Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson criticized political rhetoric coming from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and said there’s “more of an appetite” for political violence coming from the Left and Democrats.
“Jeffries is following the lead of what he knows his base demands, which is not giving an inch,” Benson said on Fox Business’s The Evening Edit on Tuesday.
Jeffries came under fire for his comments about “maximum warfare” last week over redistricting battles with Republicans. Just a few days later, gunshots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Secret Service agents captured the gunman, identified as Cole Allen, 31. He was charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump. No serious injuries were reported, but one agent is recovering after his vest was hit by gunfire.
Jeffries’s comments were criticized as untimely and inappropriate following what’s now the third assassination attempt against the president.
“We are in an era of maximum warfare everywhere, all the time,” Jeffries said last week.
On Monday, he stood firm and defended the comments, saying, “The notion that any of us are concerned with so-called criticism from these phony Republicans … I stand by it.… I don’t give a damn about your criticism.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called out Democrats’ rhetoric after the shooting, highlighting Jeffries’s comments.
“These are Democrat elected officials calling for war against the president of the United States,” Leavitt said.
Benson said Jeffries is “not accepting at all that maybe things could get a little more sober and cooled down a little bit,” in reference to ongoing political rhetoric.
“I think it’s the only answer, politically, he felt like he is allowed to give based on the attitudes … and general sentiments of the people who make up the core voting base of his party.”
Benson noted that there will always be people who “lose their minds and do violent things,” but that it’s necessary for our leaders to reject that kind of thinking.
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“Reject people who would defend or support political violence, and unfortunately, we’re seeing more of an appetite for rationalizing, justifying, or celebrating violence, particularly on the Left,” Benson said.
“I really hope that we can pull back from the brink on this because we’ve had enough bloodshed and attempted bloodshed already, but we’re in a tough political moment right now, obviously.”