Campaigning for the White House and tough political rhetoric

2024-09-23 19:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds his first outdoor rally since the second assassination attempt last Sunday. Without providing evidence, Mr. Trump blamed the rhetoric of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the incident.

In a statement published on the White House website, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris said she was deeply troubled by the assassination attempt, adding that she condemned political violence.

With all lawmakers present, House Republicans and Democrats approved a bill to increase funding for the Secret Service earlier today.

The Secret Service recently acknowledged failures to secure Mr. Trump during the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, where he was hit in the ear by a bullet.

Lawmakers of both parties have formed a task force to investigate assassination attempts on Mr. Trump and the impetus for this wave of political violence.

Republican Mike Kelly heads the group of lawmakers conducting the probe.

"Something is happening to Americans and our culture has been greatly affected by it. Both sides use rhetoric and then say they didn't have that kind of implication. But people hear these calls and mean them as they are said. You have to be careful what is said and how it is said," he says.

Democratic lawmaker Jason Crow is a member of the investigative team.

"There's a big difference between having heated electoral debates, which is necessary, condemning political violence and saying that there is no place in American society, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, for someone to use violence," says Mr. Crow. .

Meanwhile, Republican Trump has continued to spread the baseless claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating residents' cats and dogs.

The allegations have been denied by the governor and the mayor, both Republicans. However, the community has been rocked by personal and bomb threats.

VOA spoke with a Haitian immigrant named Baptise.

"Publication of such news in the media scares us. We are looking for a better life", he says.

"A man cursed me and pulled out a knife," says another Haitian immigrant.

Despite recent calls to tone down the rhetoric, the two camps continue to lash out at each other.

"If Kamala Harris is re-elected, she will kill the American dream forever. She is not fit to be president. I don't want to be rude, but she is not competent to be president", declared the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.

"We have Republican candidates for governor who are proud to call themselves Nazis. Let's not pretend that the difference between those in the race is small," said Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Some states have already started early voting for the November 5 elections./ VOA