Former President Donald Trump over the weekend shared a post on his Truth Social app invoking a "civil war."
Trump on Saturday "retruthed" a post by a random Truth Social user called "MAGA King Thanos" either calling for or predicting a "Civil war."
The original post was in response to another post from former Fox Nation host Lara Logan, who shared screenshot of a tweet by El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele. Bukele, who has been likened to a "mini Trump" while clashing with the Biden administration, shared a Bloomberg News article about rising inflation in the United States.
"The most powerful country in the world is falling so fast, that it makes you rethink what are the real reasons," Bukele's tweet said. "Something so big and powerful can't be destroyed so quickly, unless the enemy comes from within."
Conservative attorney George Conway flagged the post on Twitter.
"Nothing to see here," Conway wrote. "Just a former president of the United States sharing a social media post advocating or predicting civil war in the United States. No biggie."
Nothing to see here. Just a former president of the United States sharing a social media post advocating or predicting civil war in the United States. No biggie. pic.twitter.com/hKsjSc5hDl
— George Conway🇺🇦 (@gtconway3d) May 22, 2022
Trump is the most prominent Republican to float a "civil war" in recent months. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., earlier this year suggested Republicans use their "Second Amendment rights" against Democrats while floating what she called a "national divorce." Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., last week threatened "Dark MAGA" revenge after his election loss, invoking a growing far-right movement that has repeatedly promoted political violence.
RELATED: A second civil war: One year after Trump's violent insurrection, how worried should we be?
Lawmakers sounded the alarm over Trump's post and called out Republicans over their silence.
"Any of my fellow Republicans wanna speak out now?" tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a leading conservative Trump critic. "Or are we just wanting to get through 'just one more election first…?'"
Any of my fellow Republicans wanna speak out now? Or are we just wanting to get through “just one more election first…?” https://t.co/G6YXAC1qIb
— Adam Kinzinger🇺🇦🇺🇸✌️ (@AdamKinzinger) May 22, 2022
"Donald Trump is calling for Civil War," tweeted Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. "Of course, like Vietnam and the walk to the Insurrection, he won't be man enough to fight it."
Donald Trump is calling for Civil War. Of course, like Vietnam and the walk to the Insurrection, he won’t be man enough to fight it. pic.twitter.com/V5viIP5Kt7
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) May 22, 2022
Conway, a prominent longtime Republican lawyer, called out the GOP for being silent on Trump's rhetoric because "they're terrified of him."
Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
"They're also terrified of a Republican base that's become increasingly radicalized," Conway told CNN. "That actually does believe that people who politically disagree with them are a threat to the nation and therefore violence could be necessary to fight them off, and that's what we saw in this social media post."
Conway called Trump's re-share of the post "appalling."
"The suggestion is that somehow we are headed towards civil war or there should be civil war, or something to that effect, and for a former president of the United States and leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination to even be talking about that and suggesting that is absolutely appalling," he said.
Trump shared the post on his Truth Social platform, though it was shared widely on Twitter, which banned him after the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is seeking to buy Twitter for about $44 billion, has said that he would reverse Trump's Twitter ban.
"I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump," he said earlier this month. "I think that was a mistake."
Army veteran David Weissman shared Trump's "retruth" and called out Musk for his comment.
"Hey @elonmusk, did you see Trump supporting a call for a civil war on his Truth Social platform?" he wrote. "Are you sure you want that on this site if your deal follows through?"
Read more:
