Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said Thursday on Newsmax's "National Report" that escalating rhetoric from the left is fueling a dangerous political climate that he said has contributed to multiple assassination attempts against President Donald Trump.
The most recent attempt on Trump's life was thwarted Saturday at the White House Correspondents' dinner after a 31-year-old California man was taken into custody for allegedly opening fire at a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, where the event was being held.
Perry, who serves on the House Oversight and Foreign Affairs Committees, pointed to what he described as years of inflammatory language from Democrats and legacy media figures.
"I certainly think they are 100% responsible for their comments and referring to the president as Hitler or Hitlerian or Hitler-like, as a pedophile, as a rapist, all those kind of things," he said.
The congressman argued that such comparisons are not only false but can have a profound psychological impact on unstable individuals already susceptible to radicalization.
"Look, it appears to me that this guy thought he was going to be a hero, and a lot of people would be — anybody would have been a hero if they had been able to take Hitler out," Perry said.
He said repeated messaging portraying Trump as an existential threat encourages would-be assassins to believe they are acting in a righteous or even moral capacity.
"And so, these people think — these attackers, these assassins — think they're doing the right thing based on this rhetoric, which is completely unfounded," Perry said.
He described the language surrounding Trump as "hyperbolic," stressing that "it is dangerous [and] it is violent," particularly when amplified across media platforms.
The Pennsylvania Republican also criticized what he described as a refusal by some on the left to take responsibility or show restraint even after violent incidents occur.
"They're essentially justifying their rhetoric," Perry said. "They haven't walked it back. They haven't apologized for it."
Instead of de-escalating, he said, some political leaders have intensified their messaging in ways that further inflame tensions.
"The minority leader in the House essentially has doubled down on the rhetoric, claiming an all-out war against President Trump," Perry said.
He argued that this continued escalation makes those pushing such narratives "accountable for the things that they have said and the results of the actions of others."
Perry went on to suggest that while critics may not engage in violence themselves, some appear to welcome those outcomes.
"They don't want to do the dirty work, but they're happy that somebody is doing the dirty work," he said.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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