Donald Trump was injured on stage due to an apparent shooting Saturday, and at least one Republican lawmaker is directly blaming President Joe Biden for the purported attempt on the ex-president’s life.
The former president was bleeding as he left the event, but his team has said that he is indeed fine. At least one member of the crowd, however, was killed.
The event comes just after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents and former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for official actions, leading some, such as Trump’s own attorney, to wonder if the president could order Seal Team 6 to shoot a political opponent and escape any accountability for it.
Republican Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, who was recently in hot water over jokes he made about political assassination, said after the attack, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”
This led to widespread condemnation.
@kim replied to Collins, saying, “At a time requiring responsible leadership, Mike Collins is an emotional basket case and has decided to spew a knee-jerk response—@CommunityNotes this is a despicable lie. Mike Collins is unfit to serve in government. Abject cowardice.”
Political and legal commentator Allison Gill, better known as “Mueller, She Wrote,” simply replied, “You are despicable.”
James Surowiecki, an American journalist, said Saturday, “The fact that Mike Collins is a U.S. congressman is a complete embarrassment to this country.”
Norman Ornstein — who is an emeritus scholar at the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute — said, “Disgusting.”
Columnist Michael J. Stern wrote, “Nutcase congressman Mike Collins is accusing Joe Biden of trying to assassinate Trump.”
“The GOP are crazy. Not figuratively, but literally,” Stern then added Saturday.
Journalist Yashar Ali said, “To give you a preview of what’s to come… Republican Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia is calling on the District Attorney to file charges against the President of the United States for inciting an assassination.”
“God help us,” he then added.