“Fight!”
That was former President Donald Trump’s immediate statement to his supporters at the tragic Butler, Pa. campaign rally on July 13 that claimed the life of Corey Comperatore as he shielded his family and injured Trump and two others, letting everyone know that he and America were going to be okay following the assassination attempt.
The shocking turn of events, which but for a twist of fate or divine intervention as citizens alerted police to the assassin’s presence, who then attempted to climb onto the roof, which prompted the shooter to take his shot just as Trump turned his head at the last second, could just as likely had America mourning the loss of the former president, instead have Trump ready to accept the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on July 18 in Milwaukee, Wis.
And with some semblance of normalcy being restored, so too are the politics of the presidential race regaining traction, as with the latest Forbes-HarrisX poll taken July 13 to July 15 following the assassination attempt showing Trump leading President Joe Biden 51 percent to 49 percent in the two-way race and 43 percent to 39 percent in the in the five-way race, with Robert Kennedy, Jr. with 13 percent, Cornell West with 2 percent and Jill Stein with 2 percent.
So, not much may have changed politically yet — although 29 percent said the assassination attempt made them more likely to vote Republican, including 7 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of independents — but Americans might be seeing Donald Trump with new eyes following his brush with death.
And it did not go unnoticed. 74 percent of registered voters said Trump acted with bravery and defiance, including 94 percent of Republicans, 56 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of independents. 68 percent say he has urged unity and calm, including 88 percent of Republicans, 49 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of independents.
As for causative factors 64 percent agreed that “[T]he core message of Biden campaign and the Democratic party that Trump is a threat to democracy and freedom and a dictator has gone too far,” including 80 percent of Republicans, 52 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents.
Another 58 percent agree that “[c]alling Trump a threat to democracy and an authoritarian in waiting is an incitement for political violence,” including 76 percent of Republicans, 49 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents.
And 55 percent agree that “Joe Biden and Democratic leaders are guilty of using overheated rhetoric and creating a possibly dangerous political environment by calling Trump a threat to democracy and an authoritarian,” including 83 percent of Republicans, 29 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents.
Naturally, most Americans find political violence to be abhorrent, and clear majorities throughout the poll believe that the rhetoric directed at Trump calling him a dictator and threat to democracy might have played a role in the assassination attempt.
What it means for November remains to be seen, but clearly a lot more Americans than usual will be tuned into Trump’s July 18 speech, which is said to be a speech that will call for national unity perhaps open to what he has to say. That creates an opportunity for Trump to appeal to audiences who might normally tune him out, and could very well set the tempo for the remainder of the campaign, with Trump fighting to bring a divided America back together.
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.
