Trump's campaign gains momentum after assassination attempt
Bookmakers have assessed the candidates' chances for the office of the President of the USA. Political scientists indicate that after the debate with Joe Biden and the failed assassination attempt, Donald Trump's ratings among voters are rising, which may complicate the Democrats' election campaign.
5:59 PM EDT, July 15, 2024
"This is how the candidates' chances look according to bookmakers in the USA (an average from six companies) after the debate and the assassination attempt," wrote Piotr Kuczyński, chief analyst of Xelion, on the X platform. Bookmakers give Donald Trump the greatest chance, with a significant lead over the incumbent President Joe Biden.
"The assassination attempt on Donald Trump will mobilize his electorate, soften his image, and complicate the Democrats' election campaign," says Professor Donald Nieman, political scientist, and historian from the State University of New York at Binghamton to PAP. He reminded that in the 250-year history of the USA, there have been 14 assassination attempts on presidents and presidential candidates, of which four were successful.
The political scientist added that although polls indicate that 60% of Americans hold a negative opinion of Trump, the event may make him appear more "human" to a broader audience, softening his image.
The Republican Party candidate in this year's presidential election was slightly wounded in the ear on Saturday during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to the FBI, the assailant is a 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Two people died as a result of the attack, including Crooks, and two others were seriously injured.
Republican national convention "according to plan"
Trump's campaign team previously confirmed that the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee will proceed as planned. According to the AP agency, it is expected that Trump will speak at the convention only on Thursday evening.
In Milwaukee - the largest city in the key election state of Wisconsin - nearly 2,500 delegates chosen in party primaries will meet to formally confirm the primary results and select Trump as the Republican candidate in the presidential election on November 5. The party will also adopt an election program based on 20 of Trump's campaign slogans, such as the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, the establishment of universal tariffs on all foreign products, and "preventing World War III."
