On Sunday night, 57-year-old Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with murder following the largest manhunt in the history of the US state of Minnesota.

Mr Boelter is suspected of shooting and killing a Democratic politician and her husband and of shooting and wounding a Democratic senator and his wife on Saturday.

That same day, Donald Trump celebrated his birthday by holding a carefully choreographed military parade in Washington DC, while across the country, millions of protesters took part in ‘No Kings’ demonstrations.

What do we know about the Minnesota attacks and what do these shootings mean for the safety of American lawmakers?

To what degree is Trump’s rhetoric prompting violence against politicians in the US?

And what do these mass demonstrations, and Trump’s response to protesters, tell us about the country’s deteriorating political situation?

Today, on In The News, have the divisive politics of Trump’s second term reached boiling point?

Professor of International Politics at the UCD Clinton Institute Scott Lucas joins the podcast.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. 

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