Longtime Fargo commentators say political discourse has been changing

Following the recent assassinations of Minnesota State Representative and conservative activist

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Over the last several years, politics has become a touchy subject for many to talk about with friends, family, or peers. And for local commentators, touching on the subject is also hard, especially following the recent assassinations of DFL Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“It’s just sad what’s happening to this country. And it’s not just this country, it’s the world. So for me, it was probably, I don’t know, three years ago, four years ago. I just started slowing up on politics. I just kept my show at a more let’s talk local issues, you know, maybe local politics. If we have to hit a national thing, then we’ll hit it if it’s a big story like Charlie Kirk, what’s going on right now,” said Jay Thomas, WDAY Radio.

Thomas has been a talk show radio host at WDAY Radio for the past seventeen years. He explains that in the beginning, it was easy to talk to politicians and walk away for the day. But he says social media has misinformed people on what is real and not real.

While at KFGO, Joel Heitkamp’s show, ‘News and Views,’ he focuses on issues from politics to public service announcements and sports to government spending. As a former North Dakota state senator, talking politics is not difficult. But he says that he has seen the environment change when it comes to politics.

“This side is mad and that side is mad. And you know everybody blames us on talk radio, but quite frankly, where we’re at is where they come to express the fact that they’re mad. So, I don’t think we can get blamed for the fact that these people use our medium to sit there and come and call BS on each other,” said Heitkamp.

Both Thomas and Heitkamp have received threats from the public in the past. While they have seen these threats, they say they are not running away from their microphones anytime soon.

“I have no reason to feel threatened about anything, but I’m sure that Melissa Hortman, Speaker Hortman, and Charlie Kirk probably felt that they didn’t feel threatened either. So, I guess you don’t know until you know. Which is sort of a horrible place we’re in this country right now,” said Mike McFeely, InForum Columnist.

McFeely said he also does not believe things will change.

“If we’re not uniting over school shootings, when you know five-year-olds are being shot to death, we’re certainly not going to unify over the death of a democrat politician in Minnesota. And we’re certainly not going to unify, I don’t believe, over the death of a conservative commentator,” said McFeely.

Political leaders from across the nation on both sides of the aisle have called for a de-escalation in political rhetoric in recent days.