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Frustrations over political rhetoric surface after shooting at rally


Frustrations over the political climate in the US reached a boiling point after last week’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, with Montana locals and elected officials alike calling for civility and unity.

“The politics have become so disgusting and the hate has gotten out of hand,” Bigfork resident Shelley Gonzalez said Thursday afternoon.

Gonzalez, who calls herself a moderate Republican, said she’s having trouble finding a candidate to vote for. The extremist sector is the only one that seems to be succeeding, she said, but an extremist politician is not what most Americans want.

“It’s just really scary,” she said.

At a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, a gunman sitting on a building just 400 feet from the stage opened fire. One bullet grazed the former president’s ear, killing one rally attendee and wounding two others.

An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, but the incident has stirred political debate across the country amid a heated presidential election.

“I felt it coming. I’m honestly surprised it took this long,” Tom Bohnsack, a Republican and Trump supporter from Kalispell, said Thursday.

Bohnsack, wearing a Trump hat, expressed gratitude that the assassination attempt was unsuccessful. Democratic rhetoric, he said, was “completely responsible for this.”

The shooter, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was a registered Republican but had previously donated $15 to a Democratic-leaning organization. Investigators are still looking for a motive.

Bohnsack hopes that people will think more positively about the former president after the events.

For Democratic voter Katy Meyers, last week’s shooting underscored the importance of honesty in politics. Fact-checking should be done more often to avoid derogatory rhetoric, the Kalispell resident said.

She also pointed to the increase in gun violence in the US

The rally shooter used his father’s AR-15-style rifle and had purchased 50 rounds of ammunition ahead of the event, according to news reports. Investigators also found at least a dozen weapons in his home and explosives ingredients in his car.

“It’s sad that there’s so much violence in the country,” she said Wednesday. “I think it’s the guns, there are too many guns.”

Other residents and visitors to the valley expressed similar concerns about the political divide in the country.

“I didn’t serve this country to have anybody killed,” said John Sturgeon, a Vietnam veteran from Texas who is staying with his brother in Kalispell. “We often forget that we’re Americans, not just individuals.”

MONTANA’S The congressional delegation expressed a similar sentiment.

“This is a very unusual time in our country,” said Republican U.S. Congressman Ryan Zinke, who is seeking re-election this year.

“There are races that can tip the balance of power… given the background of the rhetoric, Americans versus Americans, I think we just need to take a deep breath and cool down.”

Her Democratic opponent, Missoula attorney Monica Tranel, immediately condemned the political violence on social media after the shooting.

“The American government is one where everyone agrees on the rules, and violence has no place in our democracy,” she posted on X. “We make our voices heard at the ballot box. Freedom to assemble and freedom from fear are fundamental to making our voices heard.”

During a phone call with Inter Lake last week, she once again expressed her frustration about the lack of dialogue between the candidates.

“There are calls for violence or weapons, and that is really not the way we should operate,” Tranel said.

Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, who is not running for re-election, received death threats earlier this year, which he said contributed to his decision to end his campaign.

“There is absolutely no place in civil society for violence in politics, and this should never have happened,” Rosendale said of the rally shooting. “I hope there is a full investigation to ensure this never happens again. We must continue to pray for President Trump and take our country back!”

Senator Jon Tester, a third-term Democrat, said he was “shocked” by the assassination attempt. After the shooting, Tester wrote a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs demanding an investigation.

“Senator Tester condemns all forms of political violence and is appalled by the recent attack on former President Trump,” Eli Cousins, a spokesman for Tester, said in an email.

At the state level, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte stressed the importance of unity after the shooting.

“This was terrifying for everyone who saw it. We should be able to resolve our differences in this country through discussion, not violence,” Gianforte said.

Kalispell resident Ryan Busse, a Democrat who is seeking to unseat Gianforte, also criticized the radicalization of American politics and encouraged citizens to call out anyone who leans toward extremism.

“When the results of radicalization come up, it’s not like people are planning,” Busse said. “When it goes wrong, it doesn’t happen in this well-planned way … that’s why all of this is so dangerous.”

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at [email protected] or 758-4459.