Not one single person quoted in The New York Times story on Donald Trump supporters “calling for a revolution” actually calls for a revolution.
In a clear effort to portray a significant number of Trump voters as willing to take up arms against a prospective President Hillary Clinton, The New York Times ran the headline: “Some Donald Trump Voters Call for Revolution if Hillary Clinton Wins.” But many of the people quoted, explicitly state they would not take up arms against a President Hillary Clinton, and not one of them calls for a revolution.
The New York Times piece relies on more than 50 interviews with Trump supporters at various campaign events over the course of six weeks. Yet the strongest quote they have to back up their headline is, at best, a passive interest from one guy in seeing other people wage some kind of revolutionary war.
“People are going to march on the capitols. They’re going to do whatever needs to be done to get her out of office, because she does not belong there,” a 25-year-old from Wisconsin told The New York Times, adding: “If push comes to shove [and Clinton] has to go by any means necessary, it will be done.”
Even if this passive expression is taken as an outright call to revolution, which is a debatable interpretation, it hardly justifies the headline. Here’s a sampling of statements made from the other so-called revolutionaries quoted in the story.
Regarding the country going into a riot if Clinton wins:
“It’s not what I’m going to do.”
“I am not going to take my weapon to go out into the streets to protest an election I did not win.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not a man of vigilante violence. I’m more of a peaceful person.”
Regarding their feelings at the prospect of a Clinton presidency:
“I’d go home and cry for four years.”
“I won’t feel hatred or mad or anything like that, but my heart will be broken.”
Some of these supporters did express a willingness to use force, but only to defend themselves in a scenario such as the government trying to forcibly confiscate their guns.
“If she comes after the guns, it’s going to be a rough, bumpy road,” one supporter said. “I hope to God I never have to fire a round, but I won’t hesitate to. As a Christian, I want reformation. But sometimes reformation comes through bloodshed.”
Are these supporters very upset at the thought of a Trump loss? Clearly. Are they worried other people might take up arms? Sure. But not one of these Trump supporters is openly calling for a revolution.
“I would absolutely respect the result and support the next president,” a Trump supporter says in the final quote of the story. “Pray for the next president, whoever it is.”
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