I Worked for Trump for Years. Watching Him Get Shot Was Horrifying | Opinion

Like every decent American, I was horrified to hear of the assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump on Saturday. Like so many others, I am concerned for our nation, which literally came an inch from turmoil the likes of which we have not seen in decades. And I am grateful that so many public figures and institutions, from politicians to major media outlets, have spoken up to denounce political violence without reservation. The only acceptable response was widespread, unequivocal condemnation, from even those lawmakers and editorial boards that openly revile our former president. Thankfully, that is the response we got, except for some conspiracy-crazed outliers.

I have received many messages since Saturday from people around the world expressing support—and fear—for America and President Trump. Their fear for the state of the world is well-placed when Americans suggest that we cannot control our internal divisions, much less lead a turbulent world. Our divided nation must learn once again that we can argue passionately without demonizing each other or our opponents' policies. That starts with remembering that what binds us as Americans is a shared commitment to our fellow citizens' welfare—their safety, security, health, and prosperity. This is especially important as we enter the height of election season, when our partisan passions are at their height.

I was deeply troubled along another dimension, too. As a longtime former employee of President Trump—nearly 23 years in total—I have had the opportunity to see him as few others have, as a hard-working leader, a caring husband, a devoted father, and a boss dedicated to his employee's success and well-being. For many people, he has been reduced to a symbol, either of everything that is wonderful about the world (to his most ardent supporters), or a destroyer of democracy (to those attacking him with misleading, false and outlandish accusations). An attempt on his life seems like the culmination of treating him as an avatar, rather than as a fellow human being.

Of course, he is not just an avatar. He is, among other things, a gifted leader who highlighted many overlooked problems plaguing America. He sought public office to fix these problems, often in unconventional ways. Agree or not with how he pursued his goals or the way he spoke about them, it is difficult to deny that he spoke for millions upon millions of Americans who felt they finally had a voice. Yet even before this weekend, many critics have been so hyper-focused on their animosity toward Trump, his style of communication, or his proposed policy solutions that they lost sight of their own decency.

Dehumanizing our fellow Americans got us into this mess. Re-humanizing them will get us out of it. It would behoove those who attack Trump to remember that he, too, has a family he loves and that loves him—a wife, children and grandchildren who have quietly sacrificed tremendously for our country over the last decade. President Trump, like every human being, has ideals, opinions, habits, strengths, and even weaknesses. Love his behavior or hate it, he has not hidden his humanity. If anything, he wears his humanity on his sleeve by speaking openly and honestly about what's really going on in his head.

Those who claimed, preposterously, that he was a Hitlerian figure motivated to do evil should ask themselves what role they played in setting the stage for Saturday's attack by downplaying that humanity. They should take stock of those iconic images of Trump's bloodied face and listen to the anguished family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed in Saturday's assassination attempt. They should ask themselves: Is there a way to advance their cause without the rhetoric that can lead to, or even justify, violence? I know we can find a way.

In the Jewish tradition, the key principle guiding our behavior toward others is that each person is made in God's image. Too many politicians, media figures, and political operatives seem to have forgotten that no matter how deeply they believe someone is making wrong, even harmful decisions, human life is equally, infinitely valuable.

That is a major problem. In a sense, the rest of our religious and political traditions flow from that principle. Everything we do together as Americans is geared toward seeking to provide others with the opportunity to live as free and dignified equals.

When our politics are infected with rhetoric suggesting that violence is appropriate, it is a sign that we have lost sight of the purpose of politics in the first place. It is a sign that we are losing our humanity.

Politics is rough business, brutal, at times. It will never be gentle or easy. But we must do better if we want to lead the free world. Right now, our allies and enemies alike are wondering if the United States is on a downward spiral. An attack on a former (and likely future) President puts that question into sharp relief. Will we choose decline or resilience?

But ultimately, it is incumbent on all of us as fellow citizens to remember that the United States is, and must remain, a beacon of hope for the world. The United States must continue to set a great example for the world. We are a country of more than 330 million people of infinite worth and potential, a country that stands for the promise that we can govern ourselves in a free society under the rule of law.

Every single one of us—public figures and private citizens alike—faces an urgent task: How can we take steps towards making our politics healthy again? Let us capitalize on the many things on which we agree. From there, we can respectfully, reasonably, and passionately negotiate our many disagreements, deep as they may be, as we try to steer our great nation towards security and prosperity in this very complicated and increasingly dangerous world.

Jason Greenblatt was the White House Middle East envoy in the Trump administration. He is the author of the widely acclaimed book "In the Path of Abraham" and the Founder of Abraham Venture LLC. X: @GreenblattJD

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.