CBS’s host of Face the Nation, Margaret Brennan, joined the network’s breaking coverage of Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Trump at his Pennsylvania rally, where she was dismayed that a statement from campaign advisor Chris LaCivita might “escalate” Trump’s “us versus the system” rhetoric and that a statement from Trump himself didn’t lower “the temperature” even though once could make a solid case that it did.
Chief elections and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reported at 7:47 PM Eastern, “There’s anger, though, from the Trump side. This is a new social media post from Chris LaCivita, who is one of the top campaign advisors to Trump. He said, ‘They tried to –’”
Costa briefly paused as CBS sorted out some technical difficulties before continuing, ‘“They tried to keep Trump off the ballot and they tried to put him in jail and now you see this.’ So, you see a politically charged response from Chris LaCivita, the top—”
A distraught Brennan reacted, “Ugh, taking it right to where Democrats are trying to prevent it from going. You saw Speaker Pelosi -- former Speaker Pelosi issue a statement talking about the political violence her family had experienced and condemning it. In this context, and saying how glad she was that former President Trump is safe.
She later added, “That is just incredible at a moment of incredible sensitivity to say something like that. To allege whatever ‘they’ means, there’s no context to who ‘they’ are who are trying to keep them off the ballot, but they ‘they tried to put him in jail and now you see this.’”
Brennan further claimed, “Those words have extreme weight. But just to -- separate topic, very much related. The language around this campaign has been about 'us versus the system.' 'Me versus them.' That all the legal cases against Donald Trump, he claims, are politically motivated to prevent him from reelection. By alleging there is a connection to this attempt on his life, it would escalate that.”
It is worth noting that LaCivta would later delete his post.
Later, in the 9:00 hour, Costa reported on Trump's statement that should have made Brennan happy. The statement read, in part, “nothing is known at this time about the shooter who is now dead.”
In other words, Trump didn’t blame the left, leaving the door open for a “John Hinckley wants to impress Jodie Foster” or other type of explanation, but Brennan still wasn’t satisfied, “This was a traumatic event, no doubt for him, but I did notice there was no call for lowering the temperature, condemning all political violence, and really trying to signal to his supporters as well not to retaliate or to have any kind of escalation here.”
Elsewhere in CBS’s coverage, Brennan recalled “Olivia [Rinaldi] saying 'there was a palpable feeling of anger towards the media after this happened. The people in the crowd turned toward them. They started shouting. Telling us it's our fault'...what law enforcement will do is prevent any retaliation."
Which was a sentiment shared on NBC by Dasha Burns.
Margaret Brennan recalls "Olivia [Rinaldi] saying 'there was a palpable feeling of anger towards the media after this happened. The people in the crowd turned toward them. They started shouting. Telling us it's our fault'...what law enforcement will do is prevent any retaliation" pic.twitter.com/A3yvEHFn6G
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) July 14, 2024
Here is a transcript for the July 13 coverage:
CBS News Special
7/13/2024
7:47 PM ET
ROBERT COSTA: There’s anger, though, from the Trump side. This is a new social media post from Chris LaCivita, who is one of the top campaign advisors to Trump. He said “they tried to –
MALE VOICE: I hear nothing.
COSTA: “They tried to keep Trump off the ballot and they tried to put him in jail and now you see this.” So, you see a politically charged response from Chris LaCivita, the top—
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ugh, taking it right to where Democrats are trying to prevent it from going. You saw Speaker Pelosi -- former Speaker Pelosi issue a statement talking about the political violence her family had experienced and condemning it. In this context and saying how glad she was that former President Trump is safe.
You have the expectation that White House will issue a statement. We know the vice president and the president have been briefed on what's been going on. They, themselves, of course, have Secret Service detail and you have to imagine there is an alert level across the board right now, but one of the things, we do need to pull back. That is just incredible at a moment of incredible sensitivity to say something like that. To allege whatever “they” means, there’s no context to who “they” are who are trying to keep them off the ballot, but they “they tried to put him in jail and now you see this.”
COSTA: Trump’s top campaign advisor.
BRENNAN: Exactly, those words have extreme weight. But just to -- separate topic, very much related. The language around this campaign has been about “us versus the system.” “Me versus them.” That all the legal cases against Donald Trump, he claims are politically motivated to prevent him from reelection. By alleging there is a connection to this attempt on his life, it would escalate that.
…
9:08 PM ET
COSTA: I just want to read a part of his statement from 8:42 tonight on Truth Social. He said “nothing is known at this time about the shooter who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong, that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
He closes with “God Bless America” and we saw him raise his hand in the air, defiantly, blood on his face as he left the stage.
BRENNAN: He is recovering from these injuries now. This was a traumatic event no doubt for him, but I did notice there was no call for lowering the temperature, condemning all political violence, and really trying to signal to his supporters as well not to retaliate or to have any kind of escalation here. I just am looking at these statements.
