FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RALEIGH, NC – America is a nation blessed with freedoms much of the world only dreams of: the right to protest, to speak freely, and to challenge leaders without fear of persecution. But in today’s two-party political climate, those freedoms have too often been corrupted. Protest devolves into provocation. Debate descends into demonization. And violent rhetoric becomes just another tool in a partisan toolbox—resulting in the destruction of property and innocent people getting hurt, or worse. 

We saw the worst of these consequences this past weekend, when a radicalized Donald Trump supporter in Minnesota posed as a police officer and killed Democratic Representative Melissa Hortman while critically injuring State Senator John Hoffman. The alleged assailant left behind a hit list targeting pro-choice and Democratic officials.

Of course, we have seen this play out on a national level as well, with President Trump surviving two assassination attempts during his campaign in the runup to the 2024 election. 

This weekend’s events also unfortunately hit closer to home, however, with North Carolina Democratic State Representative Julie von Haefen taking to social media to portray an image of a protester from Saturday’s “No Kings” rally in Raleigh who carried what appeared to be a guillotine along with the severed heads of President Trump and Elon Musk with a swastika engraved onto his forehead. Instead of condemning this disturbing imagery, Rep. von Haefen amplified it to her followers on X. Only after significant public backlash did she quietly edit the video and deactivate her X account. But the damage had already been done.

This is not the first time North Carolinians have been subjected to such behavior from politicians in our own state. As recently as last year, candidates for Governor and State Superintendent invoked imagery and espoused violent rhetoric both publicly and privately towards their political opponents, including suggesting that former President Obama be subject to a firing squad. 

This is not politics as usual. It’s the normalization of extremism. And we are better than this.

That is why the North Carolina Forward Party unequivocally opposes heated rhetoric and political violence of all forms, and stands against the casual tolerance of it when it fits a partisan narrative. We reject the double standards that have enabled political outrage—where acts of hostility are dismissed or downplayed when committed by one’s own side.

As our friend and fellow political observer Brian Groesser, a local attorney and host of the popular podcast The Middle American, recently said: “It is fine that we as Americans do not agree on every issue. But we must accept those differences through debate and dialogue, not demonization and death.  The two-party system has created an “us versus them” mentality that carries with it an attitude of anything goes so long as it’s done in the name of the party,” Groesser added. “Any time violence occurs, we are so quick to identify the political affiliation of the shooter so that blame can be placed, even if the hands doing the pointing are themselves unclean. We cannot wait for the trigger to be pulled or for the assailant’s party affiliation to be revealed before we collectively condemn the climate that this type of behavior has created. As citizens of a civil society, we have a responsibility to call out instances that stray from our shared ideals, whether from politicians, pundits or the populous.”

The Forward Party is proud to stand alongside voices like Brian’s who are demanding better from our public servants—both Democrat and Republican and everyone in between. The two-party system has hardened Americans into warring camps. But the vast majority of us—those in the middle, the decent, the tired but hopeful—are still here. We still believe in dialogue over destruction. Debate over dehumanization.

It should not take a bloodstained headline or a political slogan screamed before gunfire for our nation’s leaders to speak with moral clarity. The rhetoric, the hateful symbols—we must call them out before they metastasize into real-world harm.

President Abraham Lincoln once famously warned, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Those words ring as true today as when they were delivered 167 years ago. As we prepare to celebrate our 250th anniversary as a Nation, our country’s two major political parties continue to push further toward the extremes and exhibit divisive and counterproductive behavior. In response, the Forward Party invites all North Carolinians to help us build a politics grounded not in vengeance or victory, but in values—one that prioritizes decency, civility, integrity, decorum, and a dedication to the safety and prosperity of all American people. To that standard, we welcome all who are ready to move forward.

Brian Groesser | Host of The Middle American Podcast
[email protected]
X: @MidAmericanPod

Nolan Fraver | NCFP Press Secretary 
[email protected]