Like many Americans, I watched the television yesterday with a pit in my stomach, as the news media provided wall-to-wall coverage of the assassination attempt of former president Trump. I knew I was witnessing history. My thoughts went to the attempt on President Reagan in 1981, and of course, the Teddy Roosevelt shooting, whose folded speech prevented the bullet from entering his heart.
Aren’t we are better than this, I thought?
To be clear, I am no fan of Donald Trump. As I’ve written before, I believe he is a morally bankrupt, dumpster fire of a human being. His undiagnosed narcissistic personality disorder is perpetually on full display, and I believe his administration was one the worst in American history, right up there with Andrew Jackson’s, whose portrait hung in the Oval Office during Trump’s term.
(Nor do I support Biden, though I voted for him in the 2020 election. Like many others, I observe he is in the early to middle stages of dementia and I have serious doubts about his fitness to lead.)
But there is no place for violence in our political system. We Americans show our disagreement at the polling station, not through bullets. I remain saddened and shocked by the entire plot, which continues to unfold by the hour.
The young man, the alleged shooter now deceased, has been identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks. At just 20 years old, he was too young to buy alcohol but had access to at least two weapons, because an AR-15 was recovered at his home in Bethel, Pennsylvania. He threw his entire life away, and for what? He murdered a man yesterday, and mortally wounded two others – good people who were exercising their constitutional right to peacefully assemble and to support their candidate of choice. To call Crooks shamefully misguided would be a massive understatement.
In spite of the chaos that unfolded on the stage, I was amazed at the reaction of the crowd, who did not erupt into a stampede despite the obvious threat to their life. I don’t know if it’s because they were unclear about what was happening, or if they are the type of people who are naturally unafraid of violence and risk to their own life. I was encouraged by the account of the ER doctor who rendered CPR to one of the victims and the countless others who came to render aid.
The poetic nature of this entire scene is not lost on me. How many times has Donald Trump flirted with professional and political ruin, only to receive a last-minute reprieve from a court? Yesterday’s sequence was an allegory for his life; a bullet grazed his ear yet he regained his footing to hoist a defiant fist.
I wonder if yesterday’s tragedy will mark a turning point in our political rhetoric. At this moment, both Biden and Trump have the opportunity to turn down the noise of the social media rage machine and elevate the level of their discourse.
There’s nothing like a near-death experience to prompt an examination of one’s life choices. I hope for the sake of our country both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump will do so.
Peter Thomas is the Editor-in-Chief at HopNews.
Boy! — What a great job HopNews. While the blood is barely dry, you launch into an ugly tirade about former President Trump, who came within an inch of losing his life last night. Most of the decent world is calling for tamping down on the vicious, dangerous rhetoric. Then you go into THE POOR LITTLE BOY, an ode to a killer. Wow. I was expecting remarks of grace, kindness, and decency, as have come from many on both political sides. I am reminded of the old adage ” Discretion is the better part of valor.” Learn from that wisdom.
Did you even read this article?
Mr. Trump has called for violence. He tried to start a ‘Fight!’ chant as he was being escorted off the stage.
The registered Republican who shot at Mr. Trump could cause a shift by making EVERYONE see that the rhetoric is dangerous. It was what should have happened after the failed insurrection on January 6.
Instead, we have your folk looking for vengeance and attacking everyone who isn’t lockstep in Mr. Trump’s shadow.
Go take a breather, touch grass, and reexamine your ideals.
The left has been painting Trump as a “threat to democracy”, Biden said he need a target on his back, and comparing him to Hitler. And you call out Trump for raising his fist and chanting “fight” after being shot? Kinda hypocritical.
“Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don’t know.”
There are very fine people on both sides.
He has proven himself to be a threat to democracy, the left didn’t need to do any painting.
Democrats are the party now trying to oust their democratically elected nominee but that’s not a threat to democracy?. Do you just regurgitate everything Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough scream at you?
He was a 20 year old dude that only registered as a republican to vote against Trump in the primary. He hated Trump, do you think a guy that liked him would try to blow his head off?
*citation needed*
We know nothing beyond a potential donation and a Republican voter registration.
He was someone who has fed into this violent rhetoric and you are joining alongside.
We have a violence problem and Mr. Trump is using it to attempt become installed as a dictator. The party is using violent rhetoric to ‘combat’ this and play the victim.
I’d be disgusted, but this is a known playbook.
The only people installing politicians are the Democrats with this Kamala coup. Senile Joe has outlived his usefulness for the machine.
“Thinking”
The Fist Salute has been used through out History, for some it represents Power to the Common People?
Legions interpret his words as he is going to continually fight for the ‘Forgotten Hard Working, Americans’, and put ‘America First’.
So being a Registered Republican seals the Deal like the Warren Commission, Etc.?
Their are Internet Video’s of the alleged Perpetrator stating he hates PDJT, and Republicans.
IMO this whole situation ”Smell’s”, and many feel their is more to this Story, and Secret Service Security Failures?
”God Came Down and Swatted the Object Away, Enuff Said, IMO.”
*citation needed*
Even if you are the biggest Trump hater in the world, be thankful he wasn’t killed. I don’t think people realize what the fallout would have been to have the leading candidate for US president being taken out. It would have been Franz Ferdinand on steroids, the country would have been thrown into absolute chaos and our adversaries like Russia, China and Iran would have been further emboldened. Thank god he decided to turn to the right.
I will vote for Trump in a HOT SECOND over the literal dumpster fire called Kamala Harris. She is the most UNPRESIDENTIAL candidate EVER.
THAT is far more frightening than DJT again. Look at her record in California as AG. She’s a monster….not even in disguise
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you were going to vote for Trump before President Biden dropped his bid for re-election. To suggest that she is unpresidential without offering even a single reason behind that statement is absurd. Do us all a favor and don’t pretend like your vote has or will change in the slightest, regardless of who the democratic nominee is. It is disingenuous and you know it.
Fact