So yes, the suspect arrested in the attempted mail-bombing of leading anti-Trump political figures is indeed a strong, ardent supporter of Donald Trump.
And no, the string of bombs was not a false-flag operation, as some conservatives had alleged; it was not an effort to build sympathy for the Democrats or to divert attention from the mid-terms. The suspect arrested Friday, Cesar Sayoc Jr., drove a van emblazoned with pictures of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and others in the crosshairs of a rifle sight, with stickers that proclaimed “CNN sucks,” and with celebrations of Trump. His social media accounts are full of anti-liberal rhetoric, and an exuberant Sayoc has also been photographed and videotaped at Trump rallies.
Nonetheless, and despite Trump’s highly inflammatory, aggressive rhetoric and his repeated praise for acts of political violence, it’s impossible to blame him directly for the actions of what may be a crazy person.
We can, however, blame Trump for this, sent out Friday morning as law enforcement was closing in on Sayoc:
Two former U.S. presidents are targets of a mail bomb, as are a former vice president, three sitting members of Congress, two former senior intelligence officials, two leading Democratic donors and CNN, and even before an arrest can be made, with the bomber still out there somewhere, the president of the United States dismisses it all as “bomb” stuff and complains that it’s “very unfortunate,” not because of the dangers involved but because it’s interfering with his political messaging. Pictures of a white van are knocking pictures of a brown caravan off the front pages and TV screens, and he doesn’t like it one little bit.
In that tweet, Trump shows no concern for the personal safety of others, no sympathy and no leadership. Even the statement of official concern that he dutifully read later for benefit of the TV cameras was delivered in the flat monotone that Trump reserves for things that he doesn’t really want to say.
“We must never allow political violence to take root in America,” he said in those remarks, “and I’m committed to doing everything in my power as president to stop it and stop it now.”
But that promise, like so many, Trump will not keep. He will not -- because by his nature he cannot -- alter his political strategy of treating opponents as “enemies of the people” who are out to destroy this country and all that is good about it. He feeds off the anger and divisiveness that such rhetoric creates; it is his political life’s blood. And he will keep doing it.
Indeed, Trump read the statement above at the opening of a political event at the White House. After he finished, he gave a callout to Candace Owens, a host of the event who had earlier tweeted a guarantee about the identity of the then-unknown bomber:
“I’m going to go ahead and state that there is a 0% chance that these ‘suspicious packages’ were sent out by conservatives,” Owens’ tweet had read. “The only thing ‘suspicious’ about these packages, is their timing. Caravans, fake bomb threats—these leftists are going ALL OUT for midterms.”
A few minutes later in that same meeting, as Trump railed against the evil of globalists, supporters in the crowd yelled out “Soros!,” referring to Democratic donor George Soros.
“Lock him up! Lock him up!” others began to chant.
“Lock him up,” Trump repeated with an approving chuckle from the podium, adorned with the seal of the president of the United States of America.
The first bomb found in the string of 13 had been sent to Soros.
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