I had been more than half-expecting at least one attempt on Mr. Trump’s life, but I would have greatly preferred to be wrong. My first reaction to the shooting has been sorrow. My second has been prayer.
Former Attorney General William Barr intelligently remarked, “The Democrats have to stop their grossly irresponsible talk about Trump being an existential threat to democracy. He is not.”
If you are expecting political discussion to become more civil, though, it isn’t going to happen any time soon. As soon as the shock of the assassination attempt wears off, Mr. Trump’s detractors will start working to turn it against him.
Attempts to search Google about the shooting turn up an astonishing number of old screeds blaming various acts of violence on various persons who allegedly liked Trump. Of course this list of hits – no pun intended – is just the working of a slanted algorithm, but you can expect the human narrative doctors to work along the same slanted lines.
For as soon as it becomes safe to say so, the haters of Mr. Trump will begin insinuating that that it is because he is an existential threat to democracy that the shooting occurred. You see, because of his “incendiary rhetoric,” he has only himself to blame.
Some will express hopes that he will "learn something" from the event. You can also expect a rise in the number of those who smugly ask whether perhaps his attitude toward gun control will also become more favorable.
Updates, one and two days later:
How naïve I was to have thought the haters wouldn’t pile on until after the shock of the assassination attempt had worn off. They have already begun.
CBS anchor Margaret Brennan blamed Trump for his statement after the shooting: “I did notice there was no call for lowering the temperature.”
She spoke with commentator Samantha Vinograd, who doubled down, saying that the biggest threat of violence was from Trump's supporters.
CNN, The Washington Post, the Indy Star, and others initially tried to spin the event as something other than an assassination attempt: He fell at the rally, he was removed from the rally after loud noises, the loud noises startled him.
Politico and Newsweek tried to change the subject: “Photo of bloodied Trump fist bumping immediately spotlighted by his allies,” “MAGA responds with outrage after Donald Trump injured at Pennsylvania rally.”
Various figures including Dmitri Mehlhorn, an advisor to Reid Hoffman, have encouraged the media to investigate whether the shooting was staged by Mr. Trump himself. False flag operations do happen, but what kind of staged shooting would direct a real bullet a quarter of an inch from the supposed beneficiary’s skull?
Jacqueline Marsaw, field director for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, posted on Facebook, “I don't condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time ooops [sic] that wasn't me talking.” She posted later, “That's what your hate speech got you!!”
Rep. Thompson fired her, but bear in mind that this is the guy who introduced HR 8081, the “Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated Toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act,” to deny Mr. Trump any Secret Service protection at all.