The Brief: #MAGABomber is a hashtag created in response to bombs being sent to Democratic public figures, suggesting that Donald Trump's rhetoric encouraged the violence.

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This week, at least ten suspicious packages were sent to high-ranking Democratic figures, CNN, and other critics of Trump.  According to the NYPD, some of the packages “appeared to contain pipe bombs.” Packages were sent to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, billionaire George Soros, former attorney general Eric Holder, Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters, CNN, actor Robert DeNiro, and former Vice President Joe Biden. No one has been hurt and the packages have been intercepted and destroyed by law enforcement. 

Critics of president Trump have been using the hashtag #MAGABomber to imply that the rhetoric of the Trump administration may have fueled these attacks.

Even before the identity nor the ideology of the attempted bomber were revealed, many of Trump’s critics suggest that his rhetoric indirectly encouraged this attack. On Twitter, people with various political views have questioned the fairness of associating Trump with these attacks when little is actually known about the motivations behind them.

In a press conference on Wednesday, President Trump said that “the safety of the American people is my highest and absolute priority.” He condemned the attempted attacks as “despicable acts,” calling for unity in their wake.

The next morning, in a tweet, he suggested that the mainstream media is to blame stirring up anger and hate.

Right-Wing conspiracy theorists and meme-makers have been spreading the idea that these bombs are a hoax, potentially sent by Democrats for publicity. Although this narrative is gaining traction in some online spheres, this version of events is unproven fake news.

#MAGABomber on Twitter: