By: Dr Matevž Tomšič
An assassination attempt on a political leader is inherently shocking. This is especially true for someone who can significantly impact global affairs. It provokes numerous discussions not only about its causes—what led to the act, the motives of the perpetrator(s), and any failures in protecting the target—but also about its effects on political and social dynamics.
This happens even if the assassination attempt is unsuccessful from the perpetrator’s perspective, as was the case with the recent attack on former and possibly future U.S. President Donald Trump. As always in such cases, numerous explanations have emerged, including those that fall into the “conspiracy theory” category. Some claim that the current U.S. administration tried to eliminate a dangerous competitor, while others argue that it was a staged event to turn Trump into a martyr and boost his support among voters. Both are highly implausible. It is doubtful that the ruling Democrats would benefit from Trump’s removal since Republicans could then nominate a presidential candidate who could more easily defeat President Biden (due to the lack of Trump’s divisiveness). Even more absurd is the idea that someone would let themselves be shot in the ear from a distance of 130 meters (a minor tremor in the shooter’s hand could make such a shot lethal). If someone intended to “play” an assassination attempt, they would certainly do it in a much less risky way.
Currently, there is too little information available to form a clear picture of the situation, especially regarding what drove the twenty-year-old assailant to such a senseless act. We may never know for certain (since the attacker is dead), but the assassination attempt and the events surrounding it reveal quite a bit about the state of (not only) American society.
It became apparent that the security at Trump’s campaign rally was catastrophic and that the responsible security services failed completely. The assailant fired at the former president from the roof of a building that was one of the closest to his podium. This building should have been under constant surveillance during the event. Clearly, the effectiveness of American intelligence services has been severely compromised. This is due to misplaced priorities, reflecting the introduction of neo-leftist ideologies in this field, where diversity and inclusion of allegedly marginalised groups take precedence over competence and experience.
When discussing the reasons for the assassination attempt, we cannot ignore the increasingly tense social climate. Political and ideological polarisation in the U.S. has recently intensified significantly. A few decades ago, there were no deep differences between the two major American parties, Democrats and Republicans, but today the divide is considerable. Both sides have radicalised— the Democratic Party has moved left, and the Republican Party has moved right. However, the main issue is not just the significant political differences but the growing hostility, where opponents are no longer seen as competitors but as enemies to be destroyed; this also brings greater acceptance of violence. For instance, one survey found that ten percent of respondents believe that using force is acceptable to prevent Trump from securing another presidential term. This is largely due to the intense demonisation of Trump and anyone opposing the leftist agenda.
However, an increasingly toxic climate is not unique to America. Neither is the growing acceptability of violence. Let us recall the so-called “cycling protests” against the third Janša government in Slovenia, where calls for the deaths of various individuals were a common feature. On the left, there is a growing belief that any means are permissible against the enemy. Attacks are merely an expected consequence of this.