House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted Vice President Kamala Harris for parroting the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
“This summer, after the first attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in more than a century, President Biden insisted that ‘we cannot allow this violence to be normalized,’” they noted.
“In September, after President Trump escaped yet another close call, Vice President Harris acknowledged that ‘we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.’”
In the joint statement, Johnson (R-LA) and McConnell (R-KY) said that Biden’s and Harris’ remarks “have proven hollow,” accusing Harris, of fanning the “flames beneath a boiling cauldron of political animus.”
They argued that Harris’ recent comments dangerously echo “the darkest evil of the 20th century,” aligning more closely with an attempted assassin’s words than her previous calls for civility.
Their statement emerged after Harris endorsed a disputed report suggesting Trump admired the same generals as Hitler on Wednesday.
During a CNN town hall, Harris labeled Trump a “fascist,” paralleling rhetoric used by Democrat donor Ryan Routh, charged for allegedly trying to assassinate Trump in September.
According to Johnson and McConnell, Routh has urged others to “finish the job” since his failed attempt.
They demanded Harris “abandon the base and irresponsible rhetoric that endangers both American lives and institutions.”
Both leaders, having been briefed on ongoing threats to Trump, urged Harris to treat these threats seriously, cease heightening tensions, and help ensure Trump’s safety against such dangers.
