On July 13, former President Donald Trump survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania. The political violence caused many to question the national rhetoric around politics today. We wanted to hear how this event impacted Wyomingites. So Wyoming Public Media reporters went out onto the streets of Cheyenne, Laramie, and Pinedale to listen.
Voices of Cheyenne
Ruth Duffy is retired.
“I was surprised that somebody would try something like that. But then when I saw that the guy was so young, it kind of was like, I don't know how he got affected or what happened and we'll never really know.”
Mike Theriault is a retired contractor and a registered Republican.
“It just goes to show you how divided our country is right now. No doubt about it. Both sides have got to come together because this is unacceptable. Whether you're Republican or Democrat.”
Merrily Bobiney is a retired school teacher.
“I think it's an absolute outrage. After everything the Democrats have done, it makes you think it's some Democrats' attempt to get rid of him since the high court threw out all of the other charges they had against him.”
Brent Knotts is a retired administrator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
“I was almost resigned to the fact that something like that was going to happen. The man has done nothing but promote violence and insurrection. The words he said after he got shot were ‘fight, fight, fight.’ His vice president says the Democrats did it. It’s the president's fault. The whole thing has been violent. He wants people to fight. He wants them to rise up.”
Voices of Laramie
Jerry Peterson is a realtor and registered Republican.
“I think it's a pretty sad state of the country that we're so divided up and people cheer for it and people are against it. It's too bad.”
Karin Guernsey is a herbalist and is unaffiliated.
“We shouldn't shoot people. We shouldn't hurt each other. But I still think that Trump should not win. But I think that discourse is wrong. We should discuss and we should talk and we should try to solve our problems but not go about killing people or trying to kill people. That's wrong.”
Kate Welsh is a Democrat.
“I don't think that's good for any party or for the whole country. It makes me sad that people resort to violence to try and make a statement or try to change the world. I think we need to change the world in other ways.It harkens back to earlier times in this country. I thought we were better than that. And we have to always strive to be better.”
Pinedale Voices
Bill Klevin is retired and has lived in Pinedale since 2008.
“ I don't think it's a healthy trajectory that we're on, if that type of violence enters into the political rhetoric or political process. So I think there just has to be openness and willingness to listen and not that you're going to end up saying, ‘Well, that's right’, but you have to be open to listening because you're going to get good ideas that come out of listening.”
Brittany Williams works at the Pinedale aquatic center. She’s lived in Sublette County her entire life.
“I think it's really sad that this is what our politics have come to. I think we're better than this. I would like to see all candidates involved, federally, locally, statewide. Just no matter where you're at, being respectful and kind to the other parties. And I think we can find a lot of middle ground if we sit down and have a true conversation about the issues and the policies.”
Fred Pflughoft is a retired professional outdoor photographer. He’s lived in Pinedale for 27 years.
“Obviously, I've heard rumors of it through some military sources that I have. I also, within the last week and a half, had a prophecy given that was said it was going to happen in the next couple of weeks, but he was not going to be killed. There are things going on behind the scenes. A lot of people don't realize I am following off-channel stuff. And they know what's going on.”
Jessica Kellet is a stay-at-home mom who was visiting Pinedale. She’s lived in Jackson for the past four years.
“[It’s] really sad that somebody tried to assassinate Trump. I think it's terrible, regardless of my party affiliation. It threatens to just further divide our sense of us as Americans. I hope that instead it kind of gives us a moment to pause and say, ‘Hey, we're all Americans and we all need to treat each other with respect.’”
Correction: A previous version of this story included a soundbite that incorrectly said only Republicans have been assassinated. John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated during his first presidential term in 1963, was a Democrat.
Correction: A previous version of this story said the rally where the attempted assassination took place was in Philadelphia. It has been corrected to Pennsylvania.
