Radical Empathy For Some, Radical Accountability For Others

Two recent stories — one out of Des Moines, Iowa, and the other out of Virginia — caught my attention. But more than the stories themselves, the reactions from the Left stood out.

In Des Moines, a school superintendent was arrested after fleeing from ICE and later found with a loaded gun, knife, and cash in his possession. Progressive voices quickly rallied to his defense, calling for “radical empathy” and framing him as a victim of an unjust system.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Democratic leaders — including the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee and Neera Tanden — reaffirmed their support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones, even after text messages surfaced in which he fantasized about murdering Republican colleagues. Their response? A plea to “let those without sin cast the first stone.”

Yet when someone on the Right — say, Donald Trump — faces accusations of a white-collar crime, the tone changes completely. Suddenly, the cry is for “radical accountability” and the full weight of the law, even when statutes of limitation have expired. Add to that the zero sympathy he received from the Left after two assassination attempts.

It’s a striking pattern: radical empathy for ideological allies, radical accountability for political opponents. The words sound virtuous, but in practice they reveal something far less noble — a deep hypocrisy that treats morality not as a universal principle, but as a partisan weapon.

The Des Moines Case: Radical Empathy on Demand

On September 26th, Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after fleeing a “targeted enforcement operation.” Police took Roberts into custody while he carried a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. According to ICE officials, Roberts (originally from Guyana) had no work authorization and faced a final order of removal from the United States.

In response, School Board Chair Jackie Norris called Roberts “an integral part of our school community” and urged the district to practice “radical empathy.”

Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown and Des Moines Education Association President Anne Cross also praised Roberts, saying:

Since being hired as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, we have known Dr. Roberts to be a tremendous advocate for students, families, staff, and the community. His leadership and compassion for all students, regardless of background, identity, or family origin, are a beacon of light in one of the state’s most diverse school districts.

It is a dark and unsettling time in our country. This incident has created tremendous fear for DMPS students, families, and staff. We call on the community to come together and support each other.

Under federal law, however, an illegal alien cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition:

It shall be unlawful for any person… who, being an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition. — 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)

So much for the party of gun control.

The Virginia Case: Let Those Without Sin Cast the First Stone

An even more disturbing example of leftist hypocrisy — especially after the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk — involves Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones. In 2022, Jones sent text messages to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner in which he fantasized about harming Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children:

Three people, two bullets … Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.

If those guys die before me, I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves.

Jones later wrote that Gilbert and his wife were “evil” and “breeding little fascists.” He also hoped Gilbert’s children would die, claiming,

Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.

In response to such vile language, the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee didn’t demand accountability. Instead, they reaffirmed their support, saying:

Recent press may have spotlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone. Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized, and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows.

No major Democratic politician or left-wing organization withdrew support. None. The endorsement list still includes figures like Senator Cory Booker and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.

What does it say about a movement that defends — or would elect — a man who fantasized about murdering his political opponents?

The Trump Case: Radical Accountability with No Empathy

In 2023, then former President Donald Trump faced 34 felony counts surrounding alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels in 2016. Prosecutors in New York stretched the statute of limitations beyond its normal five years through an interpretation uniquely applied to Trump — a classic display of radical accountability.

After two assassination attempts in 2024, many in the mainstream media blamed Trump himself.

The coverage showed continued calls for violence from the Left, yet no radical empathy for a husband, father, and grandfather who nearly lost his life publicly — twice. Instead, commentators blamed the intended victim of multiple murder plots for his own suffering.

Conclusion: A Culture of Hypocrisy

The pattern no longer hides. When progressives break the law, the Left rushes to defend them. When conservatives face accusations — no matter how weak — the Left rushes to destroy them. They show radical empathy for a superintendent who fled ICE with a loaded gun. They offer radical forgiveness to a Democrat who fantasized about killing his political opponents. But they demand radical accountability for Donald Trump — twisting the law, ignoring limits, and showing no compassion even after two attempts on his life.

A society that applies empathy and accountability by party line doesn’t pursue justice; it protects its tribe. The same activists and politicians who preach inclusion and compassion expose their own hypocrisy every time they reserve mercy for allies and vengeance for opponents. That kind of moral duplicity invites chaos and deepens division. Justice cannot survive in a nation that practices selective virtue.

As Catholics, I hope we see this for what it is: political theater masking overt hypocrisy.