Nutley Commissioners Plead For Unity After Trump Assassination Attempt

NUTLEY, NJ — “A person who holds a differing viewpoint than yours is not your enemy.” This was the sentiment from Nutley’s Board of Commissioners in the wake of last weekend’s assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump.

Trump was injured on Saturday in what the FBI is officially calling an “attempted assassination” at the former president's campaign rally in western Pennsylvania. A father of two was killed in the shooting and two other men were critically wounded, authorities said.

A wave of elected officials from New Jersey – Republican and Democrat alike – have since been speaking out against the recent violence and calling for an end to the extreme rhetoric and hate that has been dividing the nation. Read More: New Jersey Reacts To Trump Assassination Attempt

They now include the town commissioner board in Nutley, who issued the a joint statement about the shooting on Monday:

“Political disagreements should never devolve into violence. The Board of Commissioners unequivocally condemn the attempt on former president Trump's life and any other political violence. All political parties in this nation all have the same goal: to make this already great nation even greater. They simply disagree on how to accomplish that goal. A person who holds a differing viewpoint than yours is not your enemy.”

When someone has a different political stance than you, it isn't necessarily a personal attack, the board pointed out – and it can often be an opportunity to have an open and honest dialogue with them.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this senseless tragedy, and we offer our condolences to their families,” the Nutley commissioner board concluded. “We also wish former president Donald Trump a speedy recovery, and thank the Secret Service for preventing this tragic event from turning even more tragic.”

The board’s statement was well-received by several local residents.

“We all may have differences in opinion when it comes to politics, but the truth is that we all likely have much more in common than we are led to believe,” a commenter responded. “Both extremes represent the most toxic parts of each side of politics. Unfortunately, that's what we see in the news on a daily basis.”

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