Former President Donald Trump has attempted to leverage a second assassination attempt against him in two months to launch an attack on Vice President Kamala Harris and her supporters, accusing them — without evidence — of inciting the plots by labeling his agenda a threat to American democracy.
However, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) criticized Trump’s claims during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, pointing out the irony of Trump’s remarks, especially in light of his role in inciting the January 6 Capitol riot. On that day, Trump fueled a mob with election conspiracy theories, leading to violence as they stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn the election certification.
“We just played a clip of him at a rally in Long Island, saying, you know, don’t call your opponent, say your opponent is going to end democracy, and then he immediately said, she’s going to destroy the country,” Cooper said.
Kelly, a former astronaut and veteran, whose wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, was severely injured in a 2011 mass shooting, responded to Trump’s comments. “It comes from a guy who, shortly after I got sworn into the U.S. Senate, assembled a mob in Washington, D.C., and then spoke to that mob and instructed them to go to Capitol Hill because he didn’t like how the election turned out.”
Kelly continued, “So it’s quite odd to hear those words come out of his mouth, but we’ve seen this before. We’ve seen this for over a decade. The way he uses language to divide the American people. And it’s really uncalled for. And it’s dangerous.”
Kelly has been vocal in his criticism of Trump, recently condemning his behavior during an event at Arlington National Cemetery. He argued that Trump’s divisive language continues to harm the country, creating a dangerous environment.
“I would hope that, going forward here, he rethinks how he’s using this language to divide us,” Kelly added, underscoring the importance of leadership that fosters unity rather than stoking division.