As politics continue in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, both campaigns in Illinois are assessing the heated nature of the rhetoric this election cycle.
Minutes after former President Trump spoke to a crowd in a field in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a would-be assassin opened fire, killing a rally attendee and wounding Trump. The gunman was later shot and killed by police.
At a separate event in Springfield, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said it was a miracle that Trump survived.
“If that bullet had gone an inch in a different direction, I believe he would have given his life for this assassination attempt,” Durbin said. “I’m just glad he’s alive.”
Durbin said Congress has a responsibility to investigate how the shooting happened and the security failings surrounding it that allowed the assassin to get onto an adjacent roof within view of Trump onstage.
Durbin was asked by members of the media how much responsibility he thought President Trump bore for the political situation.
“All of us have a responsibility,” Durbin said, “including you, the media, social media, all of us have a responsibility to make it clear that those who preach violence will not be tolerated, regardless of their political stance.”
Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), who stood with Durbin, reiterated Biden’s message.
“We need to de-escalate politics again, come together, acknowledge our differences and do it peacefully,” she said.
Speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois, state Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) said Saturday’s assassination attempt changed things.
“Now it’s like, ‘hold on a second’. This is a serious issue. This is a serious issue,” Severin told The Center Square. “We have to make sure we do our due diligence properly and we do our jobs properly.”
Illinois Sen. Andrew Chesney, a Republican from Freeport, said a message of unity was needed following Saturday’s assassination attempt on President Trump.
“If we want to restore calm and get back to normalcy, we need to elect someone who is going to fight for America and put America first, and that’s Donald J. Trump,” Chesney said at Milwaukee’s Centre Square.
Republican lawmakers from around the country are holding their national convention in Milwaukee this week, where Trump made his first public appearance with a bandaged ear.
