In the wake of the assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump, it’s instructive to reflect on the source of the growing extremism both as represented by the rise of Trump himself, and what drove Thomas Crooks to such drastic behavior (presumably).
Of course, America isn’t the only place where we’re experiencing far-right movements. The Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders had been steadily gaining momentum in the Netherlands until recently becoming the largest party in the Dutch House of Representatives. Similarly in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, the Brothers of Italy, have current control of the government. Earlier this month, Marine Le Pen’s nationalist party came very close to taking over France.
What all of these leaders and parties share are ultra-conservative and anti-immigration platforms. Their message often involves claims about how their countries are being destroyed by nonsensical leftist policies that allow immigrant invasions, move their nation toward global interconnectedness to the detriment of their own citizens, and corrode traditional family values.
The explanation for the existence of these movements is commonly thought to be, straightforwardly, a natural reaction to leftist and liberal policies. Particularly in Europe, we saw that support for far-right parties grew rapidly following the implementation of lax immigration policies by liberal governments.
People are generally resistant to change. Societies change over time and a segment of the population will see this as an attack on their values or a departure from the righteous. Just like the pendulum is swinging towards the right, once dissatisfaction with conservatives inevitably grows, it’ll swing back left.
But things are usually more complex than this. Swings in either direction are partially caused by policies with negative consequences but also by opposition propaganda exaggerating the extent of the problem. Much of the support behind populist movements is manufactured with lies.
Trump is the perfect example of how support can be conjured by exaggeration or just flat out fabrications. The consequences of this strategy of constant fear mongering extend beyond just placing the far-right governments in power. They also breed acute hate and division.
Several conservatives have recently started blaming Democrats for the assassination attempt. They claim that the left’s hysterical rhetoric, such as comparing Trump to Hitler, inspired drastic sentiments that led to the attempt on Trump’s life.
Representative Steve Scalise said, “For weeks Democrat leaders have been fueling ludicrous hysteria that Donald Trump winning re-election would be the end of democracy in America.” Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance claimed, “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
The hypocrisy here is beyond belief. Does the left share blame for the division that probably led to the assassination? Of course, but Trump has provided limitless reasons to be criticized – much of it was beyond warranted. The Hitler comparisons were a bit much. Nevertheless, Trump and the Republican party carry plenty of blame for setting the stage for extreme, politically motivated events.
There’s a reason why it’s hardly uncommon for leaders who exploit fears and divide the population to have their lives cut short.
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What do you expect to happen when you spend the last eight years scaring the bejeezus out of conservatives with outlandish claims that simultaneously breed contempt in the left? One need only look to the last presidential debate to see that Trump’s entire strategy is to sow and take advantage of people’s basest instincts.
How Republicans have the audacity to blame incendiary rhetoric by the Democrats can only be explained by their confidence in their voters’ unwillingness to see the hypocrisy. Haven’t they been claiming that we will literally lose our country unless Trump is elected? Haven’t they been saying that Democrats kill newborn babies? To some minds, believing this creates a duty to take action, perhaps even violent action.
With any luck, Trump, Democrats, and other world leaders take note that you can’t undertake a campaign of extremism and fear without creating the conditions where violent or misguided souls are likelier to lash out. If not for the good of the country, then for their own sake.
Rafael Perez is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Rochester. You can reach him at rafaelperezocregister@gmail.com.