EDITORIAL: Harris needs to lower the rhetorical temperature

Donald Trump isn’t a threat to democracy. Vice President Kamala Harris should acknowledge this before someone else tries to murder the former president.

On Sunday, the Secret Service stopped a would-be assassin at a golf course Mr. Trump was playing on. A federal criminal complaint stated that Ryan Wesley Routh may have been hiding near the course for around 12 hours. A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle sticking through the tree-lined perimeter. The agent opened fire, and Mr. Routh fled. At this point, authorities don’t believe Mr. Routh fired.

But he was within 400 yards of the current Republican presidential nominee. Even though that would have been a difficult shot, that’s dangerously close for someone with a rifle. If Mr. Routh had pulled his weapon back or the agent had been slightly less observant, Mr. Trump may have moved closer. This story almost had a tragic outcome. If you think the social fabric is frayed now, imagine how shredded it would be after an assassination.

This is the second time a gunman has targeted Mr. Trump. In July, a different man fired several shots at Mr. Trump. One hit him in the ear. Corey Comperatore, a rallygoer, died after jumping on top of his family. Seconds after being shot, Mr. Trump bravely and defiantly raised his fist and shouted to the crowd. Both Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris should receive the highest level of Secret Service protection throughout the rest of the campaign.

There’s little doubt that Mr. Routh despised Mr. Trump. In a book he wrote and probably self-published, he told Iran, “You are free to assassinate Trump.” He also called Mr. Trump a “fool” and a “buffoon.” He made small political donations to Democrats using ActBlue. His son told the Daily Mail that his dad hated Mr. Trump “as every reasonable person does.”

In April, Mr. Routh wrote on X, “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”

That phrase should sound familiar. Democrats have made similar comments for years.

“Democracy is on the ballot in November,” Ms. Harris wrote on X with a picture of Mr. Trump in July. Last week, she wrote, “Donald Trump is a danger to our troops, our security, and our democracy.

Two things can be true at once. First, anyone who attempts to assassinate a presidential candidate is responsible for his own actions. Also, years of claims that Mr. Trump is an existential threat to the country have made assassination attempts more likely.

Electing Mr. Trump won’t end the country. That should be obvious because he was already president. Ms. Harris and her allies should tone down their rhetoric.