After a second 'assassination attempt' on Trump, party leaders, political experts in NC sound off

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Local party leaders and political experts are once again speaking out following an apparent assassination attempt -- the second such incident in two months.

On Sunday, former President Donald Trump was the target of an apparent attempt on his life on his Florida golf course, roughly two months after being grazed by a bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Former Wake County GOP Chair Steve Bergstrom said it's time to scale back ad hominem attacks in politics or risk an escalation of political violence.

"If you disagree with his positions, go out and make that argument. But we cannot continue to malign individuals and to bash them in the public arena because we don't like them personally," Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom believes political discourse has become dangerously weaponized and wants to see a return to humanity in politics.

"There has got to be a return to the sanctity that we have for the lives of one another," he said.

Current Wake County GOP leadership wasn't available for an interview on Sunday, but said they would continue praying for President Trump and his family. NC GOP leadership referred ABC11 to a Trump campaign statement confirming that the former President was safe following the incident.

Political experts are also weighing in on the most recent attempt on President Trump's life.

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"I think it's just going to underline to the American public again -- or reinforce the American public's view -- that politics is kind of getting out of control, getting out of hand," said Mac McCorkle, Professor of the Practice at Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. "Rhetoric and divisiveness is just starting to dominate our politics in a way that I don't think either Republicans or Democrats like."

McCorkle believes it's too early to say how this latest incident could impact things come November, but he's concerned about what's causing the violent flare-up.

"I think there's a sense that a lot of mentally vulnerable people are being driven or encouraged to take violent action that's just unprecedented," he said.

In a statement to ABC11, Wake County Democratic Party Chair Kevyn Creech said:

"Running for office, no matter what the electoral level, should not mean that a candidate's life should ever be at risk. Thank goodness for the Secret Service's vigilance during today's assassination attempt. That said, the United States has a very unique and ongoing gun violence problem. Our leaders, and in particular our Republican leaders, have failed to enact and enforce common sense gun laws, which has led to an epidemic of gun violence. It is our sincere hope that our leaders will come to their senses and take safety as seriously as they seem to take the expansion of firearm availability."

ABC11's attempts to reach North Carolina Democratic Party leadership were unsuccessful.