Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump a "danger to our country and the world" during an interview on MSNBC, just one day after a second assassination attempt on the former president.
The New York Post reported that Clinton's remarks came in a conversation with Rachel Maddow, where she discussed the political climate and the influence of Trump's leadership. Clinton’s strong words came less than 24 hours after a gunman attempted to shoot Trump during a golf outing at his Florida club.
This has led to major criticism of Clinton who essentially doubled down on demonizing Trump and painting him as a "threat" despite the multiple attempts on his life.
The gunman, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was foiled by a Secret Service agent who noticed a gun barrel emerging from a nearby tree line. Routh fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after.
The assassination attempt took place Sunday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. As Trump played a round of golf, a Secret Service agent spotted Routh hiding in the tree line with a firearm. The agent responded swiftly, firing at the gunman, preventing the attack. No one was injured during the incident.
Routh managed to flee but was later captured by law enforcement after a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Martin County, Florida.
Authorities were able to apprehend him without further incident, marking this the second assassination attempt on Trump in just over two months.
Following the attack, Trump made statements pointing fingers at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing them of inciting violence against him. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump remarked that the rhetoric from the Biden administration and its allies was putting his life in danger.
"Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country," Trump said. He further accused them of "destroying the country from the inside and out," blaming their policies and rhetoric for the assassination attempts.
Republicans quickly echoed Trump’s concerns, with several of his allies accusing Democrats and liberal figures of inciting political violence. Among the most vocal was Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who took to social media to accuse Hillary Clinton of fanning the flames of violence.
"Hillary Clinton knows exactly what she’s doing here," Trump Jr. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Just a day after a Democrat donor and Kamala Harris supporter tried murdering my dad, she is purposely fanning the violent left-wing flames to put his life further in danger."
Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign adviser, also criticized Clinton, stating, “This is evil. The day after Trump survived a second assassination attempt, Hillary Clinton is out trying to stir up a third one.”
In her MSNBC interview, Clinton stood by her remarks, arguing that Trump posed a global threat. She cited the words of a renowned journalist to support her claim, stating that Trump’s "demagoguery" made him dangerous not only to the United States but also to the world.
"The late great journalist Harry Evans one time said that journalists should try to achieve objectivity," Clinton said. "The object in this case is Donald Trump. His demagoguery. His danger to our country and the world."
Clinton also criticized how the media treated Trump, accusing the press of going too easy on the former president. She claimed that while President Biden faced relentless scrutiny, Trump was being treated with "kid gloves."
This incident marks the second time in 64 days that Trump has faced an assassination attempt. The frequency of these threats has raised concerns among his allies, who believe that hostile political rhetoric is to blame.
While no further details have been released about Routh’s motivations, Republicans have repeatedly pointed to the charged political climate and the impact of inflammatory comments from prominent Democrats.
