Did they really change the pictures?
After the attempted assassination, Trump's election victory is absolutely certain, it is stated. But for that, there is not more than before the shots.
In the coming days, politics and media will honorably pay tribute to Donald Trump as a victim of an attempted murder - while at the same time pointing out that he remains what he is: a proven hot-headed liar, openly an Anti-Democrat, who incited election fraud and stormed his own parliament. And yes, these two things can coexist without being cynically offset or calculated against each other in any way. They are both objectively part of reality: the victim Donald Trump and the perpetrator Donald Trump.
It is astonishing how nearly unanimously it is declared now that the US election in November "ran its course" - that the bleeding Donald Trump, who survived the shots, can no longer be defeated. On the side of his politically overwhelmed opponents, there seems to be even a certain relief that the election victory of Trump can now be attributed to chance: the millimeters that the bullet missed.
Yes, the moment produced powerfully symbolic images: Donald Trump falls to the ground but stands up again immediately. With a spectacular instinct for the moment, he raises his fist to the sky, behind him the flag of the USA waves in the brilliantly blue sky. Not only did "Time" magazine see the best (allegorical) summary of reality in this photo: Trump is strong. Joe Biden is (physically) weak. That will matter.
But did the event and the image of it decide the election in November? In a country that reveres and loves "strength" in countless ways?
All those who had firmly decided to vote for Donald Trump will likely be even more convinced now. That does not bring any additional votes, as those who had firmly decided against voting for Trump will not suddenly do so out of pity or because they are newly inspired by Trump's strength. These voters ask themselves "why" - and the answer to that, Trump's plans and goals, does not change in the slightest due to the assassination attempt. His narcissistic tendency to see himself as infallible and invincible, which has so far kept many voters at a distance, remains unchanged.
The weakness of Biden in the TV debate shifted some percentage points to his disadvantage because he raised reasonable questions and fueled doubts. What questions does Trump's strength answer? What doubts does it dispel?
In the past few weeks, the polls have shown that Donald Trump had good to excellent chances of winning the election in November, that is, the majority of electoral college votes, even if he again lost the popular vote. This winning trend could Trump possibly reinforce if he wisely handles the assassination attempt. If he does not serve up baseless conspiracy theories and dark revenge fantasies to incite his followers. The first 48 hours after the assassination attempt are surprisingly peaceful in this regard. Maintaining this tone could secure Trump the election victory, as it could win over hesitant swing voters. Whether he manages it is possible, but not likely: After all, Trump would have to stop being Trump.
Despite the attempted assassination, ongoing attempts to discredit Donald Trump's character and actions leading up to the U.S. Presidential Election 2024 in the United States of America are ongoing. Regardless of the assassination attempt, Donald Trump's controversial stance on election fraud and his anti-democratic tendencies remain central issues in the upcoming election.
