Trump shooting leads nation into uncharted territory | Opinion

If someone really was in a position to subvert the Constitution, undermine democracy, and destroy our cherished American institutions, it would be understandable that there would be a visceral, violent reaction from a public determined to stop it. But if those accusations are bitter partisan false smears, then no one should be surprised if a crazed gunman acted on them anyway.

As of this writing, we know very little about the shooter who tried to kill Donald Trump, so there has yet to be a detailed analysis of his motives. But we know what he was trying to do, and how close he came to succeeding. Whatever manifesto yet to emerge, whatever bewildered friends, family, and neighbors yet to be interviewed, the focus should be on the sheer recklessness of the rhetoric that exploded political opposition into vicious personal attacks.

The attacks on Trump go back much further than harsh criticism of his policies. Since he first ran for president nine years ago, Democrats and some panicked Republicans have sidelined debate over the issues, opting instead for personal assassinations and portraying him as a monster who threatens the soul of the nation.

Many of Trump’s opponents spoke all the right words in the hours after the shooting — unity, decency, prayers for Trump and his family — but the words are unconvincing coming from people who have spent years uttering the kind of vitriol that galvanizes deranged lunatics into action.

As information gaps fill in around the mystery of the shooter and his malicious actions, let’s focus on some of the things we do know.

First, this appears to be a good-news/bad-news moment for the Secret Service. The footage of brave agents springing into action as the shots were fired reinforces the history of sacrifice for which the agency has earned public respect. But the BBC article, featuring an eyewitness who said he saw a man with a rifle on a nearby roof, offers a chilling contrast. Secret Service security is a human endeavor that, at its best, is occasionally imperfect, and hindsight is 20/20. But the man who aimed the crosshairs at President Trump’s head also clearly had excellent eyesight. This will be a key consideration as we examine the Secret Service’s performance on Saturday.

Much of the attention will predictably be on Trump, his condition, his thoughts on the assassination attempt, and the public’s reaction to what we’ve just witnessed. But all of that will become clear as Republicans gather in Milwaukee to formally nominate Trump as their candidate.

Every party convention is a week-long promotional stunt, a festival to entice voters in November. This week’s Republican rally is that and more: a festival honoring a man who remains indelibly in the nation’s mind, depicted in the iconic photo of him, covered in blood, stopping to pump his fist as rescue workers stand guard while the American flag flutters in the background.

The still images are poignant, but the video of the moment reveals even more. The shot goes off. Trump clutches his ear as if he’s been stung by a bee. It quickly becomes clear that a murder attempt is in progress. The former president and emergency agents wrestle him to the ground. As word spreads that the gunman has been neutralized, they rise with Trump, who demands that he retrieve his shoes. As his head emerges from a swarm of black-suited security guards, the stunned crowd howls with joy, and the would-be assassin’s target raises his fist and exhorts the crowd, and the nation watching, to “Fight! Fight!”

Once it became clear that Trump was safe, the social media melee raged with speculation about the political ramifications of the assassination attempt. Trump fans had fervently predicted a landslide victory, which is likely to be the case. But there are 16 weeks of unfolding events before November 5th. When Democrats meet in Chicago next month, their nominee may or may not be Joe Biden. Other events and news cycles may shake up the midsummer story.

But if the targeting of Trump through malicious prosecution infuriated his supporters, this latest attempt to literally kill him has only intensified the rages born of a range of grievances. Millions of Americans believe that Trump was wronged by flaws in the 2020 election. They believe that the legal assaults are the work of forces determined to thwart his plans and their will. And now, they believe, Trump’s enemies will stop at nothing, literally, to prevent him from returning to the White House.

A vote for Trump was always going to be a combination of support for him and a condemnation of those who tormented him. Now it will take the form of a message: “You tried to destroy him. You tried to jail him. You even tried to kill him. Your failure will be completed with his victory.”

Mark Davis is a Salem Media Group syndicated talk show host on 660AM The Answer in Dallas-Fort Worth and a columnist for The Dallas Morning News and Townhall.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.