I was watching on TV the Trump campaign rally taking place near Butler, Pennsylvaniaon July 13, 2024. Everything seemed to be as usual for a Trump rally. His loyal supporters turned up in their thousands. Their attention on the centre stage as Trump walked on with hands held high, waving to acknowledge his admiring people. No sooner had he started to speak, shots rang out. His hand goes to his ear, he ducks to avoid further injury and then finally the secret service showed up to shield him from further harm. As they took the former president off the stage in what can only be described as a shambolic display of presidential protection, Trump rose up, fist up and shouting, ‘fight’, ‘fight’, ‘fight’. In those 2 minutes the whole American presidential race changed.
Within minutes, the internet was consumed by multiple conspiracy theories. Some founded on legitimateunanswered questions, whilst the majority were from lifelong members of the conspiracy theory consortia.
The truth, if we ever find that, might be rather different and possibly rather uninteresting.
Nevertheless, we can ask legitimate questions like:
Why was a high pointonly a few hundred feet awaywith direct sight to the stage not secured? It is unprecedented that anyone in charge of such high-level security would not have ensured that every vantage point that could possibly be used by an association was declared off limits, and officers stationed to ensure such out buildings remain secured. Can the American Secret Service be this incompetent?
- Why did the secret service snipers who knew about the man on the roof do nothing?
- Why did the secret service who knew about a potential threat not delay the former president from taking to the stage?
- Who gains from the death of Trump? If Trump had died, then whoever the Republicans replaced him with would almost certainly win by a landslide. So, would the Biden camp or the Democrats risk such an outcome?
- Was this staged to boost Trump into the Whitehouse? Trump was already well ahead in the polls and therefore maybe he would not wish to take such a risk to his own life.
- Can this be just a lone wolf, a 20-year-old kid, who somehow managed to outwit the whole of the secret service apparatus, the full security measures, the multiple layers of electronic surveillance and get into a position to assassinate the former president?
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted at the House Oversight Committee that it was a ‘colossal failure’. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers called on Cheatle to step down in the wake of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. It seems, she has managed to unite both sides of the house.
At the end of her testimony, one was left wondering what quality she had that secured her this prestigious high-profile job. It seems sometimes competence is sacrificed to either pamper to DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) ideology, or maybe certain state actors wanted their person in power to safeguard their interest.
In the end, within a matter of days President Biden declared he was out of the race. It seems VP Kamala Harris has the momentum to become the Republican candidate, though I note she has still to secure the support of the Clintons and the Obamas. We know Hilary wanted to be the first woman president but lost to Trump. I suspect Obama wants Michelle to get into the Whitehouse, but timing is the essence of winning. And whilst the Republicans go through their self-inflicted trauma, Trump was and remains on a high. The first test of what might happen in November will be when Trump faces Harris in a public debate. He wiped the floor with Biden, will he, now the older man, be able to take apart the younger Harris? Can Harris become the first woman to become the President?
Folks, the race to the Whitehouse just got very interesting. Trump is here, by the grace of his ear it seems. Is there divine providence with him on his march to the Whitehouse? The traditionalists in America see him surviving as a sign from God, that he is the chosen one.
In 100 days, we will know whether American democracy delivers a legitimate result, or whether it will be shrouded in controversy, again. The world is watching with bated breath as the most ‘powerful’ nation attempts to survive its own madness.
