Political assassinations in the US From Kennedy to Trump

Should we be surprised by the Donald Trump incident? It should be recalled that on July 13, an assassination attempt was made on him: this attempt to kill the US presidential candidate occurred during his speech at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

However, before delving into the details of the assassination attempt, it is worth noting that many familiar with the history of political assassinations in the US immediately drew parallels with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Another association that might come to mind is that almost everyone involved in the investigation of that assassination was later killed. In the context of the Pennsylvania crime, one person who could have provided initial information has already died. Reports indicate that the killer was neutralised by return fire.

In general, it is worth noting that firearms in the United States are used both in political assassination attempts, as demonstrated by the Trump case, and in domestic situations. Experts of various stripes emphasise that in recent years, gun use in the United States has become so commonplace that it surprises no one, including school shootings. According to The Washington Post, there have been at least 38 mass shootings with victims in the country in 2023 alone, the highest number since 2006. Note that these are cases where four or more people are killed, while gun deaths of one to three people are not counted.

Returning to Trump, many were not surprised by the assassination attempt, considering other factors as well. The socio-political landscape in the US has become largely "unreasonable," largely due to the actions of key figures involved in the election campaign. The public has perceived mutual accusations, insults, and humiliations as a natural part of life in the country. Moral and ethical norms, as well as basic rules of engagement, have been cast aside in American political life.

Naturally, various theories about the incident began to emerge immediately. Some believe the assassination attempt was a form of revenge against Donald Trump, while others see it as a mere "signal" directed at him, given that the presidential candidate escaped with minor injuries. Most troublingly, this incident did not provoke the shock it should have.

Interestingly, some news agencies recalled Trump's May statement about Biden's plans to "get rid of the main competitor in the upcoming elections" (some write "eliminate"). However, some analysts disagree with this parallel, as Trump used this phrase to comment on a jury decision that found him guilty of document forgery in one of the criminal cases against him. At that time, Trump claimed that "behind the falsified process led by a corrupt judge stands President Biden, who is ready to eliminate his competitor." According to some analysts, Trump referred to a political paradigm, not a context of physical elimination.

However, supporters of the theory that Trump’s assassination was long-planned cite another episode from May. Back then, the former president pointed to a search protocol conducted at his residence, which resulted in the seizure of classified documents Trump had kept for personal use after his presidency ended. Trump pointed to a clause in the protocol allowing the use of force that could lead to death if there was an "imminent threat of death or serious physical harm to the searchers or others." Trump claimed that if anyone in his residence had threatened the searchers with a weapon, they would have had the right to open fire. Therefore, Trump accused Biden of creating a situation where the president’s political competitor could face "official" gunfire.

Several experts actually disagreed with Trump's interpretation of the situation, believing he was trying to divert Americans' attention from the problematic criminal case concerning his possession of classified documents.

Regardless, Saturday’s crime confirmed for many that political confrontation in the US could indeed take a criminal turn. The prevailing socio-political situation at the pinnacle of US politics is illustrative: when using criminal methods in election battles becomes a natural course of history.

Thus, observers familiar with Trump's remarks in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt on Saturday noted his use of the word "incredible" in the context of "that such an act could happen in our country" as a misjudgment. They emphasize that, on the contrary, such a situation is quite commonplace for contemporary America.

And that's saying something about the US ...

Teymur Atayev, specially for Caliber.Az

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their articles may differ from the editorial board's position and do not always reflect its views.