Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says his fellow Democrats have gone too far in demonizing their political opponents and called on both sides to come together in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Absolutely,” Durbin said on “CNN News Central,” when asked whether he thinks Democrats — and not just Republicans — have “gone too far” in some of their rhetoric and in “demonizing the other side.”
“I mean, this notion that we're going to characterize MAGA as Nazis, for example,” Durbin continued, offering an illustration of rhetoric from his own party. “On the other side, that the Republicans would characterize the Democrats as a party of murder or evil.”
“The outrage coming from both sides is unacceptable in both instances,” he added. “So, yes, both sides can learn a lesson here. And the loss of Mr. Kirk is a good reason to do it.”
Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said it’s important to come together to condemn political violence. He said public officials from both parties casting blame on their political opponents are “flat-out wrong.”
“There is no place for violence in politics, and we ought to speak as one,” Durbin said. “Some of the statements that have been made blaming the Democrats, blaming the Republicans are just flat-out wrong.”
“We've all got to do it together,” he continued. “A bipartisan effort to preserve this democracy.”
Durbin, who is retiring after three decades in the Senate, said he’s optimistic that “America will come out of this stronger and more unified.”
“I've seen the course of history. I've studied history. We are a great nation because we have great people in this nation,” he said. “Eighty percent of the American people are good, solid citizens, not inclined toward political extremism. They can rebuild this America.”
Source: The Hill - News
