22 July 2024, NIICE Commentary 9369
Dr. Manan Dwivedi & Shonit Nayan
US Elections are a spectacle par excellence. There is no dearth of evidence for the hyperbole here. Since the assassination attempt at presumptive Republican candidate, Donald Trump, lots of speculation has erupted in the American polity and public sphere. A list of assassination attempts at American Presidents along with Presidential candidates is in the offing. Still, one needs to comprehend the scenario more fully. It’s not that the American Presidential polls have not been vitriolic from the outset, but the rapaciousness witnessed in Trump’s Pennsylvania rally points towards a kind of violent and acerbic polarization which has crept into the dynamics of the American Presidential Elections. Understanding this instance in a wider historical and political milieu is critical to clench its repercussions.
Chronological Context of Assassination Attempts
If we trace out the assassination attempts, then it makes for a voluminous reading and collation. Abraham Lincoln was the first President to be assassinated in 1865 at the Ford Theater in Washington. A commonly mentioned motive was Lincoln’s support for the Black rights clause in an American society and nation which had gone to war in the context of the abolition of slavery in the country. In February 1933, the President-elect, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was fired at while he was addressing people from the back portion of an open car but as fortune would have it, he escaped unhurt but the gunshots killed the Chicago Mayor. In another incident, the Democratic President, George Wallace was shot in Maryland in 1972 which made him paralyzed from the waist down.
It can also be contended that Political assassinations are not a quaint American problem but a challenge faced by the Regimes and their security and intelligence agencies, the world over. People, criminals and Regimes have used assassinations as a mark of extremity in a protest where the belief is that removing a life can help bring about political change in a nation and its government’s policies. In Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Regime has attempted poisoning, plane crashes, shootings and defenestration in order to win a political game of one-upmanship. Assassination stabs replicate the extreme measures taken to impact political aftermaths and demonstrate the precariousness within political systems.
Impact on Present Political Setting
In the current context, the botched assassination attempt on Donald Trump has left people and the electorate bewildered. One fallout of the attempt can be the surge in sympathy for Donald Trump as the “Grand Victim” who has always sided with the street and can be remembered as an iconic “outsider”. The image of Donald Trump being taken off the stage with a bleeding war and face will remain etched in the memory of the audience for a long time. Still, the manner in which Trump appeared combative and raised a fist in the direction from which the bullets came, points to more than mere symbolism. The raised fist is used as a symbol by socialists, communists, feminists, black rights activists and fascists alike. Pictures of the Olympic Games in 1968 showed Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising fists after winning the 200-meter race as the US national anthem was being played out at the medal-giving ceremony.
History showcases that while a candidate’s political fortune might receive a fillip initially but in the longer run the larger impact is temporary and very limited as sympathy might not last forever. It has been observed that one in four Americans believes that political violence is the way out of a rotten system to stymie the fall from grace and pelf in America. It’s also recorded by prominent Media and pollsters that in 2021 15% of the voters believed that political violence might be the only way out. Still, an alarming development is that in polls conducted in 2023 23% of the American electorate believed that political violence is the panacea for bringing about reform and change and Fareed Zakaria too writes in his recent book that revolutions are still rampant in the global polity and the larger comity of states. The upsurge in support for political violence indicates excavating ruptures within society, raising trepidations about future stability.
Contemporary Political Ramifications
One in three Republicans believes that true American patriots have to resort to violence to bring about political transformation in line with 13 per cent of the Democrats and 22 per cent of independents. In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Joe Biden called out Trump by the word, “Donald” despite so much antagonism doing the rounds among them and he publicly denounced the attempt on his rival’s life. One may also argue that Trump has called the new Democratic Presidential candidate, Kamila Harris, as a radical so can we call the shooter at Trump’s campaign rally as a heretic. It’s a million-dollar question. Biden had been mentioning and giving the clarion call that it was time to save the nation which might have instilled the Thomas crooks to take a shot at Trump in his campaign rally. Still, several observers have pointed out that the attempt might not have a long-lasting value on the outcome of the Presidential elections, and the state of the American economy, though it has shaken up the people and it has also been observed that the “Kill attempt” will take the attention away from the age debate of Joe Biden and the Democrat party’s dilemma at selecting the new Presidential candidate before Kamla Harris was designated. This incident highlights the erratic nature of electoral politics and the budding shifts in public focus during election campaigns.
Way Ahead
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is a momentous incident in the ongoing US elections, reflecting deeper issues within American society and its political landscape. While it may momentarily shift public sentiment and focus, historical patterns suggest that such events rarely have long-lasting effects on electoral outcomes. The polarization and radicalism evident in this incident underscore the need for a broader conversation on political violence and its implications for democracy.
Addressing these issues requires a multi-layered approach. First, nurturing a culture of political tolerance and dialogue is essential to diminish the plea of violence as a means of political change. Secondly, enhancing security measures for political figures while maintaining transparency can aid mitigate such risks. Lastly, investing in education and community programs to address the root causes of political extremism can create a more resilient and cohesive society. By taking these steps, the US can move towards a more stable and inclusive political atmosphere.
Dr. Manan Dwivedi is an Assistant Professor and serves as the Co-Coordinator of the Centre for International Relations at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), India & Sohit Nayan is a Principal Consultant at the SDP Group of Companies, Delhi-NCR, India.
