Sens. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) blamed the media and President Joe Biden immediately following former President Donald Trump’s apparent assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
“Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination,” Vance posted on X shortly after the incident Saturday.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Vance’s tweet.
Vance also posted a screenshot of a headline from CNN that described Trump as having “fallen” on stage as the story was developing. “Absolute ghouls,” Vance wrote.
“Even in a horrifying moment such as this they just can’t help themselves,” Rubio wrote, also sharing a screenshot of the same CNN headline. (The headline was updated as news developed.)
Vance and Rubio are in the top tier of contenders to be Trump’s running mate. Trump had reportedly been planning to announce his pick at this week’s Republican National Committee convention in Milwaukee.
Other Republicans glommed on, slamming breaking news coverage of the incident.
“These scumbags in the media are responsible for what happened today. People were shot (potentially killed) and this is what they claimed happened,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)
And Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) fanned the flames of a dangerous conspiracy, claiming baselessly that Biden — who made a brief address to the nation Saturday night condemning the attack — was behind what’s being investigated as an attempt on Trump’s life.
“Joe Biden sent the orders,” Collins wrote.
“The Republican District Attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.”