“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin highlighted the results of a poll released in July that found 10% of Americans support violence against Donald Trump, which she said was “despicable,” following a second assassination attempt against the former president.
“I am so saddened and disturbed by the fact that political violence is so normalized in this country,” Hostin said. “There is more support for violence today against Trump and others, against Trump, 10% of American adults think it’s OK,” suggesting that meant tens of millions of Americans would support such conduct.
The poll, released by the University of Chicago via the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, found that 26 million Americans believe “the use of force” is justified to keep Trump from regaining the presidency. Of the 26 million, the poll found, nine million have guns, and 22 million have access to “internet organizational tools.”
“That’s despicable,” added Hostin, who is a fierce critic of the president and strong supporter of Kamala Harris. The suspect in the second assassination attempt against Trump, Ryan Wesely Routh, was arrested Sunday afternoon after authorities spotted a rifle barrel poking out of shrubbery on the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.
The same survey found about 7% of respondents said force was justitified to restore Trump to the presidency.
Hostin cited other instances of political violence, including against Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul in 2022, and said it happened on both sides of the aisle.
Co-host Sara Haines said rhetoric was to blame for political violence.
“The way our politicians are speaking right now, we never would have seen that 20 years ago … People will say and do anything, and it’s not just on the national level, this trickle down, we’re seeing it in politicians, but somehow that’s come all the way down and a lot of that’s due to technology, and social media,” Haines argued.
Routh fled the golf course after authorities say Secret Service agents fired at him when spotting the muzzle of his rifle through a chain-link fence one hole ahead, about 300 yards, of where Trump was playing a round.
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Routh appeared for a federal court hearing in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday morning, where he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Co-host Ana Navarro argued during the discussion on Monday that there needed to be a real conversation among members of Congress about “assault weapons.”
“We need to talk about how people with mental health issues keep getting easy access to assault weapons,” Navarro said. “The last assassination attempt was an AR-15. This was an AK-47. So we need to have that conversation in America.”
“Maybe it’s less about mental health and more about America’s fascination with guns,” Hostin added.
Fox News’ Stephen Soarce contributed to this report.
