The Bakersfield Californian

Local politicos comment on shooting at Trump rally

In the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting in Butler, Pa., The California­n asked local politician­s and others active in politics how the weekend’s events changed their view of the presidenti­al election and what the shooting says about the state of U.S. politics, as well as what should be done about it.

Another question we posed was what should be done to, as President Joe Biden put it, “lower the temperatur­e” of political discourse. Here are their responses, some of which have been edited for space or clarity:

I was horrified by the violent assassinat­ion attempt on former President Trump this weekend. Political violence is never acceptable and has no place in our democracy. We need to take a step back, turn the temperatur­e down and remember that we can disagree while still being civil with one another. Our political opponents are not our enemies.

Now is not the time for more divisive rhetoric, but an opportunit­y to remember who we are and what we stand for. I hope we can rise above this and move forward united in our shared ideals as Americans.

— Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford

Election interferen­ce has evolved beyond obvious forms, such as assassinat­ion attempts, and now often appears in obscure and difficult-to-attribute ways. This means we must also be vigilant about the influence of mega-donors and op-eds by celebritie­s seeking to sway election outcomes.

Saturday’s apparent assassinat­ion attempt is a stark reminder of the escalating polarizati­on and violence infiltrati­ng our political discourse. It underscore­s the urgent need for a return to civility and constructi­ve dialogue.

To address this, we must prioritize bipartisan efforts to foster mutual respect and understand­ing among our citizens and leaders. This includes enacting policies to tackle underlying issues such as political extremism, misinforma­tion and social inequality. Supporting measures like Assembly Bill 3027, which protects residents from transnatio­nal repression, and Senate Bill 1151, the Foreign Influence & Transparen­cy Accountabi­lity Act, are crucial steps in this direction.

My mother instilled in me from a young age “to put myself in the shoes of others.” In other words, she taught me the importance of empathizin­g with others. She encouraged me to make an effort to understand the joys, frustratio­ns and struggles of everyone, including those with whom I disagree. This understand­ing is essential for finding a path to unity and those seeking office have a moral obligation to create that path.

Hate or fear-based messaging only deepens divisions and erodes trust. By choosing hope, empathy and unity, we can create a more inclusive and hopeful future for all.

— State Sen. Melissa

Hurtado, D-Sanger

Excited by the VP pick by President Trump! Senator Vance is a young dynamic leader that will bring even more energy and excitement to the ticket. I look forward to working with the Trump-Vance Administra­tion to address the needs of hardworkin­g communitie­s like the Central Valley, end the border crisis, grow our economy, defend our water and energy resources and make America Great Once Again. — Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfiel­d

I stand in strong solidarity against any acts of violence.

My thoughts and prayers are with President Trump and his family, and my heart and prayers go out to all the victims of this attack, including the heroic firefighte­r who lost his life protecting his family.

Acts of violence have no place in our community, and we must unite as a nation to condemn it. Violence is never the answer, especially in a free and democratic country.

— Assemblywo­man Dr. Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfiel­d

My support for President Donald Trump and his extraordin­ary resolve to fight for our country, and for every American’s safety and prosperity, has only been strengthen­ed over the last few days. He was spared by God for a greater purpose, to restore American exceptiona­lism. It’s time to unite our country and set aside the political hatred and extreme discourse that would motivate an American to attempt to assassinat­e a former and future president.

— State Sen. Shannon Grove,

R-Bakersfiel­d

I am appalled by the shooting in Butler, Pa. Violence is never the answer for political discourse. America is stronger when we use our voices at the ballot box and not with violence. My condolence­s to the family of the individual who was killed and my prayers for the former president and the other individual badly injured at the rally.

— Rudy Salas, former Democratic Assemblyma­n from Bakersfiel­d running

for California’s 22nd Congressio­nal District seat

The murder of an innocent father and the assassinat­ion attempt on former President Trump over the weekend has rocked our nation to its core.

I am very thankful and relieved that Mr. Trump is alive and well. My heart goes out to the family of Corey Comperator­e, who was brutally murdered while protecting his family. Violence of any kind, for any reason, should never be the answer.

As Americans we take pride in having the freedom to hold our own beliefs and opinions. Men and women have fought and died for us to have that right. No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, Democrat, Republican, progressiv­e or conservati­ve, we must always remember that we are all Americans first. I know we all love our country deeply and want to see it thrive. We may have difference­s of opinions on how to get there, but we are still in this together.

President Biden said it best: We need to lower the political climate and come together in unity in order to keep our democracy alive. America is the light of the world, but it is up to us to keep that light shining bright. We must remember that change always comes from the ballot box and never from bullets. This November, I encourage all of you to vote for the people and issues you believe in and feel proud in doing so, but I also ask that you to have the civility and courage to listen to your neighbor. — Chris Romo, chairman of the Kern County Democratic

Central Committee

In terms of “lowering the temperatur­e,” not sure why Biden didn’t push that for months and years — Portland, Ore; Seattle; smashand-grab; then, recently, anti-Israel violence. I didn’t hear Biden anger over most of that violence until months went by and

Biden and his team, especially media supporters, called

Trump every name in the book. Ultimately, we live with freedom of speech, and we can judge a person who uses words to push hate, not issues.

We haven’t learned what was going through this 20-year-old’s mind, but I’d drag his parents in because they raised him and bought him weapons and share responsibi­lity, in my mind. They must have known he had mental issues.

There are over 130 million voters and I don’t equate them with this criminal behavior.

— Cathy Abernathy, Bakersfiel­d Republican

political consultant

I thought Trump a favorite before, but now I’m much more confident in that.

Joe Biden’s campaign is entirely negative.

Most people are disappoint­ed with his presi- dency, with inflation, internatio­nal disgrace and the growing sense that he’s just not up to the job. His approval rating has been terrible ever since the Afghanista­n withdrawal debacle. His entire campaign has been centered on Trump being an “existentia­l threat to democracy,” with outrageous­ly hyperbolic language repeated daily about Trump wanting to be a dictator, that this would be the last election, etc. A lunatic evidently took that seriously and tried to kill Trump.

It’s time to call this what it is: an epidemic of political violence from the left. Antifa riots during the 2020 election resulted in numerous deaths and multiple millions of dollars in damaged property — the left-wing media called these “mostly peaceful protests” and justified the violence because it was in protest against Trump. An MSNBC-addicted Bernie Sanders supporter tried to murder the GOP baseball team and nearly succeeded in killing Rep. Steve Scalise. Then a demented lunatic tried to kill Brett Kavanaugh after Democrats in Congress opposed increasing funding for the security details of the Supreme Court justices. And now we have a Trump-hating assassin who injures the former president and kills and wounds Trump voters in the crowd. Biden (or whoever puts his words on the teleprompt­er for him) deserves credit for condemning political violence, but let’s see how long his exaggerate­d and dishonest attack ads stay off the air.