Did Trump's 'death wish' comment toward McConnell go too far?

The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web

Mitch McConnell.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

At the end of September, the Senate passed a stopgap spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 16, with 22 Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — joining all 50 Democrats in support, The Washington Post reports. But McConnell's backing soon angered former President Donald Trump, who subsequently posted an angry rant against the minority leader on his social media site, Truth Social. In his post, Trump wrote that McConnell must have had a "DEATH WISH" (yes, in all caps) for agreeing to the stopgap bill, before then making racist comments toward McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, a Taiwanese-American who also served as the former president's transportation secretary, the Post continues.

Trump's anger toward McConnell doesn't just stem from the funding bill; he's targeted the minority leader for a while, especially since McConnell condemned Trump's actions on Jan. 6, 2021. But the former president's inflammatory Truth Social post was akin to incitement of violence, critics say, and the GOP hasn't exactly been forthcoming in its response. Below, thought leaders weigh in: Did Trump's "death wish" comment go too far?

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.