CNN’s Josh Campbell: Even If Bomb Mailer Is Mentally Ill, Trump Could Be Blamed

Josh Campbell /CNN screenshot
CNN
Justin Caruso

CNN analyst Josh Campbell said on air Wednesday that even if the perpetrator is mentally ill, President Trump’s rhetoric may still be to blame for the series of mail bombs sent to many Democratic politicians and to CNN.

“If the package bomber turns out to be someone with mental health issues, that doesn’t mean Pres. Trump is off the hook,” Campbell wrote. “If it turns out the bomber was motivated to kill perceived enemies based on recent heated political attacks by officials, those spewing hate share the blame.”

“We can’t lose sight of the fact that all of the targets here have these commonalities. They’re all Democrats, or in progressive circles or they’ve been, you know, the subject of wrath from the president, from his allies and such,” Campbell said on-air during The Lead with Jake Tapper.

He also said that even if the person sending these mail bombs has a “mental issue,” it still might be the fault of Trump’s rhetoric.

“This person can be deadly,” he said. “Because if it turns out, Jake, to be, you know, a mental issue or something of that nature, that still means that you have people out there that are taking in this messaging, that are acting on it. It’s very troubling.”

CNN’s Brian Stelter echoed a similar line on air Wednesday, saying, “We do know what all of these targets have in common. These are all targets that have been criticized mercilessly by right-wing outlets, by fringe groups on the internet and by some right-wing commentators.”

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