Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate, escaped an attempt at his life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Although authorities are working to determine the motive behind the shooting, the incident comes just a month after a survey found rising support for political violence in the country.
What Happened: Ten percent of those surveyed said that the “use of force is justified to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president,” a nationwide poll conducted by University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape in June showed. A third of those who responded with the answer said they owned guns.
The poll was done as part of an attempt to assess the attitude of Americans toward political violence since the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Seven percent said they “support force to restore Trump to the presidency.” Half of them said they owned guns.
The shooting at Trump’s rally “is a consequence of such significant support for political violence in our country,” said Pape in e-mailed comments to The New York Times.
“Indeed, significant lone wolf attacks motivated by political violence have been growing for years in the United States, against members of Congress from both parties as well as federal officials and national leaders,” he said.
The Times also noted that a separate study done by the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, in October found that nearly 14% of those surveyed strongly agreed that there would be a civil war in the United States in the next few years.
Nearly 8% of respondents said they believed there would be a situation in the next few years where political violence would be justified and were intending to arm themselves.
Why It’s Important: The shooting incident has increased the odds of Trump winning the 2024 election and has also prompted many influential people openly endorse him.
Incidentally, Trump has been using inflammatory speeches during his campaign, warning of a bloodbath if he isn’t elected. He has also stated the illegal immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country.
Trump could gain momentum now, a Reuters report said in the wake of the Saturday’s shooting. Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, reportedly told the media outlet that the shooting has created sympathy for Trump.
“It also confirms the idea to voters that something is fundamentally wrong in this nation, which is an idea that drives support for him,” he added.
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