New Delhi/Ram Ajhor. Last Sunday (Saturday according to US local time), an attempt was made to assassinate Donald Trump during an election rally at the Butler Farm Show in the US state of Pennsylvania. The former president was bleeding during the incident, but he did not suffer serious injuries. Security personnel killed the gunman on the spot. After this incident, a press conference was held by the White House in a hurry, in which President Joe Biden condemned the incident and expressed sympathy for Trump. After this, voices started rising against this incident from all over the world. Top leaders from all over the world, including PM Narendra Modi, condemned this violence, expressing concern for Trump and other victims.
On the contrary, people on social media platforms were citing various conspiracies behind this incident. According to Trump’s critics, this was a pre-planned political stunt. Trump needs this in the current circumstances. Trump believes that leftist forces are behind this. It is worth noting that the FBI identified the dead gunman killed in the retaliatory action of the Secret Services as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was a Republican.
The doubts and suspicions of people on both sides of the political corridor clearly show that the political divide in America is deepening. People standing on both sides of it are looking at each other with hatred. It is certain that in the coming days, during the presidential election campaign, both the stalwarts will try to get maximum mileage on this basis. Amidst all this, Democrats and Republicans should not turn a blind eye to the increase in political violence. Both will have to show seriousness regarding this matter.
When Trump, who had a narrow escape after the firing, was being taken out of the spot by security personnel, he expressed his intentions by raising his fist in the air. During this, he attracted the full attention of the people present on the spot and the media with loud slogans. Trump has repeated this exercise earlier also, when he questioned Biden’s ability and mental strength to tear apart his election campaign.
Now it is believed that Trump will focus his entire attention on exposing Biden’s alleged hollow policies and his party’s far-right agenda. Democrats believe that this could alienate many swing voters from them. Trump’s image has become well known after the Capitol Hill violence. Everyone is well aware of his political character, that is, despite being a victim of an assassination attempt, he is a presidential candidate who is known to promote political violence.
Two things have become clear from this shooting, first, the ongoing media trial on President Biden’s mental health will stop, even if only for a short while. Second, Trump, full of enthusiasm, will strongly present his strong claim in front of the Republican National Convention. Where his nomination will be confirmed. It is also believed that he will try to capitalize on this assassination attempt in every possible way, so that he can regain the throne of the White House with the political mileage he gets from it.
Trump will not only get sympathy from this incident but he will also be able to prove to the American public that Biden defeated him cunningly in 2020. Now Trump will say in a systematic way that the Biden administration harassed him as part of a well-planned conspiracy. His theory of interference in the 2020 presidential elections will now seem true to many Americans. The big thing is that now Donald Trump will present the legal proceedings against him as political persecution.
Even before this, Trump has been attacking the Biden administration. In the year 2022, he had alleged that the FBI harassed him in the name of investigation, and the federal government was using state machinery to get him killed. Interestingly, like Trump, the attitude of his supporters has been quite aggressive. For example, in the month of May, a New York court convicted him on charges of hooliganism, after which Trump’s supporters talked about attacking the court, killing the judge and committing arson. In the same sequence, as soon as the news of firing in Butler, Pennsylvania came to light, Trump supporters tried to forcibly enter the Butler Farm Show. Seeing the situation deteriorating, the security guards present on the spot stopped them. The pro-Trump crowd remained violent during that time.
For quite some time now, Trump has been giving very restrained statements. For the past one year, he has been talking about Republicans staying united and defeating evil. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see whether he will appeal to his supporters to remain calm and not get involved in political violence after the shooting incident? At present, Trump has a chance to keep his ambition aside and put the peace and security of the country above everything else. It is also believed that after facing death, he will now stop trying to provoke his supporters.
Perhaps his view on this issue may also change. If this possibility does not turn into reality, then bad times have already begun in America. In this list, the history of extremism of right-wing organizations on American soil is quite old. At the top of these comes the name of non-state actor Proud Boys, who have been involved in mass shootings, hostage taking and rioting while fueling political violence. Many experts believe that Trump can take help from such organizations, the chances of which are almost nil in the current circumstances.
If Donald Trump makes statements in his usual style, violent activities will get a further boost. It is also believed that an attempt to assassinate him can add more fuel to the fire of violent extremism. Biden understands this very well, so by speeding up the investigation, he is trying to loosen Trump’s aggressive attitude in the matter. Along with Trump and his Republican supporters, Biden will also have to take the Democrats’ supporters into confidence and assure them against racial and religious polarization. They will have to be assured that political violence will not become a major part of American politics.
This firing was on the verge of becoming a major tragedy in American history. A gap of a few millimetres saved American democracy from becoming a dark chapter. This incident can prove to be a turning point in the US presidential race. At present, there is a lot of pressure on President Biden to stop the tension brewing within American society. In such a situation, he can give an open message of the strength of American democracy to the world by ensuring peace and decency.
(Disclaimer: These are the personal views of the author. The author himself is responsible for the truth/accuracy of any information given in the article. News18Hindi is not responsible for this.)
Tags: Donald Trump, Joe Biden
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 15, 2024, 24:31 IST