(Image courtesy of BBC) “Trump immediately after the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt”
Julia McAuley
Connector Contributor
July 13th. September 14th. Pennsylvania. Florida. Giving a speech. Golfing. Staged. Conspiracy. A result of political rhetoric. The American population was sharply divided in the ways they viewed and responded to the gunman who fired shots at President Trump from a rooftop and the man who carried a rifle into Trump’s golf club. Both stories, suspects, and aftermaths sparked passionate discourse from every side.
The first incident happened mid-summer, on July 13th, 2024. The former President was speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when multiple gunshots were fired from a rooftop 450 feet from Trump’s stage. The eight shots fired by the gunman in under six seconds did not land any fatal blows. Many hit the glass podium Trump was standing behind, and one, according to the FBI, grazed the former President’s ear. The Secret Service immediately swarmed the former president and pulled him off the stage, but not before he stood up, holding his fist to the crowd in a perceived gesture of defiance. The FBI later confirmed the incident as an attempted assassination, citing 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Cooke and his AR-15-style weapon as responsible for the attack.
The second incident was a little bit different. About a week ago, Trump was golfing at his estate in Florida. Secret Service agents reported spotting a man with a rifle in the bushes. The man was Ryan Youth. Whether this was a coincidence, bad timing, or an action with a nefarious purpose is still being decided by The Federal Bureau of Investigation. But that does not discourage the average American from having a thing or two to say about it. Millions have been debating whether somebody tried to take the Ex-President’s life for the second time in this election cycle.
One of the most striking aspects of the Trump assassinations is the discussion surrounding Trump’s perception post-attempt and how it will affect his race against Vice President Harris in November. How will people perceive Trump now? Has it put him in a positive light to more Americans? Will it give him an edge against the Vice President?
Presidential debates are great ways to gauge voter’s perceptions of the candidates. The debate between Trump and Harris proved a few things about each candidate. Previously, when the ex-President debated President Biden, Trump was seen by many as the winner of the debate as well as the more robust candidate. To many Americans, Biden seemed frail, and while the public knew that he had always struggled with giving speeches and debate, his age caused doubts in the American people. Department Chair Joshua Dyck explained, “What his performance [in the debate] did leaned into the perception of his biggest weakness.”
During the Trump-Harris debate, Trump did not have an advantage similar to his previous debate, nor was he the perceived winner according to most polling. This may indicate that the Former President’s image has not changed significantly since the first attempt. The stagnation in his national polling indicates a similar notion. Further, it confirms that the incidents, while influencing public discourse massively, will not significantly affect the election outcome.
