Trump critic: ‘Civil war’ reference at Vance rally ‘par for the course’

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) said Tuesday that the comments by a state lawmaker suggesting a “civil war” woud be needed to save the country if Republicans lose this year’s elections are typical of supporters of former President Trump.

“Well, it’s par for the course,” Duncan said on “CNN This Morning” to anchor Kasie Hunt.

Ohio state Sen. George Lang (R), speaking at a rally for Trump and vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance on Monday, said he is “afraid” if Republicans lose the upcoming 2024 election “it’s going to take a civil war to save the country, and it will be saved.”

Following Monday’s rally, Lang recanted his remarks on the social platform X and said they “do not accurately reflect my views.”

“I regret the divisive remarks I made in the excitement of the moment on stage,” Lang said in his post. “Especially in light of the assassination attempt of President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included.”

Duncan, a longtime critic of Trump, criticized the GOP presidential nominee on a host of issues during the interview.

“I’ve watched him make horrible, selfish decisions around COVID, around $8 trillion worth of money we didn’t have and spent it against Republican conservative principles,” Duncan said. “I’ve seen him try to steal an election. I’ve seen him lie, cheat.”

“I mean, it explains why his entire former cabinet is gone,” Duncan said. “That kinda rhetoric happens because there’s no guardrails.”

In the wake of a recent assassination attempt on Trump’s life, there have been calls to cool down political rhetoric from both sides of the aisle. 

“The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down,” President Biden said a day after the shooting at the rally in Pennsylvania. “This places an added burden on all of us that no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign and Lang’s office.