“Late Night” host Seth Meyers on Monday called out the Republicans who have continued to stoke division following the attempted assassination of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump at the weekend.
“Please stop,” he urged them.
There are often “calls to forgo politics” following such incidents of political violence, Meyers acknowledged. But he argued the “non-violent exchange of ideas and the peaceful resolution of disputes” now “feels more important than ever.”
“An inclusive politics of compassion, empathy, and community, that’s what we must recommit to now,” Meyers said. “What we don’t need are the opportunistic purveyors of paranoia, suspicion and fear, who have already rushed to fill the void with incendiary conspiracy theories and lies.”
Meyers noted how Georgia Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mike Collins and Trump’s newly-announced running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have all falsely pointed the finger of blame for the attempt at President Joe Biden.
“At a time when things are bad, you are choosing to make things worse,” said Meyers. “You are choosing to inflame the national mood at a dangerous moment rather than show the leadership and basic decency it would take to calm things down. You should be ashamed. Please stop.”
“You’re also wrong. Engaging in the work of democracy and peaceful persuasion is the opposite of inciting violence. It’s what we need more of, not less,” he added. “Accurately describing the dangers of autocracy and warning against attempts to dismantle our democracy have nothing to do with political violence. Speaking plainly about the specter of authoritarianism is not only our democratic right, it’s our civic duty. We must all continue to do it. That’s what we’ll continue to do here.”
Watch Meyers’ full monologue here:
