U.S. Rep. Richard Neal denounces the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — In the wake of the July 13 assassination attempt on former President and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) called for Americans to “ratchet down the rhetoric” and a cease the spread of conspiracy theories.
“We all abhor the assassination attempt,” Neal said, addressing a handful of reporters at the federal courthouse in Springfield on July 15. “There is nothing wrong with critiquing the opposition. It does not have to rise to malicious conduct.”
An armed individual shot at Trump while he was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet pierced the top of the former president’s ear, after which he was rushed offstage, shielded by Secret Service agents. A member of the crowd was killed, and two others critically injured in the incident. The shooter was killed at the scene by members of the Secret Service.
Neal noted the immediacy with which conspiracy theories began circulating after the shooting, some of which stated that the assassination attempt was connected to President Joe Biden or that he had withheld additional Secret Service agents. He said no one “in their right mind” thinks Biden had a hand in the shooting.
Biden has called for an independent investigation into how an armed person got past the Secret Service and close enough to shoot at Trump. Neal said that was the “correct” action to take.
Both Biden and Trump have condemned the shooting. Biden gave an address from the Oval Office calling on the public to “lower the temperature” of political discourse, while Trump promised to tone down some of the more incendiary parts of his speech at the Republican National Convention on July 18.
Despite this, Neal said he is “not optimistic” that there will be a change in the political climate. He said social media keeps tensions “ramped up” and the “rumor of the hour” is now non-stop due to the 24-hour, always-on aspect of the internet. More so, he said, “There are really those that profit from it. It is not useful for democracy.”
Neal further lamented changes in media coverage. “Mainstream media was more fact-based.” For some media outlets, he said, “It’s less about informing and more about entertaining.” He added, “At one time your home was off limits. That’s changed.”
At the same time, Neal said there are people in the government on both sides of the aisle who have embraced “soundbites” over substance. While legislators used to work out compromises to keep the government running and “be rewarded” by being reelected, he said “rhetoric is more rewarding” than passing legislation for many.
Neal reiterated his support of Biden and said whether he pursues the Democratic nomination is his choice. He dismissed the idea of there being an open convention with another candidate vying for the nomination.
Referring to the poll numbers in the race for president, Neal said, “A poll is a snapshot of the moment.” He posited that there may be a bump in Trump’s polling numbers, as there was for former President Ronald Reagan’s approval numbers after he survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
Commenting on the selection of J.D. Vance as the Republican nominee for vice president, Neal said that he had read one of Vance’s books. “His book is far removed from what he’s saying now,” Neal remarked. Vance is the author of two books, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” and “A Relevant Faith: Searching for a Meaningful American Christianity.”
Despite signing several major pieces of legislation into law, such as the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Biden’s approval rate is just 37%. Neal responded to the critique that the Democratic Party has a messaging problem when it comes to touting its accomplishments. “I think there’s some truth to that,” he said, adding, “When you’re chasing down conspiracy theories, it’s hard to talk about what you’ve accomplished.”
