I’m hesitant to send my reporting students to Trump rallies now | Opinion

I’ve encouraged my reporting students at Davidson College to attend Kamala Harris and Donald Trump political rallies. There should be several such opportunities in North Carolina between now and the first week of November, given its swing state status. But after this past weekend, I’m hesitant about sending them to Trump rallies. The former president can’t seem to help but celebrate violence – even though he’s a recent victim of violence.

It’s the oddest thing. Though I didn’t expect him to, it still astounds that a man who was nearly killed just more than 50 days ago hasn’t changed. He’s remained steadfast in his ugliness even though the better political path would have been to become all the things his aides told media outlets in the immediate aftermath of an assassination attempt he had, saying he essentially had a spiritual awakening.

The latest incident was during a rally in Pennsylvania. One of Trump’s fans tried to climb into the media pit after Trump said disparaging things about the media. It’s perfectly fine and reasonable for politicians – and whoever else – to criticize media, particularly those of us who do a lot of critiquing. That doesn’t mean an embrace of violence or violent rhetoric is an acceptable way to express our disagreements.

“The crowd cheered as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to say, ‘Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?’” the Associated Press reported.

“He’s on our side,” Trump said about the man who was stopped by security and police.

If it was a one-off, I’d have no concerns. But it’s not. It’s been a feature of Trump’s rallies since he came down that golden escalator in 2015.

During that election cycle, Trump vowed to help rallygoers who assaulted non-Trump fans.

After his supporters assaulted a protester, Trump claimed the man “should have been roughed up.”

In Iowa, he told his supporters to “knock the crap” out of anyone ready to throw a tomato, and that he would pay for the legal fees, as though he was being hit by tomatoes even though he hadn’t been.

In Michigan, he talked about the “old days” when protesters would be “carried out on a stretcher” and that he’d like to punch someone in the face.

In St. Louis, he argued there wasn’t enough violence to deter protesters.

In Fayetteville, in our back yard, Trump hoped for “the good old days” because “they used to treat them very, very rough.”

And, of course, there was Jan. 6, 2021, when he incited a violent insurrection attempt on the Capitol Building Washington, D.C., where hundreds of police officers were injured.

That doesn’t even include his mocking former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, who survived a hammer attack by a stranger in his own home.

The overwhelming majority of Trump supporters at his rallies have attacked no one, and won’t. It would be great for college students to speak to and get to know them, as well as Harris supporters. Such an experience can be enriching. Students would get a chance to understand rallygoers in all their complexities, beyond the headlines.

They should attend the rallies to better understand, not judge, the people who will have a major say in which direction the country will go over the next four years.

Students will get to see an important part of democracy in action, the kind of thing they can’t get from reading a book, no matter how well written.

It should be a no-brainer assignment. And frankly, it is for Harris rallies. She doesn’t foment violence.

Though I wish it was, it’s not as straightforward for Trump rallies. That most of the people at his rallies aren’t violent gives me some comfort. That the man they are rallying for foments it doesn’t.

But until he’s no longer the Republican Party standard bearer and choice of tens of millions of Americans, we must go to meet them where they are. And we will.

Issac Bailey is a Davidson College professor and McClatchy opinion writer in North Carolina and South Carolina.