Governor Katie Hobbs said people need to pump the brakes on inflammatory rhetoric aimed at political opponents, but brushed off questions about whether she was guilty of using similar rhetoric.
Hobbs made the remarks in brief during her press conference Monday announcing an apprenticeship program partnership with Intel. The governor offered her opinion on what constitutes appropriate and safe political rhetoric as a response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend.
“Political violence has no place in this country, and voicing our political opinions peacefully is absolutely paramount to preserve the sanctity of our democracy,” said Hobbs. “We have to come together and we have to stop inflaming this kind of rhetoric, using this kind of rhetoric.”
Hobbs added that political discourse has become unhealthy and a hindrance to a healthy society.
“Too often our communities are being torn apart by politics,” said Hobbs. “We need to come together and remember that we are neighbors, friends, and American citizens all united by a love for our country.”
However, when pressed by reporters to address her past usage of inflammatory political rhetoric, Hobbs refused to justify her remarks. The governor dismissed concerns about her own actions as a different type of “politics” than what she was addressing.
“I’m not going to get into that,” said Hobbs. “I’m not thinking about politics right now.”
Political violence is unacceptable, and has no place in this country.
I am glad that former President Trump is safe, and hope that others at the rally were not seriously injured. I hope the perpetrator of this heinous act will be swiftly brought to justice.
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) July 13, 2024
Hobbs has spent years framing Republicans as dangerous extremists, namely in reference to her gubernatorial opponent (now Senate candidate) Kari Lake and Trump.
“The extremist Republican majority had the chance to do the right thing for their constituents, and they failed. While extremists in the legislature refuse to protect our rights, I will do everything in my power to protect reproductive freedoms for Arizona women.”
“Hate speech and religious discrimination have absolutely no place in our state. Kari Lake and her extremist allies’ rhetoric is harmful, and to give them statewide platforms to spread it would be seriously dangerous for Arizona.”
“Kari Lake is too dangerous for Arizona.”
“Kari Lake has gone radical and is far too dangerous for Arizona.”
“Kari Lake’s campaign spends more time spreading conspiracy theories and inciting fear than providing real solutions to Arizona’s very real challenges. Her dangerous rhetoric and ideas pose a serious threat to our state and country.”
Several days before the 2022 election, Hobbs urged Republican voters in an opinion piece for Fox News to back her because Lake and other modern Republicans were “extremist, radical stone throwers” that represented an insanity and chaos that would override the Constitution and upend democracy.
Even before becoming governor, Hobbs engaged in inflammatory rhetoric against the former president. During the first year of Trump’s presidency, Hobbs accused Trump of pandering to Nazis.
“[Donald Trump] has made it abundantly clear he’s more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being [President] for all Americans,” wrote Hobbs.
.@realDonaldTrump has made it abundantly clear he's more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being @POTUS for all Americans.
During Trump’s initial presidential campaign, Hobbs accused Trump of “promot[ing] rape culture” and “bragg[ing] about sexually assaulting women.” Hobbs also claimed that Trump posed a serious, existential threat to our country.
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On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, at 39 years of age, will be his running mate. Vance would become the youngest Vice President in over a century if he is sworn in as the 50th person to hold the second-highest office in the United States.
(For anyone keeping score Vice President John C. Breckenridge was sworn in at age 36 under President James Buchanan in 1821.)
In President Trump’s announcement, he explained that he made the contentious decision, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others.” Indeed fellow Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgam, and even former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were in consideration.
But Trump continued, “I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country.” As Trump alluded, to it was Vance’s nationwide bestselling memoir later adapted for film, “Hillbilly Elegy,” that propelled him to national prominence.
He added, “J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.”
The move came as a surprise to many recalling Vance’s vocal opposition to Trump in 2016, although his gradual pivot from a harsh critic to a stalwart ally has been extremely well documented. In an interview with Fox News in June, Vance told Brett Baier, “Look, I was wrong about Donald Trump. I didn’t think he was going to be a good president. He was a great president, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”
During a Trump Townhall in Phoenix last month, as reported by the New York Post, Vance seemed to deflect questions on his potential selection. He told reporters, “First of all, I’m thankful it’s not my decision because I think that Trump has a lot of different things that he’s weighing, and he’s the guy who’s gonna make the decision. My view is the most important thing is you need somebody who’s gonna help govern.”
Laughing with reporters in footage captured by AZ Free News, he was asked if he had any information on Trump’s choice, and he joked, “Yeah, sure. But I’m not going to tell you guys!“ He then quipped, “Any other questions about this event or about Arizona because I think I’m exhausted by the VP conversation and I’ve been here five minutes.”
Despite his initial disagreement with Trump’s policies in 2016, Vance has, for the last three years, been seen as one of the President’s most ardent defenders and allies in the Senate, spearheading efforts to prevent a renewed mask mandate on airlines, as well as efforts to block politically driven appointments to the Biden DOJ in light of the ongoing utilization of that department’s assets to pursue the political prosecution of Trump.
Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States and presumptive Republican 2024 nominee, survived an attempted assassination in Butler County, PA, on Saturday. According to reports, an assailant opened fire with a 22-caliber rifle from a rooftop approximately 150 yards away from the mainstage where Trump was addressing his rally, grazing him in the right ear and killing a rally attendee. The Secret Service told reporters that two spectators were also critically injured. The would-be assassin was engaged by police snipers according to the New York Post with one bystander saying, “They blew his head off.”
As the shots rang out, President Trump can be seen raising a hand to his ear and exclaiming “Oh!” after the first round grazed him. A moment later he dropped to the ground and was swarmed by Secret Service Agents as rally goers took cover behind him. One of the agents can be heard on microphone shouting “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” Seconds later, per the Associated Press, the agents can be heard saying “shooter’s down.” The agents conferred for a few moments before helping Trump rise to his feet. After asking for his shoes, Trump is heard telling his agents to wait before looking out to the crowd with blood trailing across his face from his wounded ear and mouthing, “Fight, Fight, Fight” to his supporters.
Trump was transported to an area hospital in stable condition and released later in the evening.
— Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) July 13, 2024
Governor Katie Hobbs (D) posted a statement to X saying, “Political violence is unacceptable, and has no place in this country. I am glad that former President Trump is safe, and hope that others at the rally were not seriously injured. I hope the perpetrator of this heinous act will be swiftly brought to justice.” Her comments echoed the sentiment of many prominent Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemning political violence.
Speaker of the Arizona State House of Representatives Ben Toma (R-AZ-27) wrote within minutes, “Praying for President Trump, first responders, and any others who may have also been injured at the rally.”
Arizona Senate Presdient Warren Peterson looked back on a recent attempt by Democrats in Congress to strip Trump of Secret Service protection in a post to X saying, “It is a good thing the Democrats have not been successful in taking the secret service from Trump.”
In April, Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson from Mississippi, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security led an effort to remove Trump’s protective detail known as the Disgraced Former Protectees Act (H.R. 8081) as reported by USA Today. The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Troy A. Carter Sr., Barbara Lee, Frederica Wilson, Yvette D. Clarke, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jasmine Crockett, Joyce Beatty, and Steve Cohen.
Arizona’s Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes offered her thoughts in a statement to X as well writing:
“The attack against former President Trump must be strongly condemned by ALL Americans — no matter their political beliefs. Poltical violence is never acceptable. Never. My thoughts are with the former President and anyone else who may have been injured or hurt at today’s rally.”
The attack against former President Trump must be strongly condemned by ALL Americans — no matter their political beliefs. Political violence is never acceptable. Never. My thoughts are with the former President and anyone else who may have been injured or hurt at today’s rally.
— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) July 13, 2024
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell noted, “This is horrifying. Violence is never the answer. Praying for a full and speedy recovery for President Trump.”
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes offered his statement, notably without mentioning Trump by name, saying, “I condemn political violence in the most unequivocal terms. NO American political figure should ever be threatened with OR acted against with violence. If we want to beat a political opponent, we do it with ballots, not bullets.”
Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp lauded the efforts of the U.S. Secret Service protecting President Trump writing, “God bless the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect President Trump! #absoluteheroes”
State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-AZ-29) shared a now iconic image of Trump raising his fist defiantly saying, “Praying for President Trump. #StandWithTrump”
Republican Senate primary candidate Kari Lake issued a statement saying, “I am shaken and horrified by the assassination attempt on President Trump’s life today. I am praying for President Trump and the innocent attendees who were tragically injured or killed. I am grateful for the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials for their swift action and for preventing this incident from becoming even more tragic.”
Today, we saw an assassination attempt on a man who's been fighting for this country
I'm praying for Donald Trump. I'm praying just as much for his family, & the people in that crowd, & more than anything, I pray for this great Republic & that we can come together as Americans pic.twitter.com/uk9TcwWRu8
She later joined RSBN during the network’s live coverage and wrote, “Today, we saw an assassination attempt on a man who’s been fighting for this country. I’m praying for Donald Trump. I’m praying just as much for his family, & the people in that crowd, & more than anything, I pray for this great Republic & that we can come together as Americans.”
Fellow GOP Senate contender, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, wrote, “Our prayers are with President Trump and his entire family. I applaud the quick reaction and work of law enforcement and members of the Secret Service to move the President to safety and neutralize the suspect.”
Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who is also running for the Senate seat of outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), wrote, “Absolutely horrible. Political violence should never be tolerated. I hope President Trump and everyone at the rally is safe. Grateful Secret Service and law enforcement got the situation under control so quickly.”
President Trump made a statement posted to Truth Social, first thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement and offering condolences to those injured and killed and their families: “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.”
He added, “It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a popular contender to serve as Trump’s Vice Presidential pick, declared on X, “Let’s be clear: This was an assassination attempt aided and abetted by the radical Left and corporate media incessantly calling Trump a threat to democracy, fascists, or worse.”
Let’s be clear: This was an assassination attempt aided and abetted by the radical Left and corporate media incessantly calling Trump a threat to democracy, fascists, or worse.
Fellow VP short-lister Sen. J.D. Vance echoed a similar sentiment saying, “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.” He also condemned Rep. Thompson for his efforts to strip Trump of his protective detail saying “Remember this? I do. Kick his ass out of Congress. Absolute scumbag.”
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.
Former Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, another rumored potential VP, noted, “Please join Kathryn and me in praying for President Trump, his family and everyone attending the rally today,” adding, “We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed it.”
Possible Vice-Presidential pick and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy offered a lengthy statement saying in part, “First they sued him. Then they prosecuted him. Then they tried to take him off the ballot. The only thing more tragic than what just happened is that, if we’re being honest, it wasn’t totally a shock. Biden’s inevitable ritual condemnation of political violence today (when it comes) will be insufficient and irrelevant. No amount of verbiage today changes the toxic national climate that led to this tragedy.
Apoorva and I mourn for the rally attendee who was apparently killed by the shooter. We believe the fact that President Trump is safe right now is nothing short of an act of God. My heart tells me God intervened not just for Trump, but for our nation. Today, the future survival of the United States of America came down to less than a hair’s width in the path of a bullet.”
He added, “If any good comes of today, let it be this: Americans just had the chance to see our next President’s true character, unvarnished. He took the fire, he took the hit, he felt the blood, and then he stood right back up for the people he was put here to lead. Regardless of who you vote for, let’s unite around the TRUTH that what happened today is unacceptable, now and forever.”
The latest official employment report finds once again that the federal government and state-and-local government hiring spree is still in full gear. Over the past year health care and government hiring has outpaced every private sector industry.
So, even though there are a lot more government workers, good luck finding them or getting them on the phone.
This is because so few of them are actually physically on the job.
What is happening in the federal government (“Club Fed”) these days borders on the absurd — or should I say the obscene. A recent survey by Federal News Network of federal workers finds only 6% are working full time in the office. Thirty percent are full time remote. Office buildings in Washington have become city-block long zombies. Especially on Fridays.
While exact comparisons between public and private employees are tricky and inexact, best estimates are that in 2023 roughly 30% of private workers were working from home or remotely either some or all of the time. In the private sector, the percentage of employees working from home has actually declined from about 50% during Covid (2020).
This means that federal employees are three times more likely to be working remotely either some or all of the time.
I am all for employees working remotely a few days a week and this is likely to become more common in the information and digital age. I do that myself.
But one has to wonder how many of these workers are really necessary. And what are the chances that these remote government workers who can almost never get fired for bad performance are putting in an honest day’s work. My suspicion is very few.
The irony is that three years ago the federal government issued an order for federal employees to return to work post-Covid. Many thousands have blatantly ignored the order.
Remember, government workers have some of the cushiest and least stressful jobs on the planet. And they get paid roughly 30 to 40% more than comparably skilled private workers — when taking account exorbitant benefits.
Here is my solution. Uncle Sam is losing almost $2 trillion a year. Stop hiring new people. Every federal agency including the biggest bureaucracy in the world — the Pentagon — should impose a hiring freeze — except for extraordinary circumstances — until the budget is balanced. Then impose a 30% across the board reduction in force (RIF).
Finally, if the government needs more revenues, start by selling federal buildings that are less than one-half occupied. Many buildings are less than 20 percent occupied.
Former President Donald Trump’s most popular rallying cry in 2016 was to “drain the swamp.” But today the swamp is deeper than ever and the deep state swamp creatures are more numerous than ever after four years of the Biden-Kamala administration. If Trump wins, he and Republicans should get draining.
Stephen Moore is a contributor to The Daily Caller News Foundation, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and a co-founder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.
The warning signs can no longer be ignored. America’s future as a world power is fading. The emerging alliance of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, spanning the spectrum of autocratic, expansionist ideologies, is poised to seriously threaten Western values and our way of life.
America’s response to a notably more dangerous world has been passive and thoughtless. In three decades, America has gone from the preeminent world power, with the promise of spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world, to a nation of deteriorating moral and strategic standing. We’ve backed ourselves into a dangerous corner.
Our enemies relentlessly undermine our interests and propagandize against us. One even leads public chants of “Death to America.” Russia wages a war of territorial aggression. China menaces our ally in the South China Sea. Hamas’ October 7 massacre was just one of several recent attacks by Iran-associated Islamic terrorist groups.
Weapons programs, especially those involving advanced technology like space weapons and biotech, are being rapidly developed by our enemies. Meanwhile, America’s relative deterrence capability has declined. Defense spending, inflation adjusted, has been reduced while military inductees are versed in the finer points of DEI.
Our Cold War presidents, especially Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan, faced similar dangers to those that challenge us today. The Soviet Union was a powerful force that brutally subjugated Eastern Europe, worked to destabilize regimes around the globe, and seriously intended to establish world hegemony.
Our leaders responded then with certitude and conviction. Ronald Reagan’s approach was not appeasement, but confrontation with superior force. He warned against “blindly hoping for the best while the enemies of freedom grow stronger by the day.” He recognized that “war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong but when they are weak…then tyrants are tempted.”
Reagan made defeat of the “Evil Empire” the central goal of his presidency. He rebuilt the military and doggedly pursued missile defense systems even when he was ridiculed for supporting “Star Wars.” In the end, it was this missile defense strategy that confounded and broke the Soviets, as Mikhail Gorbachev later confided to Margaret Thatcher.
In contrast, American policy today projects peace through weakness. We foolishly pretend tyrants will be mollified if we don’t provoke them. President Obama not only failed to support ballistic missile defenses, he backed out of commitments to install missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, despite mounting Russian aggression.
Biden fecklessly waived sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, paused military aid to Ukraine, and intentionally slow-walked critical supplies to our Israeli allies. We carefully dole out only enough support to our friends to stave off defeat but not enough to win.
The Cold War presidents were resolute about “stopping partisan politics at the water’s edge,” meaning that domestic political considerations should never impact foreign policy. Today, Biden proves his leftist bona fides by shutting down domestic energy production while treating our enemies more indulgently. Worry over youth protests and Michigan’s electoral support inspired his support of the war aims of Hamas and other Muslim jihadis.
This summer’s presidential debate demonstrated all you need to know about why America is garnering so much disrespect. With pressing problems all about spinning out of control, two candidates with presidential experience vied to be the one to lead us into the future. The result was a farce, a “debate” that was essentially incoherent babbling between two intellectually flabby old men.
One showed the classic hallmarks of senility and should never again be allowed near the nuclear football. The other was unable to construct a coherent argument, instead lapsing into exaggerations and meaningless superlatives. There was nothing resembling serious policy analysis. The two argued over golf scores instead.
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates writes that “at the very moment that events demand a strong coherent response from the United States, the country cannot provide one.” Americans must take our elections more seriously. We need to stop fixating on policy dead ends like climate change and identity politics.
Our short-term problem now is vulnerability to attack as a result of exhibiting weakness. Our long-term goal must be to select leaders better able to keep us strong and free.
Dr. Thomas Patterson, former Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, is a retired emergency physician. He served as an Arizona State senator for 10 years in the 1990s, and as Majority Leader from 93-96. He is the author of Arizona’s original charter schools bill.
