Calling Trump a Tyrant Is Not a Call to Violence
Accusing Donald Trump of authoritarianism does not equate to inciting violence against him, despite claims from conservatives who blame Democratic rhetoric for assassination attempts. The article argues that such criticism is a legitimate response to genuine threats to democracy and that Trump's own rhetoric is far more incendiary. Peaceful democratic resistance remains effective and necessary, especially given Trump's history of encouraging political violence. The push to silence anti-authoritarian language appears less about preventing violence and more about protecting Trump from accountability.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
PoliticsCalling Trump a Tyrant Is Not a Call to ViolenceConservatives want to police how we talk about Trump—while excusing how the president talks about everyone else.By Jonathan ChaitJonathan Ernst / ReutersApril 28, 2026, 12:25 PM ET ShareSave To describe Donald Trump as a corrupt aspiring authoritarian is not to conclude that he should be murdered.This ought to be a simple point to understand. Yet it is lost on a large swath of the American right, who insist that calling Trump what he is causes at least some of his opponents—among them, the accused shooter Cole Tomas Allen—to believe that violence is justified against the president.In an interview with CBS following the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Trump blamed the most recent attempt on his life on “the hate speech…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
