Trump campaign board member Steve Rogers said on Saturday that President Donald Trump has “never, ever” incited violence, Newsweek reports.
Rogers’ comments come in the aftermath of Trump’s inflammatory comments about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the president tweeted a video montage of Ilhan Omar’s comments about the September 11 attacks, juxtaposing them with footage of the World Trade Center being hit by planes.
This was interpreted as a call for violence by many, given that Omar has already received death threats from Trump supporters. Some prominent Democrats have accused the president of inciting violence against the Muslim Congresswoman, who was merely discussing the post-9/11 crackdowns on civil liberties and the way they had affected the Muslim community in the United States.
But according to Trump campaign member Steve Rogers, the president has “never, ever” incited violence. During an appearance on CNN, Rogers defended the president, arguing that he is not responsible for the actions of other people.
“We certainly will never, ever endorse anyone committing an act of violence against anyone,” he said.
“You and I can take something we say on the air and some crackpot will take what we say and turn it around to try to justify their action,” Rogers told CNN host Victor Blackwell.
After being pressed by the host, who started naming numerous examples of the president calling for violence, Rogers argued that his law enforcement experience had taught him that criminals frequently look for others to blame, refusing to take responsibility for their actions.
The Trump campaign member said once again that “people are responsible for their own actions,” defending Trump and discussing his career in law enforcement.
“The president is not responsible for the actions of other people,” he insisted.
But Blackwell refused to back down, further pressing the Trump campaign member, citing more examples of the president calling for violence. The host reminded his guest that the president once promised to pay his supporters’ legals bills if they attack a protester, stating that “people would be taken out on stretchers” at Trump’s 2016 rallies.
The president has also, as BBC reported, praised Congressman Greg Gianforte for body-slamming a reporter, for instance. ABC News ran an entire story detailing a number of the president’s comments that can be interpreted as calls for violence.
Warren says Trump is “inciting violence” against Ilhan Omar https://t.co/n3nITxr3gs pic.twitter.com/n46HG2yjCf
— The Hill (@thehill) April 13, 2019
But Steve Rogers refused to concede, arguing throughout the interview that Donald Trump has never incited violence against anyone.
“He has never, ever suggested that people should commit violent acts against each other,” the Trump campaign member said.
