Reuters on assassination attempt on Trump: In a country already on the edge, fear of violence is now even greater

(Patria) - In a country already on the edge, the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has enraged his supporters, halted the Democratic Party's campaign, and increased fears of further political violence ahead of the November elections, Reuters writes.

Trump's Republican allies portrayed him as a hero yesterday, using an image of his bloody ear and raised fist as he uttered the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Donald Trump's supporters point out that the demonization of the Republican presidential candidate led to the assassination attempt.

"Today's event is not just an isolated incident. The central premise of Biden's campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.

That rhetoric directly led to the assassination attempt on President Trump," Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance, a leading candidate for Trump's vice presidency, posted on X.

Biden reacted quickly to try to calm the situation, condemning the attack as unacceptable political violence and withdrawing campaign ads attacking Trump.

"There is no place for this kind of violence in America. It is sick," Biden told reporters.

The motive of the attacker is not yet known. The suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, was a registered Republican, according to state voter records.

He had previously donated $15 to a political action committee that raises money for left-leaning and Democratic politicians.

In the short term, the attack is likely to improve Trump's position in Milwaukee this week at the Republican National Convention as he accepts his party's presidential nomination, reinforcing the sense of injustice and alienation that his supporters already feel towards the country's political class.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Ackman rushed to support Trump.

"I fully support President Trump and wish him a speedy recovery," Musk posted on X, the social network he owns.

The US is facing its largest and longest increase in political violence since the 1970s.

Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, said the shooting could politically benefit Trump as it fits his narrative that the country is on the wrong track.

"The assassination attempt creates sympathy for Trump. It also confirms to voters the idea that something is fundamentally wrong in this country, which is an idea that drives support for him," Bannon believes.

Many voters are already alienated from Biden and Trump.

The chaos surrounding the candidates can contribute to the feeling that the country's problems are irreparable and that the gap between the parties cannot be bridged, Reuters assesses.

US Congressman Steve Scalise, a Republican who was shot in 2017, told Fox News that violent election rhetoric needs to stop.

"It only takes one person who is simply not normal to hear it and act, thinking it's a signal to remove someone," Scalise added.