”)

Sen. Chris Larson

Few politicians act the fool on social media more than Chris Larson, and his rhetoric about Donald Trump is exactly what you'd expect from the Milwaukee senator.

  • Donald Trump returning to the White House would be an existential threat to American democracy. We have less than 4 months to do all we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. (7/10/24)
  • Fascism is at our doorstep and we must not allow it in. (7/10/24)
  • What Trump is talking about is not “politically incorrect.” He’s openly talking about implementing fascist rule if he ever has power again. (7/27/22)

Larson’s utterly unbelievable response to the shooting: “There is no place for political violence in America. I hope that the former President and everyone in attendance is safe.” (7/13/24)

Sen. Kelda Roys

Kelda Roys can never seem to grab the spotlight like her colleague from Milwaukee, but she sure does give it her all. She promotes all the rhetoric you’d expect from a State Senator representing Madison, including her hatred of Donald Trump. Unlike other Wisconsin Democrats, Roys has yet to issue a statement about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

  • Trump didn’t even need to get reelected to destroy the rule of law and the foundation of American democracy, which is *equal* justice under law. His corrupt #SCOTUS did it for him. #RIPdemocracy (7/1/24)
  • Trump is the GOP’s biggest loser and liability, having accelerated the GOP’s descent into Christian nationalism and conspiracies. (11/11/22)

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway

It should be no surprise that the mayor of Madison Wisconsin would be on this list. Although Trump has nothing to do with how she runs her city, Rhodes-Conway still feels the need to remind her residents that Trump is a threat to Democracy.

  • Trump has time and time again committed to forcing his extreme agenda on the American people on his first day back in office. With a record of attempting to overthrow the election, when Trump says he will be a dictator, we need to believe him. (2/29/24)

Her response to the assassination attempt was to repost a tweet by gun control advocate David Hogg, calling on more gun control.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin has made a career of keeping her head down. She rarely leads on any political issue, trying to do just enough to remain a loyal Democrat. In this case, doing just enough involved stoking the rhetoric flames on CNN and MSNBC.

  • During an appearance on CNN in 2016, she claimed that Trump has “shown how dark his soul is. Now he’s proven himself to be a truly dangerous man and he cannot and will not be the president of the United States.”
  • Then in 2021, she went on MSNBC to say that Trump “is dangerous and capable of inciting additional violence.”

Now that rhetoric like that has resulted in actual consequences, Baldwin issued a statement that “Violence of this kind is never acceptable and I condemn it in the strongest of terms. My thoughts are with President Trump and his family.”

Make Them Own It

Democrats like Gwen Moore, Mark Pocan, and their comrades in Wisconsin have every reason to believe that they will never face tough questions about their rhetoric over the years that brought America to this moment. That’s because they never face much scrutiny for anything they do. This time has to be different. Wisconsin’s residents deserve to know why they continually used their public positions to dehumanize their political opponents, opening the path to the kind of political violence we witnessed against Donald Trump and his supporters. Getting those answers is the responsibility for every journalist in this state, and it’s the responsibility of every conservative and the Republican party to demand it.

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