Traveling on a ship that hardly fits all the people crammed into it, over turbulent waters amid poor weather conditions, one could get used to the seasickness with time, patiently enduring the discomfort. The passenger might even catch the virus of indifference. Suddenly, however, a wild storm hits, and he realizes that the ship could sink and leave everyone on it with no chance of survival. To some, this image may seem fantastical and hyperbolic. They are right, but this image is not far removed from the state of the world today. It might be a good analogy for what happened in Pennsylvania last Saturday, when a man tried to assassinate a former American president and current presidential candidate, during a rally attended by thousands of supporters, making a scene that was watched by the entire globe. We must begin by recognizing that the incident, by any standard, marks a dangerous turning point. It has crossed every red line. It could rattle what some see as stable and others believe is fragile, "American democracy."
Whether we agree or disagree with what the Republican candidate Donald Trump stands for, we all strongly condemn this attempt to take us from a peaceful contest of debate between rivals into a deadly exchange of bullets. Despite behaviors that many find bizarre, undiplomatic, and unacceptable, the attempt to assassinate him is a crime, and his ideas would have survived if he had died. Now, the United States and the American people must fasten their seat belts. The moment shots were fired at candidate Trump, their journey became extremely difficult, and they now have to make it with no maps or compasses. When bullets are fired into a room in broad daylight, they leave no room for peaceful democratic dialogue. America knows this, as it has been caught in this swamp before. The assassination attempt, at this particular time, as the world is being ravaged by terror and conflict and is struggling to hang on to the horns of a reckless bull, suggests that we could now be on a path of no return.
If the assassin had succeeded, the US would now be in an unpredictable and perilous position. However, candidate Trump escaped death at the last moment. The US escaped the prospect of a second civil war, and the world breathed a temporary sigh of relief. Nonetheless, normalcy will not return because former President and presidential candidate Trump survived the assassination attempt. Proceeding as though nothing happened is not tenable, if not absolutely impossible. After Saturday, we should expect a different scenario, the rhetoric and debate between the rival candidates and their supporters will change until the voters head to the polls on November 5, 2024. I believe that Trump, as is his habit, will seek to exploit the incident to rally support, draw larger donations, and widen the gap in support between him and his opponent, President Joe Biden. That is one side of the equation.
On the other side, President Biden will find himself cornered. He will have to make the case for his innocence and prove that he had no role in what happened, assuming he remains in the presidential race and is not pushed aside. American media outlets have reported that candidate Trump's camp blames the incident on President Biden and his team, citing the many hostile statements they have made about Trump. Indeed, they have characterized Trump in unfavorable terms that could encourage anyone thinking of getting rid of him. Candidate Donald Trump may not be acceptable to many, both inside and outside the US. Let us admit that his potential return to the White House is bad news to many Americans and world leaders, but he remains and is here to stay.
Anyone following the campaign understands that Trump’s chances of returning to the White House are increasing by the day. The likelihood of Joe Biden remaining there, on the other hand, is diminishing. His rivals and everyone who hates him would make things easier on themselves if they sought more alternative ways to deal with him and contain his extremism. They must also respect the will of the American voters, who rightfully choose who runs the country for the next four years.
