Sadly, it has come to this.
Less than 38 hours after Trump attacked CNN during a rally in Houston, Texas, the building that houses the network was evacuated due to a possible explosive device.
On Monday night, Trump attacked the "fake news media" during his campaign speech, prompting the crowd to break into a chant of "CNN sucks!"
Trump smiled approvingly during the chant. "Don't worry, I don't like 'em either!" he said.
Such chants have become a regular part of Trump's hate-filled rallies, and Trump encourages them despite repeated warnings that such incitement could endanger reporters.
The potential for violence against the media Trump attacks became all too real Wednesday morning when the Time Warner Building, which houses CNN, was evacuated due to a suspicious package that reportedly resembled an explosive device. The package was reportedly addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan, a CNN analyst, who has also been a frequent subject of Trump's attacks.
Another suspicious package was sent to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also attacked by Trump at that Houston rally, and to former President Barack Obama. Those packages were reportedly intercepted before delivery. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-FL) office has also been evacuated over reports of a suspicious package.
Trump has repeatedly attacked all of the people who were targeted by the packages Wednesday. He also attacked philanthropist and Holocaust survivor George Soros, who was targeted by a package bomb earlier this week.
Incitement of violence has been a staple of Trump's rallies dating back to his 2016 campaign. Just last week, at a campaign rally in Montana, he explicitly praised Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter, and even reenacted the attack onstage, to cheers and applause from the crowd.
Thus far, Trump's only words on the subject have been to "agree wholeheartedly!" with a tweet from Vice President Mike Pence condemning the attacks.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
