Dem Rep Raskin claims 'political violence across the board' is a problem after 3rd left wing attempt on Trump's life

CNN host Dana Bash questioned Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin on Sunday about whether Democrats should reconsider their language toward President Donald Trump following the assassination attempt that was stopped outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Bash raised the issue in the context of broader concerns about political violence and recent high-profile security incidents. “Do you think twice about that when something like this happens?” she asked. Raskin responded by asking for clarification on the premise. “What rhetoric do you have in mind?” he said. Bash pointed to the increasingly heated political language, including Democratic criticism of Trump as “terrible for this country."

“I understand that that’s your democratic right, but overall, do you have a responsibility —” she said before Raskin interrupted, and pointed out Trump’s language toward the press, noting the president has referred to journalists as the “enemy of the people.”

“I’m talking about policies. I don’t personalize it, and I certainly have never called the press ‘the enemy of the people,’” Raskin said.

Raskin had another chance to speak against the incessant rhetoric against Trump in an interview with CBS host Margaret Brennan. Brennan questioned Raskin on whether Democratic political rhetoric should be reconsidered after third attempt on Trump's life.

Raskin was inside the ballroom when chaos broke out on Saturday night, describing loud explosions and panic as guests were forced to the ground: “So I just entered the room, and I was talking to some reporters… when there were three loud booms. Heard some screams, plates, glasses, silverware hitting the ground, and then everybody was yelling, get down,” Raskin said.

Brennan asked whether the experience had changed his view on political messaging and whether “Democratic language needs to change” in light of the attempted assassination. Raskin responded that political violence must be condemned universally:

"We have said all along that we need every politician in the country, every leader in the country, every citizen in the country denouncing political violence across the board, regardless of where it's coming from. So, you know, I find this a welcome change in rhetoric. But you know what happened last week, they brought a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose whole purpose is to or is to investigate violent right wing extremism in the country, and now they're prosecuting them for having used undercover agents, which, of course, the FBI uses and the government uses all the time."

He also went in on the allegations against the Southern Poverty Law Center, criticizing the Trump administration's action against the organization. Raskin said, “they brought a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose whole purpose is to or is to investigate violent right wing extremism in the country.”

The coversation also touched on to concerns about politicians' safety. Raskin agreed that fear of violence is affecting participation in public life, saying anyone considering running for office “undoubtedly thinks about that.”

"...anybody who's thinking about running for office undoubtedly thinks about that. Anybody who's thinking about running for president undoubtedly thinks about that. And those people have the most protection with the Secret Service, and other people don't have the same kind of protection. So look, we've got to rediscover the great American tradition of nonviolence and Dr. King and the civilizing movements that have always opposed violence versus the violent groups that have used violence historically, beginning with the Ku Klux Klan, in order to terrorize other people," he said.