House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said Democrats' “rhetoric” on Sunday “prompted dangerous people into dangerous actions.”
“For years, Democratic leaders in this country, our highest elected officials, and our current presidential candidates have been saying this. [former President] Donald Trump is a threat to democracy,” Johnson told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.” “So if he's re-elected, the republic will be over.”
The Speaker added: “It's complete nonsense.” “And they incited dangerous people to do dangerous things. The rhetoric is that.”
The former president held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Saturdaywhere he faced an assassination attempt earlier this year. After the mass shooting, calls for a détente in politics grew, and President Biden said at the time that “political discourse in this country has become very heated.”
“It's time to calm down,” Biden added in remarks from the Oval Office.
Stephanopoulos noted comments made by Eric Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in which he said they “tried to kill” the former president because Democrats can't do anything right.
“Do you stand by that comment?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“I don't know what Eric is saying because I only heard snippets,” Johnson replied. “I don't understand the context…”
“You just saw it, sir,” the ABC News anchor interjected.
“I saw your clip, George,” the Speaker said. “I haven't seen the full speech. We all need to see these things in full context. But what they're referring to is President Trump coming down that golden escalator in 2016. I'm talking about the absolute public attack that the Democrats have been on against President Trump since the day he did it, you know?”
Hill contacted the Democratic National Committee and the Harris campaign.
