Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
An attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump left New Mexico lawmakers shocked and calling for unity and a return to “civility” in American politics.
Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot to death by the Secret Service moments after he fired rounds at Trump using a high-powered rifle from an elevated area near the rally.
Trump was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service, blood dripping down the right side of his face from his ear. He paused briefly before exiting the stage to mouth “fight” and pump his fist to the audience.
Firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, at attendee of the rally, was killed in the incident, and two men, James Copenhaver and David Dutch, were injured.
‘Stop personal attacks’
New Mexico Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R-55) of Carlsbad watched the scene unfold on TV news. During an interview with the Carlsbad Current-Argus, she thanked God the former president and candidate for this year’s presidential election survived the attack.
“I am thankful that it was not a successful attempt,” Brown said. “I really credit God with saving President Trump’s life. I think we’re all following the story, hoping to hear a little bit more about the shooter and why he did what he did, what from his background spurred him to the assassination attempt.”
Aside from the immediate safety risk to the former president, Brown said the shooting could follow a deeper problem with politics in America, which she said veered from developing policy in recent years to personal attacks. Brown said such vitriol can incite violence like what was seen in Pennsylvania.
“I hope this will be a point in time when we return to civility in politics, talk about issues and stop the personal attacks,” Brown said. “I think there should be a lot of sympathy for what he (Trump) has gone through. It’s bound to be influential.”
‘Incited violence’
Sen. Steven McCutcheon (R-42) of Carlsbad blamed the news media for “demonizing” Trump’s character and inciting the violence at the rally.
“This is unacceptable at any level,” McCutcheon said of the shooting. “This is probably extremely important for the media to recognize the importance of the truth and not demonizing the character of a person. I has incited violence.”
He called for unity among New Mexicans and the American people in the wake of the assault.
“What we need to do is rally around unity. Unity is the sentiment that needs to come out of this assassination attempt. We are so grateful he (Trump) was protected. President Trump demonstrated true leadership in the face of absolute adversity.”
As for the shooter Crooks, McCutcheon said he was clearly politically motivated and influenced by media coverage of the former President.
“The motive was to kill him,” McCutcheon said. “It was attempted murder. It’s political motivation. I’m sure this dirtbag was just motivated by all the years of comparing him (Trump) to Hitler. They’ve painted him with the brush of fascism and Marxism. It’s disgusting.”
Leaders condemn
New Mexico Rep. Jim Townsend (R-54) of Artesia was in Milwaukee for Republican National Committee where he serves on the RNC Rules and Convention rules committees. He wrote in an editorial published in the Carlsbad Current-Argus and other New Mexico papers “the tenor quickly changed” when news of the assassination attempt reached the committee.
“I believe our country dodged a bullet; no pun intended. Chaos would have prevailed, and accusations would have traveled as fast as the bullet did toward President Trump, typically about 3,000 feet per second,” Townsend wrote.
Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce called for national condemnation of the incident in a statement issued immediately after the shooting.
“We are praying that President Trump was not severely harmed by the attack and for the other citizens who also may have been injured at his rally. This is despicable behavior, that we as nation must condemn,” Pearce said.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat and frequent Trump critic, said in a statement the day of the shooting she was “horrified” to see politics turn violent.
“I’m horrified by today’s shooting in Butler, Pa. that resulted in the death of a spectator at a political rally and injuries to others, including former President Donald Trump. I condemn in the strongest possible terms political violence of any kind,” Lujan Grisham wrote in a July 13 statement.
“Americans must reject and denounce any attempt to resolve our political differences with bloodshed instead of democracy. With a presidential election looming, we must redouble our commitment to respectful and constructive discourse, regardless of political affiliation.”