American Political Assassination Attempt!

So, I woke up, got dressed, switched on my ipad for the news and WTF?
Someone tried to shoot former President Trump at a rally?!

It doesn't matter if you love him, hate him, ignore him or whatever, the fact that someone just tried to illegally kill a former President of the USA is very bad news. Had they succeeded, Trump would have become a Martyr for the Republican Party. As it is, the mere fact that someone saw him as a threat to the Government that needed to be removed is still going to give the Republicans one hell of a boost across the board.

This is big. Very big. And many will see it as a conspiracy by those who don't want the swamp of politics to be drained...

The sheer hypocrisy is almost palpable!
Here’s a man who almost single has handed done more to enable divisiveness in American society, suddenly calling for more fellowship amongst Americans!
Then again I guess that having some loony tune take a pot shot at you, might give you second thought.

Michael Everett wrote:So, I woke up, got dressed, switched on my ipad for the news and WTF?
Someone tried to shoot former President Trump at a rally?!

It doesn't matter if you love him, hate him, ignore him or whatever, the fact that someone just tried to illegally kill a former President of the USA is very bad news. Had they succeeded, Trump would have become a Martyr for the Republican Party. As it is, the mere fact that someone saw him as a threat to the Government that needed to be removed is still going to give the Republicans one hell of a boost across the board.

This is big. Very big. And many will see it as a conspiracy by those who don't want the swamp of politics to be drained...

I was watching as it happened. I had just finished watching the Wimbledon women championships.

I agree that he would have become a martyr. I also agree that the Republican party will get a huge boost across the board from this. Which is ironic because the shooter obviously had it out for Trump. And his actions might just help get him elected.

I'd like to know what they come up with as far as his motivations. He was listed as a Republican who had recently given a $15 donation to the Democratic Party.

How did he manage to get an assault rifle inside the venue? And how did he manage to crawl to the roof of a building and not be seen?

The assault rifle used is the same rifle the Dems were trying to get banned.

Headlines:

Trump was nearly killed with an AR-style rifle he resisted calls to ban: Will it restart the gun debate in America?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 79588.html

The shooter was just outside the venue. Reports vary, but 120 to 140 metres away from the podium. Fortunately the shooter is recalled by his classmates as an abysmal shooter, who tried several times to be in the shooting team. I agree that he was a bad shot at that range.
As it turns out Trump is the only winner here. He is now a hero to his cause.
May turn out disasterous to Ukraine.

Daryl wrote:The shooter was just outside the venue. Reports vary, but 120 to 140 metres away from the podium. Fortunately the shooter is recalled by his classmates as an abysmal shooter, who tried several times to be in the shooting team. I agree that he was a bad shot at that range.
As it turns out Trump is the only winner here. He is now a hero to his cause.
May turn out disasterous to Ukraine.

Thanks for the info. I am sure glad the guy couldn't shoot. I do not want anyone assassinated! Enough of that crap! The country is way too unstable now.

One guy was screaming in the aftermath, "They shot first!" What the heck does that mean? And, they who? Democrats? The shooter was a Republican!


<snip>

Even as leaders called for calm, an ominous drumbeat was building. Gary O’Donoghue, a veteran BBC reporter who was at the scene of the shooting (and who is blind), described hearing the words “civil war” and “they shot first. This is [expletive] war” from rallygoers immediately after the shooter was killed by the Secret Service. Read his piece here.

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brus ... tion-vote/

Apparently his hand picked VP is on record as supporting Russia, and down on Ukraine. Best the rest of the world picks up its game and moves to help Ukraine. If not the Baltic states will be next.

penny wrote:How did he manage to get an assault rifle inside the venue? And how did he manage to crawl to the roof of a building and not be seen?

He didn't and... he didn't?

As was mentioned, he didn't get into the venue but rather took his shots from a rooftop some way away and he didn't get there unseen: There were eyewitnesses who saw him, reported him to the police, and according to some reports I saw, a police officer got up to the roof but was scared away by the shooter, shortly before he shot at Trump.

Just a fairly bad performance from that PD and the Secret Service, really.

One guy was screaming in the aftermath, "They shot first!" What the heck does that mean? And, they who? Democrats? The shooter was a Republican!

It doesn't really matter, in the broader context of this election or US politics, what the shooter's motivation was or whether he identified as republican or democrat.
More to the point, there isn't any real hard data one could use to make a solid determination of the shooter's politics. He was, by everything I've seen, as close to a true loner as it is possible to be in this day and age, with minimal social media footprint and few contacts outside of his daily life. Yes, he registered as a republican, yes, he donated to a democrat PAC once, but he didn't leave any manifesto behind to explain his actions.
To ascribe a motive to him, in the absence of hard facts, is futile - it could be any number of things.

No matter what the actual facts of the matter are, the story is now going to be some variation on "the democrats and their violent rhetoric caused this!" (disregarding the undeniable fact that republican rhetoric has been far more violent and aggressive than what the democrats put out), or "This was a hit put out by the deep state!" or any number of conspiracy bullshit - and that, more than anything else, is what's going to end up mattering. Not the facts, but the feelings, the vibes.

Personally, I don't think this is going to matter that much, in terms of the election outcome - if Trump is going to win, it's not going to be because of this incident, but rather because Biden has hung on to his position as candidate for too long and hasn't put any effort into building up an alternative candidate.

Hypocrisy sure, and now add sheer unadulterated arrogance to the pile of shit!!!
Trump standing up before the whole world with a humongous white bandage covering the nick in his ear! Proclaiming to all and sundry that God had held his hand over him, protecting him!!!
Without giving a single thought to Corey Comperatore, the volunteer fire fighter who took a bullet in the chest and died, while shielding his family from the shooter!
Without giving a single thought to the family and friends of this brave man!
Proclaiming that God let him off with a nick in the ear, while this man gave his life protecting his family!!!
Hubris Mr. Trump! Hubris!!!

Possibly illogical and unfair, but I'm annoyed at Biden.'
Trump is what he is, despising him comes easy, but he is consistent in being an anal orifice.
Biden I expected better from. Can he not realise what nearly everyone else can, that by the end of the next term he would be 85, and he's not coping now?
My late father in law was a lovely man, but by that age he had difficulty coping with basic domestic tasks. I'm 75, and from a long lived line, but wouldn't want to have to return to my high pressure career.

The E wrote:

penny wrote:How did he manage to get an assault rifle inside the venue? And how did he manage to crawl to the roof of a building and not be seen?

He didn't and... he didn't?

As was mentioned, he didn't get into the venue but rather took his shots from a rooftop some way away and he didn't get there unseen: There were eyewitnesses who saw him, reported him to the police, and according to some reports I saw, a police officer got up to the roof but was scared away by the shooter, shortly before he shot at Trump.

Just a fairly bad performance from that PD and the Secret Service, really.

One guy was screaming in the aftermath, "They shot first!" What the heck does that mean? And, they who? Democrats? The shooter was a Republican!

It doesn't really matter, in the broader context of this election or US politics, what the shooter's motivation was or whether he identified as republican or democrat.
More to the point, there isn't any real hard data one could use to make a solid determination of the shooter's politics. He was, by everything I've seen, as close to a true loner as it is possible to be in this day and age, with minimal social media footprint and few contacts outside of his daily life. Yes, he registered as a republican, yes, he donated to a democrat PAC once, but he didn't leave any manifesto behind to explain his actions.
To ascribe a motive to him, in the absence of hard facts, is futile - it could be any number of things.

No matter what the actual facts of the matter are, the story is now going to be some variation on "the democrats and their violent rhetoric caused this!" (disregarding the undeniable fact that republican rhetoric has been far more violent and aggressive than what the democrats put out), or "This was a hit put out by the deep state!" or any number of conspiracy bullshit - and that, more than anything else, is what's going to end up mattering. Not the facts, but the feelings, the vibes.

Personally, I don't think this is going to matter that much, in terms of the election outcome - if Trump is going to win, it's not going to be because of this incident, but rather because Biden has hung on to his position as candidate for too long and hasn't put any effort into building up an alternative candidate.

My brain is a suspicious sort. The shooter was a registered Republican but shortly before the shooting he donated $15 to the Democratic Party. Was that to make it appear he had switched sides causing a civil war? Was he trying to make Trump into a martyr causing a civil war?

What bomb(s) did the radio transmitter found beside him control? Conspiracy Theorist 101.