Trump, Fox and the NRA
Donald Trump is giving new meaning to "bully pulpit," ratcheting his irrational campaign rhetoric to new and dangerous lows. In North Carolina Tuesday, he said: "Hillary wants to abolish — essentially, abolish — the Second Amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick — if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is." Trump's suggestion that his supporters could assassinate Hillary Clinton or the judges she might appoint provoked outrage, not only nationally, but around the globe. His virulent, demagogic language did not alienate everyone, though; as more and more Republicans denounce Trump, he still enjoys fervid support from some personalities at Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel and the National Rifle Association. This unholy trinity of Trump, Fox and the NRA could easily provoke political violence during this campaign season.
Hours after his remarks, Trump made his first news appearance on Fox's "Hannity" show. Sean Hannity pre-empted Trump, offering his own twisted logic to help blunt the deepening catastrophe: "So, obviously you are saying that there's a strong political movement within the Second Amendment and if people mobilize and vote they can stop Hillary from having this impact on the court." Trump obligingly concurred with that revisionist version of his call to arms. But the ploy fails on its face. Trump was not advocating for a political movement to stop Hillary Clinton from gaining office; he was suggesting that "Second Amendment people" could take action after the fact, if she wins.
The NRA also quickly rallied to Trump's defense, tweeting: "Donald Trump is right. If Hillary Clinton gets to pick her anti-2A SCOTUS judges, there's nothing we can do." As the backlash against Trump grew, the NRA added, anticipating Hannity's spin, "But there IS something we will do on Election Day: Show up and vote for the 2A! Defend the Second. Never Hillary."
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence immediately condemned Trump's comment, adding that "this is a point of view that has been mainstreamed by the National Rifle Association and parroted by candidates for political office in the past." The gun-control advocacy group maintains a comprehensive online database of comments from NRA leadership, called "NRA on the Record." Search the site for "Political Violence" or "Vigilantism" and you easily see countless, impeccably sourced justifications for gun violence.
http://auburnpub.com/columnists/amy_goodman/trump-fox-and-the-nra/article_5440d569-e773-50d6-8b27-3c00372be3a1.html
