Trump assassination attempt: three issues

The attempt on Donald Trump's life, has shocked people worldwide. It is to be expected that such an incident has huge ramifications and needs great analysis. In this article I analyze three topics that seemed the most important to me personally.

Assassination attempt = election win?

One of the conspiracy theories we've been hearing these recent days is that Trump's team orchestrated his assassination attempt. They did this because of the sure election win that would ensue after the incident. Indeed, as it turned out, many of us said he has already won the election. Why; Why does an assassination attempt make someone a sure winner?

The reasons are many. Firstly, such an attempt can be presented as proof that the President is fighting for the peoples interests and that is why he is being hunted. This is enough to boost anyone's ratings, let alone populist Trump. Even more, the fact that he remains in the race, at proven risk to his own life, shows his courage. This along with the composure he showed during the incident, builds the profile of an ideal leader. Finally, something that gives Trump his victory is the fact that we all take it for granted. In this way we have created a self-fulfilling prophecy, which discourages participation for Democrats (since it seems futile) and at the same time may turn others to Trump.

The gun issue

In the US the gun debate is very important, one that divides Republicans and Democrats. The thing is, in this case, Trump's party is pro-gun. Isn't it very ironic that after what happened, nothing is said about the ease with which a 20-year-old kid can get his hands on a sniper rifle?

The silence over the matter is, indeed, incredible, for it proves how much sway the gun lobby has over the Republican party. Also, it shows the stubbornness of the voters on the issue, which not only has cost the lives of so many people, it has almost taken their beloved President as well. Thus, the gun debate is not something that will be resolved in the near future.

The media coverage

When the attempt took place, not all media outlets had the same coverage of the event. Most of them spoke immediately of attempted assassination. Not all of them, though. CNN spoke of "loud noises" not gunshots. The Washington Post reported that the Secret Service escorted Trump after he "fell down," with no mention of shots being fired in the headline. This is very problematic. You cannot call a bullet shot a loud noise, nor say that someone who was hit by a bullet, merely "fell". So the anti-Trump bias of these two pro-Democrat news groups is obvious.

Δεν είναι κάτι νέο για τις ΗΠΑ αυτό. Αν κάτι ανάλογο γινότανε στον Μπάιντεν τα αντίστοιχα φιλορεπουμπλικάνικα κανάλια (όπως το Fox News) μπορεί να έλεγαν τα ίδια ή και χειρότερα. Το πρόβλημα βέβαια παραμένει. Η αντικειμενική δημοσιογραφία δείχνει να χάνεται. Αυτό δεν είναι κάτι που βλέπουμε πρώτη φορά (ειδικά εμείς οι Έλληνες) αλλά είναι ένα κραυγαλέο παράδειγμα της κατάστασης της δημοσιογραφίας. Σημαντικότερα, είναι μια υπενθύμιση  της αναγκαιότητας να επαληθεύουμε όσα ακούμε, ακόμα και αν έρχονται από «αξιόπιστες πηγές».

Epilogue

Ultimately, the assassination attempt against Trump is a historical event that will be discussed for years. Its ramifications, however, show us a political system in decay. May God bless America. It needs it now more than ever.