Bomb threats highlight risk of violent political rhetoric

On the other end of the political spectrum, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, offered a message to “all public officials of all partisan affiliations.” ”Don’t encourage violence,” he said. “Don’t encourage hatred. Don’t encourage attacks on media.”

De Blasio added: “That has to start at the top.”

The White House’s political arm, the Republican National Committee, released a video less than two weeks ago entitled, “The Left: An Unhinged Mob” that featured liberal protesters banging on doors backed by aggressive rhetoric from several prominent Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Hilary Clinton.

Waters in June called on supporters to harass Trump’s cabinet members in public, while Clinton this month said: “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about.”

Clinton is among a handful of top Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder, who were targeted with explosive devices, authorities said Wednesday. The New York offices of CNN, the cable network frequently attacked by Trump and his supporters, was evacuated after receiving an explosive device and an envelope containing white powder. Billionaire Democrat George Soros, a regular focus of conservative conspiracy theories, was targeted on Monday.

In a written statement, CNN President Jeff Zucker decried what he called “a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media.”

For a moment, at least, Trump offered a conciliatory message as he briefly addressed the threats during an unrelated event.

“In these times, we have to unify. We have to come together,” the president said. “Acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States.”

Yet there was no plan for Trump to cancel a political appearance later in the day in Wisconsin. He is expected to continue an aggressive campaign schedule in the midterm season’s final days.

For virtually his entire political career, Trump has embraced inflammatory and often deeply personal attacks against his opponents. He repeatedly encouraged supporters to physically attack liberal protesters during the campaign, offering to pay for their legal bills. He regularly calls media outlets such as CNN “the enemy of the people.”

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