Will the assassination attempt on Trump change America? Security takes a back seat in US

On July 13, 2024, US presidential candidate Donald Trump became the target of a failed assassination attempt that, unfortunately, resulted in human casualties. During a pre-election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, six minutes into Trump's speech, shots were fired from an AR-15 automatic rifle. The gunfire came from the roof of a nearby building, which was outside the perimeter checked by security forces. A bullet passed just a few millimeters from Trump's head, grazing his ear, but two other rally participants suffered serious injuries, and one person was killed.

The Secret Service agents shielded Donald Trump with their bodies and then escorted him away from the rally amidst cheering supporters of the presidential candidate. The media has been reporting conflicting information regarding the identity of the person who committed the terrorist act. Most often mentioned is the name of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who managed to fire several shots before being shot dead by agents. Other versions suggest the shooter was a Chinese national or a member of the antifa movement.

The assassination attempt on Donald Trump became another episode in the long and bloody history of political terrorism in the USA. Over its less than three-hundred-year history, four sitting US presidents have been killed: Abraham Lincoln in 1865, James A. Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, and John F. Kennedy in 1963. Three presidents, one current and two former—Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump—have survived unsuccessful assassination attempts.

A much broader list includes prominent public and political figures in the United States who have fallen victim to assassins. Among them are senators like Huey Long and Robert Kennedy, civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and others. Throughout the country's history, over fifty US politicians have been killed by gunfire or firearms. However, even these well-known names are just the tip of the iceberg. According to former FBI agent Frank J. Rafalko's book, from January 1, 1968, to July 9, 1970, there were 4,568 terrorist bombings and 35,000 (!) bomb threats in the United States. This does not include various armed uprisings that have shaken America at various points in its history.

The USA has a centuries-old tradition of eliminating political opponents through violence. Often, the perpetrators of these assassination attempts are merely instruments of high-ranking and powerful individuals who commission the killings, as was possibly the case in the assassination of John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald.

Former US President Donald Trump is a polarizing figure who has sparked irritation among a significant portion of the American establishment. His victory in the 2016 election came as an unpleasant surprise to many US politicians. Even many senators and sponsors of the Republican Party believed that Trump was not the most suitable candidate for the presidency. Throughout his presidency, numerous accusations were levelled against Donald Trump, including allegations of secret ties with Russia. Representatives of the Democratic Party in the US Congress began attempts to impeach the president, and the media campaign against Trump became a permanent fixture in American life. Liberal and progressive publications portrayed the Republican candidate as the embodiment of absolute evil, a man who would lead the United States towards dictatorship or disaster.

Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, although many supporters believed there were instances of fraud and manipulation in the election. In the subsequent years, the former US president faced numerous allegations related to fraud and financial abuses. In February 2024, a court in New York found Donald Trump guilty in a case involving fraud in the valuation of The Trump Organization's assets and ordered him to pay a fine of $355 million. However, this case is far from the only set of charges brought against Trump.

In 2024, Donald Trump once again announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Despite numerous lawsuits and media campaigns against him, by mid-summer, even Democrats understood that the Republican was the favorite in the current pre-election race. The incumbent Democratic president, Joe Biden, due to his advanced age and health condition, was unable to compete effectively against a more assertive opponent. This sparked panic within the Democratic Party leadership, which had apparently planned to govern the USA for the next four years with a less capable Biden in office.

Today, few would dare to directly accuse the Democratic Party and the American "deep state" of conspiring to eliminate Donald Trump. However, there is undoubtedly an atmosphere of hatred surrounding the Republican presidential candidate that has been amplified by "progressive" media in recent years. As noted by Americanist Malek Dudakov: "Of course, conspiracy theories have a right to exist, including the possibility that Democrats or even Trump himself could have been involved to bolster his position in the presidential race. But given the current political polarization in the USA, and considering that Americans have over five hundred million firearms, it could have been the initiative of a lone individual with mental health issues."

It is also relevant to recall the recent failed assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, where a fervent liberal, Juraj Cintula, fired shots, perceiving the Prime Minister as a threat to democracy.

Currently, the incident will likely play into Trump's and his supporters' hands. The unsuccessful attempt on Ronald Reagan in 1981 garnered wavering and sympathetic votes for him, and a similar narrative could unfold today. Many observers have suggested that after the shots in Butler, the outcome of the US election campaign may already be predetermined. However, it's advisable not to rush to such conclusions. Given the polarization of American public opinion, societal tensions, and the desperation among a segment of the elite who are determined to prevent Donald Trump from returning to the Oval Office at any cost, new dramatic and unforeseen events cannot be ruled out.

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their op-eds may differ from and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.