Registering people to vote isn't for the faint of heart, as a group of Florida Republicans discovered. Six Trump volunteers were just going about their business when a 27-year-old plowed his van through their tent -- nearly running people over and slamming through their tent. "It happened so quickly," one woman shook her head. "I just barely got out of the way."
The driver, Gregory Timm, even took out his cell phone to video the wreckage, flipped people off, and drove away. Florida police say the man was ultimately arrested on counts of aggravated assault, criminal mischief, and driving without a license. Although authorities refused to say if the attack was "politically motivated," the optics are hard to ignore.
Along with state officials and members of the Republican Party, the president condemned the violence, warning the Left to be careful "who [they] play with!" RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted that the GOP "will not be silenced by cowards, and these disgusting acts will only make us work harder to win November." Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Rick Scott (R) were grateful no one was seriously injured but promised that Trump supporters "will not be intimidated."
The attack, which adds to the Left's already impressive "rap sheet" of more than 600 incidents of violence and harassment against conservatives, is nothing new for the president's supporters. The hostility is becoming more common -- but for most Americans, it's no less shocking. We've heard Democrats say publicly: "Get up in congresspeople's faces," reject civility, "when they go low, kick them." Liberals from Eric Holder to Hillary Clinton have given their permission to get physical. "Don't be surprised," Tucker Carlson has said, "when the mob obeys."
Trump supporters have dodged bricks, eggs, punches. They've come home to fake blood spray-painted on their house (from university professors!), been heckled, hounded out of restaurants, even run off the road. Now, vans are driving into crowds of innocent people. "The hate," Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry agreed over the weekend, "is toxic and dangerous."
As far as the president's opponents are concerned, the ends justify the dangerous means. It's clear from the violence we've seen -- from the mobs, the shooting of members of Congress, and the harassment of administration officials and others in public life -- that the rancor is going to increase. As Justice Brett Kavanaugh's hearings proved, some liberals are willing to go to great lengths to destroy the lives of those who disagree with them.
As we've said from the beginning, there's absolutely no room for violence in a civil society -- on either side. And conservatives should never, ever respond in kind. But just as importantly, we cannot surrender our voice or our vote in the face of this intimidation. The world will see the true colors of the "tolerant" crowd. But let them also see our resolve to stand for truth in a culture of conflict with love. Remember, as followers of Jesus, we don't speak the truth to win a debate or even win favor -- we speak the truth to win the freedom of those who will hear and respond it! But in this increasingly hostile culture, people need to hear truth. Be bold, be courageous!
