Where was Antjuan Seawright in the days following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024?
Dark side of the Moon? Solitary confinement?
The question arises because on today's CNN This Morning, the CNN Democrat strategist lamented "there's some sick, deranged people out there who are celebrating online when members of Congress are attacked" like Omar and AOC.
Then he falsely implied the opposite when Trump was shot: "When the president was under attack, Americans came together to condemn it, and so the president has to tone down the rhetoric because we've seen January 6th is a direct result."
Let's invite Antjuan to take a walk down memory lane. At the time, the only thing many people were condemning was Thomas Crooks' faulty aim. Here are just a few of countless examples [courtesy Grok]:
- Jacqueline Marsaw, a staffer for Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), posted on Facebook: "Don’t miss next time."
- Tony Bendele, a volunteer firefighter in Pennsylvania, posted on Facebook: "Too bad it didn't hit him square," accompanied by a popcorn emoji.
- Rick Notari, a resident of Laflin, Pennsylvania, commented on X: "It's a shame the guy missed."
As for CNN itself, our Joseph Vazquez caught the network making it seem as if Trump had merely slipped, running this headline: “Secret Service Rushes Trump Off Stage After He Falls at Rally.” Clumsy guy!
Seawright blamed America for electing Trump: "America is not like this because Donald Trump is the president. Donald Trump is the president because America is like this."
Panelist and Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson took a pox-on-both-their-houses approach:
"It was reprehensible that the internet fever swamps had cooked up conspiracy theories when Donald Trump was shot in Butler. I think it's terrible that fever swamps, and the president, are cooking up conspiracy theories around [the attack on Ilhan.]"
Anderson's mention of the president was an allusion to Trump having said that Omar "probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."
Commenting on Trump's statement that Alex Pretti "certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun," CNN senior writer Zachary Wolf said:
I think there are a lot of people who would like to see fewer people carry guns in the country. A lot of them are not Republican voters. When he says that kind of thing, when you go after somebody who is legally carrying a gun, something that's allowed in this country under the Second Amendment, very controversially for a lot of people, you basically rip the rip the rug out from underneath your base.
It's "very controversial" for many people that the Second Amendment allows people to carry a gun? Lotsa room on the dark side of the Moon!
Here's the transcript.
CNN This Morning
1/28/26
6:00 am ETAUDIE CORNISH: Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish, and right now on CNN This Morning, the name of the game is intimidation. A Congresswoman attacked, but she keeps on going, refusing to stop her speech about immigration tactics.
ILHAN OMAR: I've survived war, and I'm definitely going to survive intimidation.
CORNISH: Good morning. We begin with the latest out of Minneapolis. Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar attacked during a town hall last night [video clip of attack airs.]
CNN was there when a man charged the podium, and then sprayed Omar with some unknown substance before he was tackled to the ground.
There were some Republicans who were quick to condemn the attack. Mike Lawler called it unacceptable. Mark Alford said while he disagrees with Omar, quote, these disagreements should never result in assault. And Nancy Mace says she was deeply disturbed.
One Republican who did not seem worried about it, President Trump. Speaking to ABC News, he suggested, without evidence, that the attack was somehow staged, saying, "I think she's a fraud. I really don't think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her. "
. . .
Antjuan Seawright, Democratic strategist. Antoine, can I actually start with you? I don't know if you heard in your group chats or people in Democratic circles started talking about this last night.
ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT: Well, I did. America is not like this because Donald Trump is the president. Donald Trump is the president because America is like this.
And believe it or not, there's some sick, deranged people out there who are celebrating online when members of Congress are attacked, when they're threatened, particularly visible figures like Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others. And I think that we as Americans have to step back. But I also think leaders starting at the presidency level should always condemn these type things because it cannot be good for them and not good for me.
When the president was under attack, Americans came together to condemn it, and so the president has to tone down the rhetoric because we've seen January 6th is a direct result. When his language goes out, people respond to it.
CORNISH: Yes, although I think the argument was the attack on him in Butler was the result of rhetoric against him, how people had talked about him
. . .
I feel like usually on a panel, there's someone who says, people love Trump for his punchy language, and our people, I think, is the public starting maybe a bit to sour as they see attack after attack and these sort of incidents on lawmakers?
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON: I mean, I think in some ways, it's a numbness rather than a cheering for it or a souring on it. It's just like, is this, this is just like the toxic soup in which we live now.
I think it's horrible. I'm glad that some Republicans came out and condemned it. I wish all of them would. Just like I thought it was reprehensible that the internet fever swamps had cooked up, that there was some conspiracy theory when Donald Trump was shot in Butler. I think it's terrible that fever swamps, and the president, are cooking up conspiracy theories around this.
. . .
REPORTER: Do you agree with the assessment from some of your own officials that Alex Pretti is a domestic terrorist or an assassin?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I haven't heard that, but certainly he shouldn't have been carrying a gun. But all of, hey, look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident, okay? Everyone, unless you're a stupid person.
ZACHARY WOLF: I mean, I think there are a lot of people who would like to see fewer people carry guns in the country. A lot of them are not Republican voters. So when he says that kind of thing, when you go after somebody who is legally carrying a gun, something that's allowed in this country under the Second Amendment, very controversially for a lot of people.
CORNISH: Yeah, gun rights groups have already been talking about this the last couple of days.
WOLF: You basically rip the rip the rug out from underneath your base. So, you know, that seems to be a gaffe on his part.
But let's look at the larger issue here. You know, guns are a problem in the country. And, you know, maybe this will people have people talk about it. Probably not. But it's certainly something they should talk about.
