In the wake of the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump, much attention has focused on heated political rhetoric in the 2024 presidential race. To capture a slice of the candidates’ language, we examined all of the campaign emails Mr. Trump and President Biden sent in the week before the deadly shooting at a Trump rally. Here’s how they discussed each other, their political rivals and what’s at stake in November’s election.
Soon after these emails were sent, a man fired multiple shots toward the stage during Mr. Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., killing one spectator and critically injuring two others. Immediately following the assassination attempt, Mr. Trump added the words “unity” and “peace” to some of his emails. Mr. Biden noted “the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics.” The following day, Mr. Trump assured supporters that “we will CRUSH the Far-Left plot to steal America.”