On Friday, former President Donald Trump shared a video featuring an image of President Joe Biden restrained in the back of a pickup truck. The video, reportedly filmed on Long Island on Thursday, was posted while Trump attended the wake of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, tragically killed during a traffic stop earlier this week.
The video showcases two trucks adorned with flags and decals expressing support for Trump. The contentious image of Biden was displayed on the rear of the second vehicle. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, defended the post, stating, “That picture was on the back of a pick-up truck that was traveling down the highway. Democrats and extreme critics have not only incited violence against President Trump and his family, but they are also weaponizing the justice system against him.”
Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, responded to the video in a statement to CNN. He said, “This image from Donald Trump is the kind of offensive content you share when you’re advocating for a ‘bloodbath’ or when you instruct the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by.’ Trump’s consistent incitement of political violence needs to be taken seriously — just ask the Capitol Police officers who were attacked while defending our democracy on January 6.”
This incident marks another example of Trump’s use of provocative and violent imagery in his campaign messaging, a tactic that seems to be fueling his potential White House bid. Earlier this month, Trump warned that if he were to lose the 2024 election, it would result in a “bloodbath” for the US auto industry and the nation as a whole. This statement was made in the context of his promise of a “100% tariff” on cars manufactured outside the US, arguing that domestic auto manufacturing would only be safeguarded if he were re-elected.
Trump’s controversial remarks extend beyond domestic issues. In December, he claimed that migrants are “poisoning the blood” of the US and used a quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin to label Biden as a “threat to democracy.” These comments reflect Trump’s pattern of expressing admiration for foreign leaders who employ anti-democratic tactics to retain power.
In a separate incident, Trump referred to his political adversaries as “vermin” during a campaign event in New Hampshire in November. This comment drew widespread criticism, including from Biden, who compared his language to that used in Nazi Germany. Trump addressed the crowd, saying, “We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” and warned that “the real threat is not from the radical right. The real threat is from the radical left, and it’s growing every day.”