Trump camp says Dem rhetoric 'directly to blame' for past assassination attempts

Former President Donald Trump's campaign charged Vice President Kamala Harris with pushing "dangerous" rhetoric that it said is "directly to blame" for fostering the kind of political climate that led to two assassination attempts on the former president's life.

"These dangerous rants by Kamala Harris, comparing President Trump to Hitler and calling him a fascist, are inciting more hate and vitriol, and ultimately leading to political violence against President Trump," said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. Scalise. Scalise is the second-highest ranking Republican in the House and also survived an assassination attempt during a congressional baseball game in 2017. 

"It has to stop. This is extremely reckless and dangerous, and we have seen its consequences time and time again. How many more assassination attempts will it take before Democrat leaders tone down their rhetoric?"

Colin Reed, a Republican strategist and former campaign manager for former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, said it was "ironic" that Harris' closing pitch heading into the election compares the former president to Hitler, following "all the summer rhetoric about needing to lower the temperature and cool the discourse has fallen away."    

"So much for the campaign of joy and vibes," Reed said.

Meanwhile, Harris' remarks come after her critics already warned the Democratic presidential candidate that her party's rhetoric was contributing to the environment that has led to two assassination attempts on Trump's life. 

"The recklessness of the hateful rhetoric constantly aimed at Trump by his political opponents, even after he was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania in July," said New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.

"No one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months, and two people have tried to kill Donald Trump. I say that's strong evidence that the left needs to tone down the rhetoric and cut this crap out, somebody is going to get hurt," said Trump's vice presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

The calls for the left to tone down the rhetoric mirror calls for Republicans to do the same following the 2012 shooting of former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords. Giffords was targeted at an event for constituents by a deranged gunman and shot in the head. The gunman murdered six people and injured 12 others - including one of Giffords' staffers.

Some Democrats pointed their finger at Sarah Palin, the former Republican governor of Alaska and onetime vice-presidential candidate, citing an online "target map" which featured stylized crosshairs over vulnerable electoral districts, including that of Giffords and others in the Democratic Party.