President Donald Trump ignored calls this weekend to measure his hatred for a series of opponents who were targeted by one of his supporters in a campaign of pipe bombs.
On Sunday, he ridiculed billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer, one of 13 intended targets of the mailed pipe bombs. All of the intended targets, which included the Clintons, the Obamas, current Democratic lawmakers and former intelligence agency officials, among others, were either prominent Democrats or critics of the president. CNN's New York offices were also targeted.
"Just watched Wacky Tom Steyer, who I have not seen in action before, be interviewed by [Jake Tapper]," Trump tweeted. "He comes off as a crazed & stumbling lunatic who should be running out of money pretty soon. As bad as their field is, if he is running for President, the Dems will eat him alive!"
Just watched Wacky Tom Steyer, who I have not seen in action before, be interviewed by @jaketapper. He comes off as a crazed & stumbling lunatic who should be running out of money pretty soon. As bad as their field is, if he is running for President, the Dems will eat him alive!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2018
That attack followed an appearance by Steyer on CNN in which he discussed the president's response to the 11 people killed at a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The alleged gunman reportedly yelled anti-Semitic statements. Trump called for an end to violence and anti-Semitism, saying the country "must unite to conquer hate."
"I think his response to the tragedy was appropriate," Steyer said. "But there's something much bigger than that going on here, which is the atmosphere that he's created and that the Republican Party has created in terms of political violence."
Steyer conceded that violence has occurred on both sides of the political spectrum in the past, but believed it was a "false equivalence" because of Trump and the GOP's much "broader, systematic attempt to disrespect the norms of democracy, to actually disrespect the laws of the United States and an attack on the rules of law. That creates an atmosphere where anything can bubble up and anything is bubbling up," Steyer added.
Democratic donor Tom Steyer, who was one of the intended recipients of last week’s suspicious packages, says President Trump has created an atmosphere of “routine, systematic lawlessness ... in pursuit of victory at all costs” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/co999Gmfq1
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 28, 2018
In a tweet issued shortly after Trump's, Steyer called the president's attack his "typical insulting style."
"It is unthinkable that in the midst of the horrible political violence our president would resort to name-calling instead of repairing the damage to the fabric of our country," Steyer responded.
.@realdonaldtrump just tweeted at me in his typical insulting style after watching @CNNsotu. It is unthinkable that in the midst of the horrible political violence our president would resort to name-calling instead of repairing the damage to the fabric of our country.
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) October 28, 2018
The president, despite calling for the country to "unify" last week following the series of attempted mail bombings, has continued to levy attacks against the media and some of his critics who were targeted by the pipe bombs. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday pushed back against the suggestion from critics that Trump's rhetoric and personal attacks had anything to do with the bombs that were allegedly mailed by Cesar Sayoc, an apparent Trump supporter who attended rallies and spread right-wing messages and conspiracy theories online.
Sanders told reporters the president has "condemned violence in all forms" since day one and that he believes "everyone has a role to play." The week prior at a rally in Montana, Trump bragged about GOP Congressman Greg Gianforte body slamming a reporter.
Hours after calling for unity on Wednesday, Trump at a Wisconsin political rally said it was the media's responsibility to "stop the endless hostility." Thursday morning on Twitter, he blamed the media for the "anger we see today in our society."
Speaking with reporters on Friday about his rhetoric, Trump said he could "really tone it up" because the media has been "extremely unfair to me and to the Republican Party." At a White House event after audience members shouted "George Soros" and that they should "lock 'em up!" Trump laughed, pointed and mouthed back "lock him up." Soros, a billionaire Democratic donor, was one of the 13 intended targets of the pipe bombs. Soros has become the subject of numerous false right-wing conspiracy theories, some of which the president has then repeated.
Earlier that morning, Trump tweeted that "this 'bomb' stuff" was hurting Republicans' momentum going into the midterm elections.
At a rally in North Carolina Friday night following the arrest of Sayoc, the president told his supporters he was "going to be nice tonight" so he would not insult Maxine Waters. Waters was another target of the mailed pipe bombs.
"I want them to say, 'he was so nice tonight,'" Trump added.
At the mention of Hillary Clinton, another target of the mailed pipe bombs, the crowd began its usual "lock her up!" chant.
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About the writer
Ramsey Touchberry is a Washington Correspondent for Newsweek based in the nation's capital, where he regularly covers Congress.
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