JD Vance slams media, Democrats for 'lecturing' Trump about political rhetoric 'after two people tried to kill him'

Senator JD Vance chastised the mainstream media and Democratic lawmakers for "lecturing" former President Donald Trump about the need to "soften his political rhetoric" after two people have plotted to assassinate him since July. Trump's running mate fired back at the media, suggesting it was the left's own violent rhetoric against Trump that led to two people trying to kill the GOP nominee.

Vance made the remarks during a campaign speech in Sparta, Michigan on Tuesday. "Don't lecture Donald Trump about softening his rhetoric after two people tried to kill him," said Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio. "It's ridiculous!"

Following the second suspected assassination attempt on his life while he was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, Donald Trump stated that the attempt was influenced by the rhetoric of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

"He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it," Trump said. "Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country - both from the inside and out."

The Trump campaign has since released a detailed list of quotes from Democratic lawmakers and media hosts inciting violence against the former president, which the campaign said "inspired the attempt" on his life. This includes dozens of quotes calling Trump a "threat to democracy," "dangerous," and someone who needs to be "eliminated." The list also included a quote from the Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson who advocated for someone to "go out and put a bullet in Donald Trump."

Additionally, former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton called Trump "dangerous" in an interview just one day after the most recent assassination plot.

During a speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Georgia on Monday, JD Vance cited the list and said: "I'd say that's pretty strong evidence that the left needs to tone down their rhetoric."

Ryan Routh, a 58-year-old career criminal with many convictions who was known to the FBI, was apprehended on Sunday for reportedly aiming an AK-47 rifle at Trump on his golf course while hiding in the bushes for 12 hours. After seeing the rifle barrel, an agent from Trump's Secret Service protection detail fired bullets at Routh, who fled the scene and was later arrested. The FBI is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt.