A Bullet’s Whisper: The Grave Consequences of a Potential Trump Assassination

0:00

A potentially deadly assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through a nation already deeply divided. A reported hail of gunfire at a Pennsylvania rally barely missed the former president’s head, striking one or more people nearby, with at least one fatal result.

The chilling proximity of the bullet misses highlights the grave consequences that could have unfolded. Had Trump been killed, it would have triggered a catastrophic chain reaction of violence and reprisals. Supporters of the former president would have looked for ways to avenge his loss, while extremist factions on the left might have seen the assassination as a justified act.

President Joe Biden would be, to borrow a phrase of his, “put in the bullseye.” Trump supporters would look for ways to retaliate. Violent antifa extremists would rise in support of the assassin.

The aftermath of the shooting has eerie parallels with global events. Hamas’s brutal assault on Israeli civilians in October elicited an outpouring of support from anti-Israel activists. Similarly, the heinous murder of Christian school students in Florida sparked an effort to rally around the transgender community.

Should Trump have been assassinated, it would have handed Democrats a stark advantage ahead of the November midterm elections. This would have precipitated an explosive response from Trump supporters, leading to weeks or months of intense political violence.

While an assassination of Trump might not have sparked a long-term civil war, the consequences would have been devastating nonetheless. In this scenario, the United States would have descended into chaos, with no clear resolution in sight.

Timothy P. Carney
Timothy P. Carney
Timothy P. Carney is a senior political columnist and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be, Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse, The Big Ripoff, and Obamanomics.

Latest stories

Ad

Related Articles

1 Comment

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

Ad
Continue on app