Failed Trump assassination could boost election chances

In the media space, there is increasing talk that the shooting of Donald Trump may significantly boost his chances of winning the upcoming presidential election in the USA. The Nexta agency suggests that there could be a repeat of 1984, when Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory after a failed assassination attempt.

The Nexta agency published an old map of Ronald Reagan’s support during the 1984 presidential election in the United States. At the end of March 1981, there was an assassination attempt on Reagan as he was leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington. The president was shot then – similar to Donald Trump now – and three years later he won a landslide victory in the election. The Nexta agency suggests that it will be similar for Trump.

Professor of Political Science at Vilnius University Tomas Janeliunas assesses that the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally will guarantee him victory in the presidential election in the USA this November. He believes that the rule of the Democratic Party in the United States has just ended.

"The time for Republican rule is coming, and not just in the White House, but probably also in the Senate and the House of Representatives," wrote the Lithuanian political scientist on Facebook. "We must prepare for this," he added.

A similar opinion is held by Americanist and political scientist Prof. Zbigniew Lewicki, who said in an interview with the Polish Press Agency: "This is an unsuccessful assassination attempt, but there is no doubt that voters will react this way - they will think that if someone wants to kill Trump, they must help him, vote for him."

He noted that such events always cause an increase in sympathy for the victim of a failed or successful assassination attempt, as was the case after the attempts on Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. He also added that recently, the Republican candidate has been gaining support, while the current president, Democratic candidate Joe Biden, has been losing.

"Although there may be reservations about Trump's expected policies, we see that Joe Biden is incapable of holding the most important office in the United States and the world. With all the sympathy one might have for Biden, this series of false statements, concocted theories he spouts would disqualify any other candidate," said the expert.

"The gunfire at the campaign rally of former U.S. President Donald Trump will undoubtedly change the dynamics of the campaign, the only question is in which direction," wrote the weekly "Der Spiegel" on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, "the failed assassination attempt on Trump will further inflame an already heated country."

The newspaper reported that Trump immediately realized how "political and symbolic" the attack on him was. "Even when he was being led to an armored limousine by Secret Service officers after the shots were fired, he raised his fist and shouted to the crowd: 'Fight, fight.' His fans responded, chanting 'USA, USA,'" summarized "Der Spiegel."

British newspapers "Daily Telegraph" and "Financial Times" are of the same opinion - the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the campaign rally could paradoxically increase his chances of winning the upcoming presidential election in the United States.

The "Daily Telegraph" describes the event as the most important moment in American politics in decades. The newspaper argues that history shows that such a situation could make it easier for Trump to return to the White House.

The "Financial Times," which is more cautious in its forecasts, claims that the "assassination attempt in Pennsylvania is likely to strengthen the image of the former president as a martyr." It also cites statements from Republican Party politicians who are convinced that Trump is now unbeatable. The newspaper also provides the opinion of Rob Casey from Signum Global Advisors, a company specializing in political analysis. Casey assessed that "this event has the potential to increase support for former President Trump, highlighting his vigor, motivating his base, and generating sympathy for him."

However, Casey notes that this event could also in some way help Biden, diverting some attention from his age and doubts about his mental fitness and reducing the pressure on him to withdraw from the reelection race.