As everyone now knows, someone sent or delivered packages containing explosive devices of some kind to a number of prominent Democrats, ranging from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to Eric Holder and George Soros. Not much is known at this point about the devices, their origin, or the degree of threat they represented. Most importantly, we have no idea who sent them.
I assume the perpetrator will most likely be caught, although perhaps not until after the election. Until then, speculation will run rampant. But speculation, absent facts, is pointless. There is nothing intelligent one can say about this episode beyond condemning pipe bombs.
That hasn’t stopped some from behaving irresponsibly. Most notably, CNN’s President Jeff Zucker blamed President Trump:
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media. The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that,” Zucker’s statement reads.
This is ridiculous. In the first place, we don’t know whether the devices were sent by a crazed right-winger, a Democrat trying to neutralize the GOP’s devastating #JobsNotMobs theme, or a nut of some other variety. The salient point is that President Trump has never done anything to suggest that bombing CNN’s headquarters (or anything else) would be appropriate.
This distinguishes him from President Obama, who said–in a moment of hyperbole, one charitably assumes–that Democrats should bring guns to fights with Republicans, and Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi, who have explicitly advocated mob action against Republicans. (“Collateral damage,” right, Nancy?) CNN apparently hasn’t gotten over the fact that if it lies about the president, the president has a right to respond. No wonder CNN now has fewer viewers than Nickelodeon.
Coincidentally, I suppose, the New York Times is now printing fantasies about the Secret Service collaborating with Russian agents to murder President Trump. Spoiler alert: they don’t decapitate him and carry around his head as if they were “comedians.”
So I look forward to the lectures on civility to which we will subjected for the next 13 days. Once the election is over, the Democrats will be back to severed heads. For now, they are trying to deflect #JobsNotMobs.
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