Rim Country Gazette: These are all the calls to violence from prominent American presidential candidates in recent years

POETIC JUSTICE: Who Is Responsible for Assassination Attempt? 40 Guesses and they're all spelled T-R-U-M-P

By Alan Austin

Community/Daily Kos

July 14, 2024 at 6:39:38a MDT

REPUBLISHED BY:

Blue Country Gazette Blog

Rim Country Gazette Blog

This is the top 40 of urgings by candidates for president that Americans express their political views through physical attacks against perceived opponents. Those calls were answered when a gunman allegedly took aim at Donald Trump in Pennsylvania yesterday.

Many observers worldwide believe the violence will end when all those calling for these vicious attacks are finally silenced.

1. "Even in elementary school, I was a very assertive, aggressive kid. In the second grade I actually gave a teacher a black eye. I punched my music teacher because I didn't think he knew anything about music.”

~ Donald Trump, Art of the Deal, 1987

2. “For many years I’ve said that if someone screws you, screw them back. When somebody hurts you, just go after them as viciously and as violently as you can.”

~ Donald Trump, How to Get Rich, 2004

3. “If someone attacks you, do not hesitate. Go for the jugular.”

~ Donald Trump: Think Big, 2007

4. “Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl should face the death penalty for desertion – five brave soldiers died trying to bring him back. U.S. has to get tough!” ~ Donald Trump, 26 March 2015.

5. “When somebody challenges you unfairly, fight back – be brutal, be tough.”

~ Donald Trump, 28 June 2015.

6. In August 2015 Trump warned that if Black Lives Matter protesters turned up at his rallies, “... they would have a fight on their hands. I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself or if other people will.”

~ Donald Trump, 11 August 2015.

7. “See, the first group, I was nice. ‘Oh, take your time.’ The second group, I was pretty nice. The third group, I’ll be a little more violent. And the fourth group, I’ll say get the hell out of here!”

~ Donald Trump, 23 October 2015:

8. “Maybe he should be roughed up.”

~ Donald Trump, 22 November 2015

9. “When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. When they say they don’t care about their lives, you have to take out their families.”

~ Donald Trump, 2 December 2015

10. “If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously, okay. Just knock the hell — I promise you I will pay for the legal fees, I promise.”

~ Donald Trump, 1 February 2016

11. “I would bring back waterboarding. And I would bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”

~ Donald Trump, 6 February 2016

**Racism and violence at a Tump rally, Tucson, Arizona, March 2016**

12. “I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that [protesters] when they were in a place like this [political rally]? They’d be carried out on a stretcher, folks.”

~ Donald Trump, 22 February 2016

13. “I’d like to punch him in the face, I tell ya.” ~ Donald Trump, 23 February 2016

14. “They said to me, ‘What do you think of waterboarding?’ I said I think it’s great, but we don’t go far enough. It’s true. We don’t go far enough.”

~ Donald Trump, 23 February 2016

15. "Get him out. Try not to hurt him. If you do, I'll defend you in court. Don't worry about it."

~ Donald Trump, 4 March 2016

16. “The audience hit back. That's what we need a little bit more of.”

~ Donald Trump, 11 March 2016

17. “You know, part of the problem is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore, right?”

~ Donald Trump, 11 March 2016.

18. “I'll beat the crap out of you.”

~ Donald Trump, 12 March 2016

19. “If she [Hillary Clinton] gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the 2nd amendment people, maybe there is.” [The 2nd amendment refers to the right to own and use guns.]

~ Donald Trump, 9 August 2016

20. “When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just seen them thrown in, rough. I said, 'Please don't be too nice’.”

~ Donald Trump, July 2017

**Physical violence at a Trump rally in California, March 2017**

21. “Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!"

~ Donald Trump, 19 October 2018

22. "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!; LIBERATE MINNESOTA!; LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" [The 2nd amendment refers to the right to own and use guns.]

~ Donald Trump, April 17, 2020

23. "Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

~ Donald Trump, 29 May 2020, tweeted on George Floyd protests.

24. “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?”

~ Donald Trump, 20 June 2020, directed at military authorities responding to street protests in Washington.

25. "I remember this guy Velshi. He got hit on the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down ... It was really a beautiful sight. It's called law and order."

~ Donald Trump, 18 September 2020

26. “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”

~ Donald Trump, 29 September 2020

27. “And now we’re out here fighting.”