State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Ill.), has apologized to Trump and all who support him for an incident that happened at a fundraiser. And by incident, I mean that one of Sandoval’s supporters pointed an automatic weapon—which was likely fake—at a person wearing a Donald Trump mask. Basically, the man staged an assassination of the president of the United States.
Not cool.
“The incident that took place is unacceptable,” Sandoval news station WCIA in an emailed statement. “I don’t condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event.”
According to NBC News, and because everything eventually makes its way onto the internet, the photos from the $250 per person fundraiser made their way onto social media.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker condemned the mock assassination.
“As our nation grapples with the epidemic of gun violence, purposely pointing a fake gun at anyone is insensitive and wrong,” Pritzker said Saturday night. “I condemn actions like the ones displayed in the pictures because they lack the civility our politics demands.”
“The tragedies in El Paso and Gilroy have demonstrated how hate-filled political rhetoric can fuel violence,” said Maura Possley, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“These images are unacceptable and dangerous. The place to make our voices heard against Trump is at the ballot box.”
Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, told NBC News through a spokesman that Sandoval’s apology was “too little, too late.”
“Dangerous imagery like this will be condemned and seen as inappropriate by people of sound mind; however, a mentally unstable individual who wants to harm President Trump might find them as an inspiration,” he wrote. “It’s inexcusable for an elected official to allow the promotion of violence in any way. If the individual pictured is a staffer or volunteer, they should be terminated immediately.”
I despise this president as much as the next person, but fake assassination attempts are a bridge too far, even for me. Let’s keep this on the right side of respectable and just pray for his ouster in 2020.