Central New York Rep. Brandon Williams (R-Sennett) spoke Monday on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. Williams said the attack on Trump was an attack on the republic.
“Rather than focus just on one man, I think and I've said this publicly, I think God saved our republic by sparing the life of Donald Trump,” Williams said.
He said the U.S. may have been spared from increasing violent acts.
“The incredible, violence or tension that would have erupted from that kind of event. I don't think we're ready for that and I just take it very, very seriously,” Williams said. “So I am very thankful that the assassination attempt was unsuccessful. And, we're going to do a lot of work in Congress to figure out why that happened.”
Williams emphasized that the current political climate is as contentious as it gets, saying both sides of the aisle are engaging in inflammatory rhetoric.
“Our system of government depends on having a vigorous debate on issues but it has to be within the bounds of being responsible,” Williams said. “And I think, whether it's because of social media or just the polarized nature of our politics, I think it's gotten out of bounds.”
He says differences should ultimately lead to discussions focused on the “objective truth.”
