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In an email to his supporters, Donald Trump assured them of his safety, stating, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” This came after a security incident while he was golfing in Florida, just months before the highly anticipated Nov. 5 election, where he will face Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
After decades of relative calm, the US has seen two apparent assassination attempts on major-party presidential candidates in just two months, a stark reminder of the country’s shifting political landscape.
In recent years, Americans have been forced to adapt to “new normals” in politics, as partisan divisions deepen, the national discourse becomes more toxic, and the standards of candidate behavior decline.
Given the nation’s ongoing epidemic of gun violence, such attacks may seem like an inevitable development. Yet, they still manage to shock the public.
Trump had previously been injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, which raised concerns over the security of presidential candidates. The White House confirmed that both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the latest incident, with Harris tweeting, “Violence has no place in America.”
Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, spoke with him after the event and confirmed that the former president was in good spirits.
This marks the first time in over four decades that a U.S. president or major-party candidate has been shot at, prompting widespread criticism of Secret Service security measures. The incident in July had already led to the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle as Secret Service director under bipartisan pressure. Trump was grazed by a bullet, and one rallygoer was killed in the Pennsylvania attack. The gunman, identified as Thomas Crooks, was fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper.
The new acting director of the Secret Service acknowledged in August that he was “ashamed” of the security failure that allowed the attempt on Trump’s life.
