The reaction across ideological lines to last week’s shooting at a Congressional Republican baseball practice couldn’t have been more different.
Many of the same liberals who warned about Donald Trump’s “divisive rhetoric” saw no problem blaming the victim in this case. Just take a look at what MSNBC’s Joy Reid said about Majority Whip Steve Scalise.
Rep. #Scalise was shot by a white man with a violent background, and saved by a black lesbian police officer, and yet… #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/Qm96T90c6Y
— AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) June 17, 2017
Yes – Reid found a way to turn a story about a crazed leftist shooting a man into a story about identity politics. Nowhere does she acknowledge the role violent leftist rhetoric played in the shooting. In fact, few liberals have turned down the heat on their language, including Nancy Pelosi.
Meanwhile, those on the right called for the rhetoric to be toned down from both sides. And that has resulted in a surprising team-up between liberal host Bill Maher and conservative rocker Ted Nugent.
Ted Nugent said he’ll be appearing on Bill Maher’s show to discuss toning down political rhetoric.
The right-wing singer and commentator Nugent has recently vowed to stop using “harsh language,” and told “Fox & Friends” on Sunday that he and his “not-so-good friend” Maher will “make sure that we clarify this and that we are going to unite on no violence.”
“I think the fact that my kids and my wife have consulted me and told me I’d be more effective if I abandoned the city slicker street slang,” Nugent.
“I just think in these heightened exciting times politically, I am reaching out across the aisle and I’m saying we must all unite to bring no violence, no harm, to any of our fellow Americans,” he said.
H/T The Hill
Many of Nugent’s more explicit comments have gotten him in trouble in the past (including mockery from Bill Maher).
This team-up should be interesting, considering the shared history between the two. Nugent actually embarked on a hunting trip in 2013 that saw him killing 445 hogs from a helicopter with a machine gun. Nugent said he did it “for Bill Maher and all those other animal rights freaks out there.”
Not exactly kind words.
Nugent and Maher have gone at each other’s throats before, but they’ve never gone head-to-head. It’ll be interesting that the first time they meet face-to-face, it’ll be to come together for common cause.
Do you think Ted Nugent will put Maher in his place anyway? Let us know in the comment section below, and share this story over Facebook and Twitter!
