Right wing violence hits church, White House scrambles
The David Pakman Show - September 29, 2025
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Over the weekend, a tragic shooting occurred at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, when 40-year-old Marine veteran Thomas Sanford drove a truck into the building, opened fire, and set it on fire, killing at least four people and wounding eight others before being killed by police. Sanford’s social media and public activities indicate strong right-wing beliefs, including support for Donald Trump, Turning Point USA, and anti-vaccine and anti-abortion positions. While investigators are still determining his precise motive, the incident highlights broader issues of mass shootings in the U.S.
Donald Trump’s response to the Michigan church shooting was notably restrained compared to his past rhetoric. In a Truth Social post, he condemned the violence and urged prayers for the victims while framing the incident as “another targeted attack on Christians in the United States.” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s White House press secretary, echoed this selective framing during a Fox News appearance. She described the Michigan shooting as a “targeted attack on Christians” while avoiding any mention of the shooter’s pro-Trump, anti-vaccine, and anti-abortion beliefs.
The shooting has sparked discussions about how right-wing narratives manipulate perceptions of political violence. Despite decades of data showing that most domestic political violence in the U.S. is right-wing, Trump has promoted the notion that left-wing violence is surging in 2025. Articles like Axios’s coverage superficially suggest a spike in left-wing attacks, but the underlying CSIS data show right-wing incidents remain far more numerous and lethal.
Trump is also facing criticism from his former White House lawyer, Ty Cobb, who publicly condemned his efforts to rewrite history and pursue politically motivated actions, including the indictment of James Comey. Cobb emphasized Trump’s past transgressions, including inciting the January 6 insurrection and mishandling classified documents, labeling the Comey case unconstitutional and authoritarian.
Additionally, Trump posted a fake AI-generated video promoting “medbeds,” futuristic pods claiming to cure disease and reverse aging, which went viral to millions before being deleted. These incidents highlight the contradictions, unintended consequences, and dangers of misinformation associated with Trump’s messaging.
Finally, Rahm Emanuel, former US Ambassador to Japan, former Chicago mayor, and former Obama Chief of Staff, joins us to discuss his potential 2028 message centered on affordability, education, and health care. He argues both parties have failed working families and calls for pragmatism over culture wars.
On today’s bonus show:
Mayor Eric Adams drops out of the New York City mayoral race after polling in the single digits. Missouri Republicans approve new congressional maps likely to net the GOP one more House seat. And rising housing costs are fueling a trend of friends purchasing homes together.
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