Donald Trump Jr. accused the media of radicalizing the suspects who attempted to assassinate his father, former President Trump. Trump Jr. said the media's false narratives and rhetoric contributed to the creation of a hostile environment that made such attacks possible.
Donald Trump Jr. lashed out at the media on Tuesday, accusing them of radicalizing the two individuals who attempted to assassinate his father, former President Trump.
In a tense interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Trump Jr. said that the media's constant attacks on his father, including false claims about his connections to Russia, had created an atmosphere of hostility and mistrust that led to the assassination attempts.
Trump Jr.: Media Radicalized Assassination Attempt Suspects
"The media has radicalized the people that are trying to kill my father," Trump Jr. said. "I've had to deal with that twice now in the last two months."
Trump Jr. recalled the assassination attempt that took place at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, in which a gunman killed 50-year-old Corey Comperatore and critically wounded two others. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, also came close to shooting Trump but was stopped by Secret Service agents.
Trump Jr.: Media Radicalized Assassination Attempt Suspects
Just two months later, a man named Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after allegedly pushing the muzzle of an AK-47 through a fence outside a golf course where Trump was playing.
Trump Jr. said that the media's relentless attacks on his father had created a climate in which such attacks became possible.
"When someone allows someone to have a platform to call someone 'literally Hitler,' every day for nine years, it creates it. Whether you want to believe it or not, that's a fact," Trump Jr. said.
Collins pushed back, saying that the media did not want Trump to be harmed.
"Everyone wants your dad to be safe. Nobody wants the threats against his life to happen, but you can't blame the media for those threats. There's been no evidence," Collins said.
However, Trump Jr. remained adamant that the media was complicit in the assassination attempts.
"They ran with it for years, even when it was disproven, they still ran with it," Trump Jr. said. "You know, that environment wasn't just created by Donald Trump."
Trump Jr.'s accusations come amid growing anger among conservatives over what they see as the media's biased coverage of Trump and his family.
Critics of the media argue that the coverage has been unfairly critical and has contributed to the hostile environment surrounding Trump.
However, defenders of the media argue that their reporting has been fair and accurate and that they have simply been holding Trump accountable for his actions.
The debate over the media's role in the assassination attempts is likely to continue, as Trump and his supporters continue to blame the media for creating a climate that made such attacks possible.
