As part of our regular In-House Opinions feature in which we query Southern California members of Congress for their thoughts on issues of note locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, we asked for their opinions on the latest attempted assault on the life of President Donald Trump and those of members of his administration, and on the general climate of political violence in our land. Some of their replies:
Congressman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia: “What we witnessed this past weekend was a sobering reminder that violence has no place in American politics. Even when we strongly disagree, we are still all on the same team as Americans. Our system is built to resolve our differences through open debate in the public square, not through intimidation or force. Elected leaders have a responsibility to be the model of that standard by lowering the temperature, speaking with respect and engaging on the merits of the issues. It is up to all of us to reject extremism and hold fast to the principle that disagreements must be settled through debate, not violence. If we do this, I am confident that our country can be stronger and more united than ever before.”
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside: “Political violence has no place in our democratic discourse. It is incumbent on elected officials and candidates to never engage in inflammatory rhetoric like classifying a group as ‘the enemy of the people.’ I am deeply concerned by security threats to elected officials and their staffs, such as the attempted assassination attempts on former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords and Republican Rep. Steve Scalise. It is on all of us as Americans, elected leaders and the public alike, to listen and disagree with their neighbors respectfully — or we risk our democracy turning into something dark and ugly.”
Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Burbank: “Saturday night’s assassination attempt was a horrifying reminder that political violence is a real and growing threat to our democracy. We need leaders who will unequivocally condemn political violence, no matter the target or the motive, full stop. That means rejecting violent rhetoric, rejecting conspiracy theories and rejecting the impulse to use these moments for political gain. I’m grateful to the officers who prevented a tragedy on Saturday, and I’m asking every American to help by holding their leaders to a higher standard and refusing to accept a politics where disagreements are settled with violence.”
Rep. Derek Tran, D-Westminster: “Political violence is a threat to our democracy. Those entrusted with public office must lead responsibly and choose language that brings us together instead of ripping us apart. We cannot tolerate rhetoric that fuels division, from this administration or from either party. Elected leaders must act with urgency and discipline to lower the temperature, restore unity to our politics, and ensure that their words never inspire violent actions.”
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona: “I’m thankful President Trump and everyone attending the White House Correspondents Dinner was not harmed. So many people at the dinner, including President Trump, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Erica Kirk and others have already had their lives touched by political violence. These acts of evil have no place in our democracy.“