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Perhaps it was too much in this age of deep political divisions to expect the nation to unite in mourning after the chilling assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband this weekend, a shooting spree that left another legislator and his wife with life-threatening injuries.
Even so, the lack of compassion and missing calls for unity in the tragedy’s aftermath are deeply distressing.
Vice President JD Vance spoke with Gov. Tim Walz Saturday after the targeted nature of the attacks began to become clear. So did Doug Ford, premier of Ontario. But President Donald Trump has said he will not call Walz following the deadly shootings.
“I’m not calling him,” Trump told the Associated Press. “The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?”
Condolences from the White House would be a nicety, to be sure, but one that should be automatic and acknowledges that heartbreaking losses transcend politics.
Even more disturbing is the tidal wave of conspiracy theories about the violence and who’s to blame that has swamped the nation, dividing us further at a moment when we desperately need to come together.