Can the temperature be turned down?

In the 48 hours since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has made repeated pleas to the nation to turn down its rhetoric amid the 2024 presidential election.

“You know, the political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. And we all have a responsibility to do that,” Biden said in an address from the Oval Office Sunday night. “Yes, we have deeply felt, strong disagreements. The stakes in this election are enormously high.”