This week’s question comes from Zaid in Fremont: “Donald Trump denigrates and incites violence against Muslim Americans including threatening to make them all register. He speaks of nuking the Middle East. Trump even offered to pay the legal bills for anyone that attacks protestors at his rallies. Isn’t this hate speech? Is Trump responsible in any way when someone acts on his threats or statements and attacks a protester?”
Thank you Zaid for your timely and important questions.
I remember that not long after 9/11, then President George W. Bush sought to combat a spike in hate crimes against Muslim Americans by visiting a mosque and declaring, “America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country.” The President added, “And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.”