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A new book suggests that President Trump understood the threats of the coronavirus even as he told the nation it was no worse than the seasonal flu. USA TODAY

Opinion: Donald Trump has built his entire political career on sending people into a panic. But ... not when it came to the greatest health threat we have faced in a century.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump explained why he lied to the public in the crucial early days of the pandemic, publicly proclaiming the novelcoronavirus no more dangerous than the flu while privately warning that it was deadly stuff.

I dont want people to be frightened, Trump told reporters on Wednesday.I dont want to create panic, as you say. And certainly, Im not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy.

This, from the president who on Thursday sent out this tweet:

Trumps entire political career is built on sending people into a frenzy, if not a full-blown panic

Whether its Mexicans who illegally cross the border (The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc. drug dealers, criminals, rapists, etc)

... Central American caravans. (Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy [sic]. Must change laws!") ...

...The Supreme Court, if he's not re-elected.(Radical justices will erase the Second Amendment, silence political speech and require taxpayers to fund extreme late-term abortion. They will give unelected bureaucrats the power to destroy millions of American jobs. They will remove the words under God from the Pledge of Allegiance. They will unilaterally declare the death penalty unconstitutional, even for the most depraved mass murderers. They will erase national borders, cripple police departments and grant new protections to anarchists, rioters, violent criminals and terrorists.) ...

...Or the Democrats. (Joe Biden and the radical, socialist Democrats would immediately collapse the economy. If they got in, they would collapse it. Youll have a crash the likes of which youve never seen before. Your stocks, your 401(k)s.).

Trump is a walking, talking, tweetingklaxon, forever blaring out a warning that the boogeyman is at the gate. FDR said there was nothing to fear but fear itself. Trump, meanwhile, warns us daily of the many dangers confronting the average American, from terrorists amassing at the bordertoanarchists invading our suburbs.

But not, apparently, from the greatest health threat we have faced in a century: a global pandemic that has killed more than190,000 Americans and counting.

One that for months our president publicly downplayed as it took hold across America.

We dont want to instill panic, he explained on Wednesday. We dont want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem, scare everybody.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com.

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Donald Trump says he didn't want to panic people ... then he tweeted this? - The Arizona Republic

Justin McFarlin, Opinion contributor Published 4:00 a.m. ET Sept. 9, 2020 | Updated 2:16 p.m. ET Sept. 9, 2020

Open carry and concealed carry are white privilege at protests and everywhere. I'm a Black, trained, licensed veteran afraid authorities will kill me.

I am an Army combat veteran and an NRA-certified pistol instructor. I own guns for hunting and personal protection. I have possessed concealed carry licenses in Virginia and North Carolina. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I wont even consider carrying a firearm openly in public. I havent exercised my right to carry a concealed handgun in more than four years.

The reason: I am Black.

It has become clear to me that open carry and concealed carry are white privileges permit or not. Despite having a license: I am afraid of being killed by police if I carry a gun in public.

I have good reason to be afraid. In 2016 in Minnesota, a Black school cafeteria worker named Philando Castile was killed during a routine traffic stop after merely mentioning the fact that he was legally in possession of a concealed firearm. Tamir Rice, a 12-year old Black boy in Ohio, an open carry state, was fatally shot by policein just seconds for holding a toy gun in 2014. That same year,John Crawford III was slain in a Walmart holding a BB gun that was for sale in the store.

There are too many more to mention.

On the other hand, just last month, when a 17-year old white male shot three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killing two, police wouldnt even accept his surrender. Despite the fact that he was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and onlookers clearly identified him as the shooter, the police let him walk by. Before eventually being arrested, he crossed state lines andgot to sleep in his own bed the night he killed two people and wounded another.

Compare that withthe excessive force used by authorities in protests sparked by the killingof George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Peaceful protesters many of whom were Black were harassed, arrested, pepper sprayed, tear gassedand beaten. Meanwhile, white counterprotesters again showed up openly carrying guns to intimidate them, making clear they were ready to use deadly force while law enforcementlooked on.

Increasingly, white protesters use open carry not just as an expression of privilegebut also as a way to intimidate Black Americans. At a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 against the removal of Confederate statues, and at racial justice counterprotests, guns have been used as an implicit symbol of white supremacy.

Protesters at an open carry protest on July 4, 2020, in Richmond, Virginia.(Photo: Eze Amos/ Getty Images)

That was on clear display when a St. Louis couple threatened Black Lives Matter protesters with an AR-15 and a pistol in June, and despite being charged with felonies,they were featured speakers at the Republican National Convention.

Day after day, the country that was founded on the words all men are created equal demonstrates that white citizens may carry firearms in protest, while Black citizens have limited rights to protest at all.

Mass shootings: Limiting magazine capacity saves lives,doesn't infringe on rights

But none of it surprises me. Black gun ownership has always been treated differently. An early post-bellum purpose of the newly formed Ku Klux Klan was to confiscate guns from Blacks in the South even if the guns had been obtained through service in the Union Army.

Lawmakers and law enforcement have long seen Black gun owners as a threat. In 1967, after a group of armed Black Panthers peacefully marched on the California Capitol, a state law banning open carry was enacted nearly immediately under Gov.Ronald Reagan. But no such law was passed this year after armed protesters demanded the end of stay-at-home orders at the Michigan Capitol.

During the 2015 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after the police killing ofMichael Brown,Black men were arrested on suspicion of firearm possession despite being unarmed, while heavily armed whitemen claimedthey had police permissionto walk through the same city at the same time.

In each case, what these men are demonstrating is their privilege as white people to open carry guns wherever they want and the ability to implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, threaten violence if they dont get their way.

In obtaining my concealed carry license, I underwent training before being granted the privilege. It wasnt nearly as comprehensive as my military weapons training, but it was something. Meanwhile, open carry is permitted by default as a result of the silence of the law in 41 states which means that almost anyone who possesses an AR-15 or shotgun can legally carry in public, with no training requirement.

This country has a long road ahead in the fight for racial justice, but when it comes to open carry, we can take action sooner. States must prohibit firearms at demonstrations held on public property or at capitol buildings. If you want to protest, bring signs, not guns.

The NRA:The National Rifle Associationfaces its worst nightmare: accountability

Weak open carry laws should never be used to enable armed intimidation or suppression of the constitutional right to assemble and peacefully protest. More states should follow the example of the handful that already regulate the open carry of firearms in public, by prohibiting it or requiring a license. And where we have these laws, they must be equally enforced.

I carried a firearm on behalf of this country in uniform. But I cant feel safe carrying my own firearms here at home. Something must change.

Justin McFarlin is a service-disabled veteran of the war in Iraq, a former U.S. Army officer with over a decade of aerospace and defense experience, and a member of the Everytown for Gun Safety Veterans Advisory Council. Follow him on Twitter: @justinkmcfarlin

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I'm a licensed gun owner but I haven't carried in years. Why? I'm Black and I'm scared. - USA TODAY

Supporters of President Donald Trump form a line outside of MBS International Airport as they wait for his campaign rally to begin Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Freeland. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Supporters of President Donald Trump form a line outside of MBS International Airport as they wait for his campaign rally to begin Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Freeland. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Photo: (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Supporters of President Donald Trump form a line outside of MBS International Airport as they wait for his campaign rally to begin Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Freeland. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Supporters of President Donald Trump form a line outside of MBS International Airport as they wait for his campaign rally to begin Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Freeland. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)

Trump supporters gather hours ahead of rally

The line steadily grew Thursday at MBS International Airport in Freeland as people awaited a visit from President Donald Trump later in the day.

Trump's campaign announced the Freeland visit last week and the president is expected to give remarks at about 7 p.m. today, Sept. 10. Trucks, cars, RVs and pop up tents spotted the airport parking lot and patriotic songs permeated the air, blasting from various vehicles.

Some people sold Trump-themed merchandise and many of the attendees wore some kind of supportive accessory, such as Make America Great Again hats. People waiting in line brought blankets, coolers, lawn chairs and other conveniences to help them in the wait until doors open at 4 p.m.

Tyler Meszaros, 18, traveled two hours from Bedford alone to attend the event Thursday, which will be his second time hearing Trump speak. He said hes always been a Trump supporter, however, this year he will be able to vote in the Nov. 3 election.

I knew once the opportunity came again I would never miss it it was the best experience of my life seeing him, he said.

Meszaros said his favorite part of Trump events is being surrounded by like-minded people and the camaraderie.

Were all people here gathering around; believing in the same thing; supporting the morals of this country and the moral beliefs that weve always had and coming together as a family I guess you could say, he said. You could be around these people any day of the week.

For some, like Frank Dawe, Thursdays event was the first rally they had been to for the 45th president of the United States.

I see a lot of excited people everybodys wearing Trump paraphernalia of some sort," the 76-year-old Saginaw resident said. Were all here for the same cause its a good feeling.

This was also Robi Rodriguez first rally. The 36-year-old from St. Louis said she loved the opportunity to finally get to see Trump speak.

Theres so much positivity theres not one person Ive met so far who hasnt been so supportive of our president, Rodriguez said. Ive never gotten to see a president speak before, so this is a big deal for me.

This was Jim Brinkmans second rally, having seen the president speak last December in Battle Creek. Brinkman, 65, traveled to Freeland from his home in Cass City.

Todays a lot warmer (than the Battle Creek rally), Brinkman said. I think there will be quite a few people here I think itll be a good deal. Its kinda nice to be around a bunch of people that feel like you feel.

For Dan Hess, a 69-year-old from Mount Pleasant, coming to Thursdays rally was a chance to support a president he thinks stands for veterans like him. Hess served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

I think (Trumps) doing a great job, Hess said. He has a lot of great ideas, and hes done exactly what he said he was gonna do, whereas most politicians say theyre going to do something, and mainly they dont. Hes done a lot for us vets.

The Trump Unity Bridge made an appearance as well on Thursday. The red, white and blue decorated, 30-foot parade float owned by Livonia resident Rob Cortis was most recently in Traverse City and recently visited the Thumb, but Cortis said hes constantly on the road with the display.

Were hardly ever home," he said. "Were on the road over 300 days a year so home is USA America, he said.

Cortis said the goal of touring with the float is to educate people.

Recently the Unity Bridge made headlines after it was stolen and the subject of a brief police chase in Oklahoma. Cortis said someone hopped in his truck and took off with the float, driving through lawns and running from police. It was damaged in the ordeal and Cortis said hes since been patching it back together since.

Were here we cant let the people down, Cortis said. We cant let our country down.

David Dickson, who has been following political candidates around for 20 years, was setting up his t-shirt booth, with plenty of shirts, hats, bumper stickers and face masks.

"This week marks five years been on the road (with Trump campaign,)" Dickson said. "We've been to all 48 continental states."

He says he doesn't sell out of merchandise at each stop but said sales are good.

"The enthusiasm for Trump around the country is phenomenal and everyone wants a red hat."

Dickson said he will be at a Trump rally in Reno, Nevada, on Saturday and then in Las Vegas on Sunday.

He said there are eight souvenir booths that travel with the campaign.

"Because of campaign laws, the campaign can't take cash," Dickson said. "We contribute to the campaign."

Dickson said ever since 1892, the presidential candidate who sold the most merchandise won the election.

"If they don't buy the merchandise, they will not vote for him and Joe Biden is selling very little."

Sitting in line for about an hour was Chanteh Fulkerson, of Flint, who had been to a Trump rally last year in Grand Rapids.

"We hope to hear the continuation of how he going to make American great again, and how he is going to stop all the Democratic nonsense with the looting and rioting," Fulkerson said.

And jobs, her companion added.

How has she benefited with Trump as president? "How haven't I?" she answered, adding she has benefitted in every aspect.

A few people behind Fulkerson was Terry Carroll from Roseville, who said he is a Trump supporter because of what the president has keeping his promises since in office.

"Even with resistance he is still getting a lot done," Carroll said. "I see him as a man of his word. He's not a perfect man but you know what? Nobody would be who's going to be in office. He's doing a lot of good things for the country."

Among the President Trump supporters were a group was Nancy and Allen Yenior of Sterling. They staked out a spot at 9:20 a.m., sitting comfortably in their lawn chairs decorated with flags.

Hes good for the economy. Hes pro-military and pro-police, Nancy said.

He puts America first, Allen added.

The Yeniors expected the president to address his values and how he differs from presidential candidate Joe Biden.

We had such a great economy going and then the virus happened. I think hes the one that can bring the economy back. I think it would be a sad state of affairs if it went the other way, Nancy said.

Further down the line was a group of Native Americans for Trump. Among them was Elise Bennett of Mount Pleasant who also admired Trumps effect on the economy before the pandemic and how it was beneficial for minorities.

I saw a lot of my family members get raises or find jobs when they couldnt get work in a long time, Bennett said.

Trump claims he is for our country, but he also proves it. Thats something big we havent seen in the presidency since Reagan, said Kelly Chamberlin of Mount Pleasant.

Chamberlin also cited President Trumps dedication to freedom of religion and freedom of all.

(Opponents) cant stand him because hes done everything hes promised, said Kyle Weaver of Detroit. All they do is resist and obstruct, anything possible to mislead and misguide the American people.

Bennett also explained how President Trump signed an executive order creating a task force to address missing Native American women and children, provided money to language preservation, as well as signed in six new Native American tribes, officially recognizing them.

As someone from a tribal community, I know how hard those communities probably fought to get recognition for sovereignty rights, Bennett said.

Christopher Ward of Waterford voted for Gary Johnson in 2016 but began supporting President Trump shortly after he was elected.

I was misinformed at that time, Ward said. Within the first three months of him in office, I changed my mind about him and gave him my full support, especially in his pursuit of bringing down trafficking of teens and children.

Andrea Paschall of Saginaw came with a homemade sign reading Latinos for Trump. She attempted to attend a rally in Grand Rapids, but arrived too late.

His policies align with my values, Paschall said. Trump tells it like it is. Were tired of the lies. Every time you turn on the news or go on social media, all of its lies.

Paschall hoped that the president hypes up the crowd and remind of Americas greatness.

Michael Woods of California took a few minutes to talk after adjusting a few sound levels on speakers, set up outside his camper in the parking lot. The U.S. Air Force theme song, Wild Blue Yonder, was blaring loudly.

Woods said he travels around the country, playing patriotic music at rallies and events, and played last week across from the White House for the president. He said a representative of the president delivered a goodie bag to him along with the message that the president appreciates his music.

Carol Volz, 58, Marlette, said Trump is the first president in her lifetime who has made promises that have been kept.

Hes got what it takes, he doesnt back down from China, he does what he says he going to do, Volz said. Hes just the best president in my lifetime. Everything that he says, hes already proven.

Marissa Ferguson, 23, of Croswell, said a lot of people her age arent educated about current events.

They dont realize whats actually happening with defunding the police, the BLM organization, Antifa, anything to do with that. They believe they can live off the government. I grew up in a family of workaholics. You have to work for you have.

She said the No. 1 reason she will vote to keep Trump in office is to keep her freedoms.

Im big on the Second Amendment. I think everyone has a right to own a gun and protect yourself.

Volz added, The alternative right now is socialism.

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Trump supporters gather hours ahead of rally - Midland Daily News

A St. Louis couple who went viral for aiming guns at protesters in their neighborhood are coming to the Lehigh Valley for an election event.

The Northampton County GOP is hosting Mark and Patricia McCloskey on Sept. 17 at Fairview Park, 3501 Fairview Ave. in Palmer Township.

The couple plan to speak on the importance of the Second Amendment and the right to defend yourself and your private property, according to the Facebook listing of the event.

The visit comes after the McCloskeys spoke at the Republican National Convention last month.

The couple went viral after arming themselves and standing outside their home on June 28 as protesters marched down their private residential street toward Mayor Lyda Krewsons house, to call for the mayors resignation.

The couple has said they feared for their lives, and, in their RNC comments, said they were defending our home as a mob of protesters descended on our neighborhood.

Prosecutors allege protesters feared being injured as Mark McCloskey, 63, pointed an AR-15 rifle at protesters and Patricia McCloskey, 61, wielded a semiautomatic handgun.

They each face a felony count of unlawful use of a weapon-exhibiting.

They are due back in court in October. The cases are expected to be heard by a St. Louis grand jury that will decide whether there is sufficient probable cause for an indictment, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has sought to dismiss the charges against the couple and Gov. Mike Parson said he would pardon the couple if they were convicted.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.

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Couple who went viral for aiming guns at protesters coming to the Lehigh Valley - lehighvalleylive.com

On Tuesday, the city council in Richmond, Va., voted to ban firearms from public property during protests and other events. The ordinance may not hold up in court, but its a clear indication public officials are concerned about the rise in political confrontations and violence this year.

When you increase tensions with firearms, its just not a good mix, Gerald Smith, Richmonds chief of police, told the council, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Sooner or later, we are going to have different groups with different opinions who square off with each other.

Around the country, protesters and counter-protesters have clashed repeatedly this year, occasionally violently and sometimes fatally. A teenager named Kyle Rittenhouse is in custody for allegedly shooting three protesters, killing two of them, in Kenosha, Wis., last month. Last week, U.S. Marshals shot and killed Michael Forest Reinoehl, the suspect in an earlier fatal shooting of a far-right demonstrator in Portland, Ore.

Throughout the period of anti-racism protests this year, armed members of self-styled militias have appeared at demonstrations, saying they were protecting property and exercising their Second Amendment rights. The anti-police protests themselves have frequently devolved after dark into rioting and looting.

This isnt exactly new in American politics. This is a country that survived a bloody civil war. Something that might have been fairly regular during the 19th century, however, retains the capacity to shock in the 21st century.

Up until recently, we found any kind of violence to be shocking, somehow a threat to the broader stability of the community, says Jeffrey Selinger, author of Embracing Dissent: Political Violence and Party Development in the United States. Were so far removed from violence that even a flare-up of modest proportions registers as a pretty substantial event that shapes the public conversation.

Other countries may routinely witness violence and deaths during an election season, but its not something that has happened here for a long time. We now have the potential in towns and cities across the country for pretty significant violence, with a large number of deaths, said Steven Levitsky, a political scientist at Harvard University. We should not be watching the political death count rise in a mature democracy like the United States.

A new study finds evidence that the American populace is growing more tolerant of political violence. Most remain opposed to the idea, but there may be violent partisanship among tens of millions of Americans, write political scientists Nathan Kalmoe and Lilliana Mason.

Fifteen percent of Republicans and 20 percent of Democrat agreed that the country would be better off if large numbers of opposing partisans in the public today just died, a shockingly brutal sentiment, they write. Seventeen percent of Democrats and 7 percent of Republican report every wishing that someone would injure one or more politicians from the out-party.

Its easy for partisans to view the other side as a threat something that might now lead to real and violent action. This year has seen everything from shoving matches to sometimes fatal shootings of protesters in places such as Albuquerque, Austin, Louisville and Shellsburg, Pa.

Rather than calling for calm, some politicians, from President Trump on down, appear to be fanning the flames. On Wednesday, the House Intelligence Committee released a whistleblower complaint alleging that top officials at the Department of Homeland Security have attempted to downplay the threat from white supremacists.

The willingness of the political parties to castigate the other side for violence and their supporters to cross the line into physical confrontation has many people worried that the problem will only grow heading into the election and perhaps its aftermath.

Unfortunately, I see many reasons to expect further escalation of political violence before Election Day, says Michigan State political scientist Matt Grossman, and I cant think of any reasons to expect de-escalation.

Politics is filled with martial metaphors, with candidates claiming theyre under attack, dehumanizing opponents or describing them as dangerous. Politicians do their best to appear tough and pledge to defend nervous supporters, while provoking the other side. Posing with firearms is routine. Congressman Ken Buck, who chairs the Colorado Republican Party, appeared at a fundraiser last month wearing a tee-shirt that read, "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out."

Lately, the tone has at times grown more heated. Clay Higgins, a GOP congressman from Louisiana, posted pictures of Black protesters on Facebookand wrote, Id drop any 10 of you where you stand I wouldnt even spill my beer. The post has been removed by Facebook. Civil rights groups are calling for Higgins to be censured.

Last fall, Moe Davis, now a Democratic nominee for Congress in North Carolina, took to Twitter to write, When @NCGOP extremists go low, we stomp their scrawny pasty necks with our heels and once you hear the sound of a crisp snap you grind your heel hard and twist it slowly side to side for good measure.

While politicians sometimes make and often receive threats, ordinary citizens have grown more likely to confront each other in public spaces. Trump supporters rode on trucks through downtown Portland, Ore. already the scene of violent clashes between leftist protesters and police or federal forces shooting paintballsand spraying mace.

When did it become acceptable to shoot at someone because they were supporting the President of the United States? tweeted Jean Evans, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, in response to reports of suspects shooting at a pro-Trump caravan.

Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden condemned looting and rioting. "Violence will not bring change, it will only bring destruction, he said. It's wrong in every way."

Republicans have complained that Biden has not done enough, holding Democrats responsible for widespread violence around the country. Make no mistake: These are left-wing terrorists and Joe Biden voters, tweeted Tim Murtaugh,communications director for the Trump campaign. You really can't tell where Biden's campaign ends and ANTIFA begins.

Its become a frequent complaint in conservative circles that mainstream media outlets have downplayed or dismissed rioting, mocking the phrase mostly peaceful protests when theres been evidence of damage such as burned buildings for anyone to see. Rioting condoned by the Democratic leadership is the reason Vanderburgh County, Ind., Sheriff Dave Wedding gave Wednesday on Fox News for leaving the party.

Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from cities that have been plagued by violence, describing them as "anarchist jurisdictions." He has put the blame for thuggery on Democratic leadership. He has repeatedly commented on political violence in ways that sometimes seem almost celebratory tweeting out videos of clashes and liking a tweet suggesting Kyle Rittenhouse's actions were a reason to support the president. Trump tweeted that the big backlash in Portland should not have been unexpected and retweeted a prediction that citizen militias would rise up around the country.

Trump has a long history of appearing to condone and even encourage violence. During the 2016 campaign, he called on supporters to knock the crap out of protesters, pledging to pay any resulting legal fees. He said of one protester, Id like to punch him in the face.

These people only know one thing, and that is strength, Trump said during a campaign rally in North Carolina on Tuesday. Thats all they know strength. And we have strength.

During Trumps speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination, he warned that your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists and agitators and criminals who threatened our citizens.

That night, protesters outside the White House placed Trump in effigy in a guillotine. Lugging guillotines to protests has become a common, although not yet frequent, habit of leftists staging protests. Following Trumps speech, Black Lives Matter protesters surrounded and yelled epithets at Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul and his wife, who were escorted from the scene by police.

Democrats are encouraging violence in Americas cities, calling President Trump and GOP lawmakers domestic enemies, and using other reckless rhetoric to further divide this nation, Lenze Morris, press secretary for the Republican State Leadership Committee, said in a statement.

American politics is becoming like some ugly, distorted funhouse mirror. Partisans see the other side as an existential threat to the American way of life, however they define that. The American Conservative recently ran a column arguing that violence is justified to defend civil society, while NPR gave a platform to the author of a book defending looting.

What were seeing is performative violence, a kind of posturing intended for an audience, a mass audience that will be captured by cellphones, says Selinger, a government professor at Bowdoin College in Maine. The game is to make yourself look like the victim, but still intimidate.

Selinger notes that political violence has a long way to go before it gets anywhere near as bad as it was in this country in earlier eras. Violence was once a common tactic of union busters, while hundreds of African-Americans were lynched as part of a campaign of intimidation, often state-sanctioned, during the Jim Crow era.

There is still a difference, as Trump has suggested, between shooting paint balls and shooting bullets. The thing about violence, however, is that it has a tendency to escalate. That may be especially true in crowds, which are notorious for loosening individual restraint.

There has already been blood and many are worried that things will get worse during the election proper, and after, if there is not a clear-cut victory in the presidential race. Trump has floated the idea of sheriffs and other law enforcement officials monitoring polling places, while the Republican Party is looking to recruit 50,000 poll watchers -- the party's first nationwide effort in decades, following the recent expiration of a consent decree after a 1981 election in New Jersey in which armed poll watchers prevented some Blacks and Hispanics from voting.At his North Carolina rally on Tuesday, Trump urged supporters to act as poll watchers to counteract "thieving and stealing and robbing" he claimed Democrats would do.

Kalmoe and Mason find that partisans are likely to reject violence if it's denounced by partisan leaders, but at the moment there's more effort at castigating the other side than trying to calm temperatures all around.

Their study points to the possibility that even the winning side may be emboldened to engage in violence. Nine percent of Republicans and Democrats say that, in general, violence is at least occasionally acceptable, they write. However, when imagining an electoral loss in 2020, larger percentages of both parties approve of the use of violence though this increase is greater for Democrats (18 percent approve) than Republicans (13 percent approve).

Mason, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, isnt pleased by her own findings. I'm having trouble writing my book on political violence, she tweeted, because I'm too worried about political violence.

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Violence Will Likely Escalate Ahead of the Election - Governing