Trump shooting linked to rising political anger fuelled by social media: Winnipeg political expert – Winnipeg

Local political columnist Shannon Sampert suggests that the recent attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump may be linked to the increasing political violence worldwide, especially online.

Trump was shot and injured during a rally in Butler, Pa., over the weekend. The incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including the shooter, and left two spectators critically wounded.

The FBI, which has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspected gunman, is investigating the shooting as a possible act of domestic terrorism.

Sampert highlights the escalating anger in politics, from politicians to everyday conversations among people, attributing it to the influence of the internet and social media.

“Since around 2001, we have increasingly turned to a screen to express our emotions, abandoning face-to-face communication,” she explained.

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Sampert emphasizes that face-to-face interactions make it easier to find common ground, even when opinions differ, and that venting in person can lead to more productive discussions compared to virtual exchanges.

“We can both find periods or points of common interest — ‘Yes, I am worried about grocery prices. Yes, I am worried about the rising cost of gasoline. How do we attack that problem?’ — rather than attacking the person who is part of that policy,” she said.

Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc acknowledges threats of violence against Canadian politicians but refrains from sharing specific details regarding the number, targets, and sources of these threats.

According to government documents obtained by Global News, the surge of online threats against public officials has led some Canadians to believe they can incite and support political violence without consequences.

Canadian intelligence officials note that threatening language is increasingly viewed as an acceptable way to express frustrations, grievances, and dissent, resulting in a spike of violent threats against elected and public figures.

Sampert encourages people to step away from screens, engage in healthy conversations with others, and return to having constructive debates instead of consuming harmful content.

She finds the post-attack discourse disheartening and believes more attention should be given to the potential issues the young shooter might have been facing.

“A man lost his life, people were injured, and there is no justification for this type of violence. Yet, instead of addressing the root causes, we are already delving into conspiracy theories,” she remarked.

— with files from Global News’ Marc-Andre Cossette, The Canadian Press, and The Associated Press

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