A nation already profoundly divided during one of the most turbulent eras of its modern history was rocked to its core by the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, which ushers in a somber new chapter in America’s cursed history of political violence.
There can be no more clear assault on democracy and the fundamental freedom of every American to elect their leaders than the targeting of a sitting president during a campaign rally mere days before to his acceptance of the Republican nomination.
Gunfire erupted as the presumed GOP nominee took the stage, with his customary legion of followers in the bleachers behind him, waving placards and donning their MAGA gear. As screams erupted and the surrealness of the situation hit him, he drew back, clutched his face, and vanished behind his podium.
According to the ex-president’s subsequent statements, he was hurried away from the scene after feeling a bullet rip through the skin of his ear, which bled. The gunman’s rounds, fired from a rooftop beyond the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally’s perimeter, were just narrowly avoided being far worse.
An iconic shot captured by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci showed a still-alive, bloodied Trump being led away from the platform by Secret Service agents—his fist raised in defiance, the American flag flying in the backdrop. Whatever the politically unknown fallout from a once-sunny afternoon that became a nightmare, the image will characterize a tumultuous political era.
Awful connections
The sound of gunshots and the image of a political figure falling to the ground while Secret Service agents jumped on top of him to protect him reawakened deep-seated historical memories.
Though he is not in office at the moment, Trump’s wounds highlights the constant danger that candidates for president, and particularly those who actually hold the job, face. Joe Biden is the 46th president to serve, and tragically, four of his predecessors—including John F. Kennedy in 1963—died while in office. The assault on Trump puts an end to four decades of widespread belief that the Secret Service’s competence had substantially diminished the likelihood of such atrocities, and it will throw a gloom that will last for years.
There were parallels between the 1968 assassination of Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy and Trump’s targeting during his campaign for president. That year was bloody, with the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and violence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which will be the site of the same event this year.
However, since then, political violence has persisted. Former Arizona Democrat and congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords suffered brain damage in 2011 after being shot in the head during a protest that killed six people. Three others, including then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, were shot in 2017 when a gunman opened fire at a baseball practice for Republicans in Congress. On January 6, 2021, Trump loyalists attacked the US Capitol, and the country is still reeling from it.
At the gathering, Trump supporter Joseph Meyn had a glimpse of the former president falling and the murder victim taking a blow to the head. He spoke to AWN’s Alayna Treene with amazing eloquence considering the horror of what he witnessed, describing the incident as a sign of a nation engulfed in political rage.
“It looks like everyone is really offended. There appears to be an abundance of irate individuals in the world. This happened, and I am not surprised. “I can’t believe it happened right next to me while I was sitting here,” he exclaimed. “It is really terrible. This country should not be engaged in political discourse at a level where this can occur.
As an example, “JFK, RFK, MLK… ” There was an attempt on Reagan’s life, and now there’s an attempted assassination of Trump. The idea is completely absurd. The political arena should not be seen as a zero-sum game in which one side always comes out on top.
Unbelievable election takes another unexpected turn
With Saturday’s shocking developments, the already unpredictable election year took an even wilder turn. Biden, the oldest president in history, is fighting for his nomination following a disastrous debate performance. Meanwhile, a New York jury convicted Trump, 78, and he has promised to wage a second term of “retribution” if reelected.
A sense of comfort that a presidential candidate is alive and a sense of grief for the Trump supporter murdered while expressing their right to free speech at the rally were the only acceptable early reactions to the tragedy.
Nearly all political figures and leaders on both sides of the aisle prayed for Trump and urged him to remain calm immediately.
While at mass in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Biden learned of the shooting and immediately stepped into his job as the nation’s chief president. He has spent days trying to shore up his campaign. First, he made a written statement, and then he addressed the country via television.
We must come together as a nation to condemn and condemn this sort of violence. It has no place in the United States. This must not be allowed to continue. No way can we act in such a way. This is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate it,” Biden stated.
According to him, the ex-president was at a gathering that “should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem.” He also claimed to have tried calling “Donald.” Early Sunday morning, the president left his beach residence and headed back to Washington, DC, where he was able to reconnect with his predecessor.
Considering how deeply divided American politics is, the immediate shock of the assassination attempt is sure to have far-reaching political consequences.
The crowds at Trump rallies treated him with an almost mystical respect, and his fans already saw him as an unbeatable hero. This would further solidify the public’s perception of him as a warrior who is under continual assault. In a moment of self-possession after he was hit, the former president made sure to create an iconic moment of defiance – raising his fist and shouting “fight, fight” to his crowd – looking directly at the bank of television cameras on a riser.
The images will stand in history and enrich Trump’s mythology just as surely as the picture of his mug shot in at Atlanta jail and the footage of his return to the White House in 2020 after beating a serious Covid-19 infection.
Before the president’s campaign plummeted after his terrible debate performance, it was already in the lead with Biden, thus there could be unforeseen consequences for the upcoming election. This week, in Milwaukee, there will be an even more electric vibe surrounding the Republican National Convention.
Already on Saturday, there were calls for investigations of how a gunman – outside the security perimeter of the rally – was able to get Trump in his sights in a massive failure of security that will rumble on for months and will have implications for all future presidential and campaign events.
After yet another disturbing example of the results that heated political discourse may have in a country where firearms are readily available, many leaders from both parties are already lamenting its intensity. We shall see whether the shocking events of Saturday, which could have gone much worse, manage to rein in Trump’s destructive political culture.
“Political violence is terrifying,” Giffords remarked in a statement, among the most moving responses. I know.” She added: “I’m holding former President Trump, and all those affected by today’s indefensible act of violence in my heart. Political violence is un-American and is never acceptable – never.”
Although it is absolutely unacceptable, violence has left an indelible mark on American politics, according to history.
