JD Vance has appeared to suggest that Democrats “tried to kill” former president Donald Trump while introducing him at a rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
After saying that Trump “gave the easy life up” to run for president, he continued, “They couldn’t beat him at the ballot box, so they tried to bankrupt him. They failed at that, so they tried to impeach him. They failed at that, so they tried to put him in prison, and they even tried to kill him.”
Vance appears to be referring to Trump’s various legal issues, which have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and a conviction for 34 felony charges.
It’s not clear what Vance meant regarding the final comment, but on social media some have speculated it’s a reference to the assassination attempt on Trump’s life on July 13 in Pennsylvania, and an implication that Democrats are to blame. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was registered as a Republican.
Before introducing Trump, the vice presidential candidate spoke to attendees about the Democratic National Convention, national security, immigration, inflation, and the drug crisis.
At his first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt, Trump spoke from behind bulletproof glass, as did Vance, and primarily discussed national security and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Trump had to stop the rally when a member of the crowd called out for a doctor needing medical attention, after which he left the podium and bulletproof glass box he was encased in and found the person in the crowd alongside Secret Service agents.
Secret Service later confirmed to Newsweek that after the heat-related incident, the individual was fine and EMTs took care of them.
This may not be the last time Trump uses bulletproof glass for protection at future outdoor rallies — Secret Service reportedly offered it to Trump after his assassination attempt, although the protection is typically reserved for sitting presidents.
It’s not the first time Vance has made the suggestion that Trump’s political opponents tried to kill him — he made very similar comments at a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 3, Mother Jones reported.
“They couldn’t beat him politically, so they tried to bankrupt him. They failed at that, so they tried to impeach him. They failed at that, so they tried to put him in prison,” he reportedly said, adding, “They even tried to kill him.”
Recently, Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin alluded to threats against other Republican candidates in the previous presidential election made by Trump’s supporters in 2021.
In his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Raskin warned Vance of previous threats to former Vice President Mike Pence‘s life during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, as he said the mob chanted, “Hang Mike Pence,” according to reports at the time.
Raskin said, “And by the way, JD Vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket? They tried to kill your predecessor. They tried to kill him because he would not follow Trump’s plan to destroy and nullify the votes of millions of Americans.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump and Vance’s campaign for comment via email.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact [email protected].
The post JD Vance Appears to Suggest Democrats ‘Tried To Kill’ Donald Trump appeared first on Newsweek.