“Haul Out the Guillotine” GOP Strategist Slams Trump for Violent Rhetoric
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Longtime Republican strategist Rina Shah tore into former President Donald Trump on CNN Wednesday, criticizing his violent-laden grievance pitches to voters. CNN anchor Jim Acosta highlighted a new fundraising pitch by the Trump campaign, headlined “haul out the guillotine,” which proclaimed that Trump’s political enemies want him “beheaded” and warned, “THEY’RE REALLY COMING AFTER YOU!”
“This email came out a couple of hours ago — nobody’s made a big deal out of it,” said Acosta. “I’m highlighting it because I just wonder, Rina, are we getting a little too numb to this kind of rhetoric? Is it getting out of control? Is he out of control?”
“I’ve been struck by it every time,” Shah responded. “Trump has been out of control for a long time because what he’s wanted to do is whack this whole notion of impartiality, which I heard you touching on, and I couldn’t agree more”, reported Deadline.
Shah continued, “I’m really glad you touch on that because that impartiality is what makes us a country. We aren’t a country if we can’t look at our institutions and say these institutions protect the very American values that I know so many conservatives care about, which are freedom, equality, and justice. If we don’t have those things, we’re not a nation at all.”
But Trump, she added, “wants to whack those things away just because he’s mentally unstable on that day and wants to talk about a guillotine and wants to say that they want to take me to the guillotine. Buddy, it was you that was fine with people doing that to your vice president!”
Shah’s critique came in the wake of increasing concern over Trump’s rhetoric, which many argue is exacerbating political divisions and inciting violence. The fundraising email Acosta referenced is just one example of the inflammatory language the former president has used to rally his base.
Acosta’s point about growing numb to such rhetoric underscores a broader issue: the normalization of extreme political language. Shah’s comments highlight the danger of this trend and the need for a return to civility and respect for American institutions.
In the same segment, Shah emphasized that the foundations of American democracy are built on principles that transcend partisan politics. The impartiality of institutions, she argued, is crucial for maintaining the values of freedom, equality, and justice that define the nation.
As Trump continues to dominate headlines with his provocative statements, Shah’s call for a more measured and principled approach to political discourse serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving the integrity of democratic institutions.
