Some of Donald Trump’s most loyal Congressional allies immediately blamed Joe Biden for Saturday’s assassination bid against the former president—with one claiming: “Biden sent the orders.”
In a series of posts on social media, loyalists including Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert sought to link the sniper’s attack to language used by Biden.
Blackburn posted on X, formerly Twitter, “Just days ago, Biden said, ‘It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.’ Today, there was an assassination attempt against President Trump.” That was a reference to a report in Politico that Biden told a private call on Monday: “I have one job, and that’s to beat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”
She was not alone. On X, Collins wrote, “Joe Biden sent the orders.” Boebert posted, “‘It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.’ – Joe Biden. Shame on him.”
And on Trump’s Truth Social, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted, “Democrats wanted this to happen. They’ve wanted Trump gone for years and they’re prepared to do anything to make that happen.”
She went on to attack a group of Congressional Democrats who had sponsored the DISGRACED Former Protectees Bill, a piece of proposed legislation that sought to terminate Secret Service protection for those convicted of a felony. Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts of false business records in New York.
“Why would they want that? You know the reason,” she wrote.
Two of Trump’s reported short list for vice-presidential nominees engaged in similar rhetoric. Ohio Republican senator J.D. Vance posted on X,“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
And South Carolina Senator Tim Scott accused “the radical Left and corporate media” of aiding and abetting the assassination attempt. “Let’s be clear: This was an assassination attempt aided and abetted by the radical Left and corporate media incessantly calling Trump a threat to democracy, fascists, or worse,” he posted.
The other GOP vice presidential shortlisters, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Nikki Haley, Trump’s defeated Republican rival, opted to issue statements of support and prayer.
Other members of Trump’s wider world of supporters and media boosters were also quick to blame the left, among them Sebastian Gorka, who was a White House aide before becoming a broadcaster. He posted on X, “Chuck Schumer threatened Trump’s SCOTUS appointees. Maxine Waters told her supporters that they should surround and intimidate his cabinet members. Kamala Harris raised money to bail out BLM rioters. 5 days ago Biden said put President Trump in the ‘bullseye.’”
