Former president Donald Trump disseminated on social media on Friday an image of President Biden with his hands and feet tied and his mouth gagged, the latest example of the Republican candidate’s use of increasingly violent rhetoric and imagery this campaign season.
The image can be seen about halfway through a 20-second video that Trump posted on his Truth Social site. The post says it was recorded Thursday on Long Island, where Trump traveled this week to attend a wake for a recently killed police officer.
In the video, two trucks decorated with giant Trump flags and altered American flags are driving on a highway. On the tailgate door of one of the trucks is the image of Biden lying horizontally, bound and gagged.
Trump has a history of sharing and promoting violent images featuring his perceived enemies.
If anyone else had done that, the Secret Service would be after them. But since it’s Donald Trump, the Secret Service protects him.
The image he shared was one that had already been circulating for months. Can you find an example of the Secret Service going after anyone else who retweeted it? Did they even go after the person driving the vehicle in the picture, or the company that produces the tailgate wrap?
Pretty sure this is protected free speech. Nobody in their right mind would see this as a credible threat to kidnap Joe Biden; it’s just a humorous way of showing displeasure toward a politician.
If you’re so sure, you should post it on all of your Social Media accounts, and see what happens…
I see multiple of these tailgate wraps in town on the back of trucks in my area. People in this area share and distribute MUCH WORSE SHIT than this mild piece of artistic garbage… I’m not saying it’s right, but it is protected speech.
Though we should hold running presidential candidates to a higher standard, and perceive this threat as it is.