CNN’s Gergen: Trump Unleashed the Dogs of Hatred in This Country

EXCERPT:

GERGEN: "I expected far more than he did. Yes, he should have acknowledged both presidents. Jeff Zeleny was right, he should have reached out to the former presidents, assured them of the continued help from the FBI and others and Secret Service. But I think most of all, he should have taken some responsibility. He completely refused to do that. He hasn’t taken an ounce of responsibility or accountability for this whole thing. I think what he needs to understand is, Donald Trump unleashed the dogs of hatred in this country from the day he declared he was running for president, and they’ve been snarling and barking at each other ever since. It’s just inevitable. There are going to be acts of violence that grow out of that. A president’s duty, he says, first duty, is to provide for the safety of the country. How do you make the country safe here at home? You keep us together. You keep us in a civil conversation. You try to unite people. He’s failing in that. If he understood it, he could completely change the tone of this country, but I’m sorry, right now, I think Jeff Zucker had it nailed, as did Jeff Zeleny, we’re in a situation where president of the United States, on a really important issue, when people’s lives are at stake, is not stepping up to his responsibility. "