White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Friday that President Donald Trump has never once encouraged violence.
Standing on the White House lawn, Sanders was asked why Trump has yet to condemn a Coast Guard lieutenant who was arrested this week for planning a domestic terror attack on Democratic lawmakers and members of the media. As NPR reported Wednesday:
“A 49-year-old Coast Guard lieutenant charged with stockpiling weapons and drugs is being described as a ‘domestic terrorist’ who was planning ‘to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country,’ according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland on Tuesday.
“Federal prosecutors say Christopher Paul Hasson, a self-described white nationalist living in Silver Spring, Md., was amassing firearms since at least 2017, while cultivating plans to launch a widespread attack on prominent Democratic lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and several high-profile television anchors from MSNBC and CNN.”
But Sanders insisted that her boss has always condemned violence in any form:
“I certainly don’t think that the president, at any point, has done anything but condemn violence. In fact, every single time something like this happens, the president is typically one of the first people to condemn the violence.”
After arrest of Coast Guard lieutenant, who allegedly amassed weapons and compiled list of Democratic lawmakers and journalists, Sarah Sanders says Pres. Trump hasn’t “at any point” done anything “but condemn violence, against journalists or anyone else.” https://t.co/vD1SnbtLMf pic.twitter.com/JO6LCpexIm
— ABC News (@ABC) February 22, 2019
That was all it took for Twitter to light up with reminders for the press secretary that Donald Trump has often encouraged violence, especially against those who disagree with him:
Because repeatedly saying “the press is the enemy of the people” is actually his way of telling people to go out and hug the media and show them respect. He is riling people up and taking no responsibility for his actions. He’s pathetic.
— Bill West (@BillWest5) February 22, 2019
She holds a PhD in gaslighting.
— PWecks (@pwecks) February 22, 2019
Except when he’s telling people to punch them and he’ll cover their legal fees.
— If You Knew Suzy ❄️??? (@snow_lynx) February 22, 2019
At every rally, he points to the press pool and calls them an enemy. He tweets that they’re the enemy of freedom, which is potent in this climate. That doesn’t look like condemning violence. It looks like creating the conditions for it.
— sherean (@sherean) February 22, 2019
Because calling the media ‘enemies of the people’ and calling for ‘retribution’ against them counts as condemning violence
— Emmacam (@emmacam1984) February 22, 2019
Ignoring it doesn’t count as condemnation, Sarah.
— Melanie (@supermod_l) February 22, 2019
— Major Beige (@MajorBeige) February 22, 2019
“Enemy of the people” is such a warm a cuddly term.
Hard to believe anyone would be confused by it.— victor-hyer (@victor_hyer) February 22, 2019
Donald Trump has built his political career on lies, hatred, and fear. To suggest otherwise is so disingenuous and ridiculous that Sarah Sanders’ nose should have grown six feet long the minute she uttered it.
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