The two spoke together about rising political violence Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral, a rare bipartisan event in a deeply polarized country. Both criticized their parties for not doing enough to cool partisan tensions and condemn political violence when it impacts their opponents.
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“Seventy percent of Americans hate what’s happening in politics right now. They’re desperate for something different,” Cox said, growing impassioned. “And yes, you can point to the president, but I’m just here to tell you that neither party is interested in addressing that market failure right now.” Cox added: “Until one of these parties decides we’re going to do something different, that we’re going to go back to treating each other with dignity and respect … then we’re never going to get out of this.”
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“We need to begin by saying that all leaders must condemn all political violence — not cherry-pick which violence to condemn and which violence to accept,” Shapiro said. “When you’re a governor, when you’re a president of the United States, you are looked to for that moral clarity. And we have a president of the United States right now that fails that test on a daily basis.”