Trump denounces political violence
With just 11 days until midterm elections, US President calls press coverage ‘unfair’
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President Donald Trump continued his rhetorical balancing act between consolation and condemnation at a campaign rally here on Friday night, denouncing political violence but ramping up verbal attacks on the media and his Democratic rivals.
With the nation on edge in the wake of a mail-bomb plot targeted at more than a dozen Democratic Party officials and supporters, Trump opened his remarks by pledging to do “everything in my power to stop” politically motivated attacks. Police have tied the bombs to a Trump supporter, Cesar Sayoc of Florida; Trump said the perpetrator must be “prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Everyone will benefit if we can end the politics of personal destruction. We must unify as a nation in peace love and harmony,” the President said. But as he has in the past several days, Trump quickly pivoted to blaming the media for what he described as unfair coverage of him and his Republican allies.
“We do not blame the Democrat party for the radical, leftists who destroy public property and unleash violence and mayhem,” he continued. “The media try to attack incredible Americans who are trying to support our movement trying to give power back to the people.”
Trump and his supporters appeared energised after a trying week in which a president not known for moderation sought to strike a unifying tone at times, only to appear to undermine it by ramping up his rhetorical missives.
With just 11 days remaining until midterm elections, Trump’s closing argument has focused on rallying his conservative base. He also railed against Democrats, accusing them of failing to toughen immigration laws and blaming them for the caravan of Central American migrants now heading toward the US border.