Truth, Terror, and Trump: End the Rhetoric Now

On June 15, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social (see: http://bit.ly/3SWrZSi), announcing the “largest Mass Deportation Operation in History,” and vilifying Democrats, LGBTQ Americans, and major U.S. cities. His post came just one day after the tragedy in Minnesota, where Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, and Senator John Hoffman and his wife were injured. These words didn’t come in a vacuum; they echo the same hate that fuels extremist violence. From the 2019 El Paso massacre to the January 6 insurrection and now this week’s Minnesota attack, every wave of violence has followed a familiar path: inflammatory rhetoric, scapegoating, and extremist followers acting on those lies. When a president labels nearly 50 % of Americans as radical or un-American and promises mass deportations, it sends a clear signal, and violence becomes justified in some minds. Words have consequences. And so should those who speak them, especially from the highest office in our land. We demand immediate action: • All elected leaders must publicly condemn this post, its falsehoods, and its dehumanizing rhetoric. • Congress should hold hearings into the misuse of ICE and federal agencies for political theater. • Pass bipartisan legislation to hold public officials accountable when their language incites violence and division. This isn’t about politics. It’s about survival. Our democracy and the lives of Americans depend on leaders who choose truth over fear. It’s time to act, before more violence is perpetrated against our fellow citizens.