A videotape (shown below) by Trump supporters has horrified Democrats and Republicans alike in depicting Trump savagely murdering his political opponents like Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden while wiping out media figures. It is a take-off of the church massacre scene from the 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service with Trump superimposed for one of the main characters, Colin Firth. The delay in denouncing this film is only fueling the recriminations. I have previously criticized Trump for his reckless attacks on American media as “the enemies of the people.” There is no evidence that this video was approved or even known by the Trump campaign. I assume that it would have been taken down immediately if it were known (as it happened when organizers ultimately learned of its screening). However, there is a rising concern that Trump’s over-heated rhetoric against the press has fueled the anger of some supporters.
The violent video below shows a happy Trump massacring everyone in a “Church of Fake News.” It is a juvenile attempt at humor but, given the anger in this election, it is a disgraceful and dangerous parody. Trump was previously criticized for retweeting violent videos showing him attacking the media.
The video was shown at a three-day conference held by a pro-Trump organization called American Priority at the Trump National Doral Miami last week. It was attended by former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and others.
Given Trump’s rapid response to other news, there should already have been a statement denouncing this videotape from the President.
