Assassination is extremely uncommon today—no shot anyone’s trying to assassinate the president, right? Wrong. On Saturday, July 13, while at a presidential rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former president Donald Trump lived through a near-death experience. Bullets whizzed past his body and his head before he eventually ducked down to safety. No one was prepared, and no one could have expected an assassination attempt on a former president and current presidential candidate. Luckily, Trump managed to leave the site with nothing but a minor cut in his right ear and a roaring crowd cheering him on.
What seemed like a casual and lighthearted day quickly turned into chaos. About 200 yards away from Trump, rallygoers noticed a man on a rooftop, armed. When police officers went to check the scene, the gunman pointed his rifle at them, and they quickly came down to safety. At that same moment, shots were fired, and chaos erupted.
Trump had pointed to a large video screen depicting statistics of border crossings when the shots first started. Within the next six seconds, eight shots would go off, one of which may have come in contact with Trump’s right ear. He quickly ducked, grabbing hold of his ear, while secret service agents rushed over, ready to take a bullet for the former president.
“When I heard about what happened, I really couldn’t believe it. I have learned about assassination attempts from the past, but I never thought I would have witnessed one with my own eyes,” said junior Jonathon Misaghi.
Now, debates have risen as to whether or not Trump was truly hit by a bullet. Could it have been something else? FBI Director Christopher Wray has pointed out that it in fact may not have been a bullet, but rather a shrapnel that caused Trump’s injury. The exact cause is still unknown, but Trump undoubtedly lived through a horrific assassination attempt.
Once the Secret Service managed to get Trump on his feet and towards the exit, Trump swiftly punched his fist out into the crowd, mouthing the word “Fight!” repeatedly. As a result, the crowd started cheering him on, following his words as well as his actions. Amid all the disorder, Trump somehow built up the courage to go face to face with his assassinator, calling to fight and uniting the people.
Junior Sophia Li said, “What Trump did was really cool but also really surprising. He risked his life to show us how much our nation means to him.”
This narrow escape, however, was not all sunshine and rainbows. Three men fell victim to the shooting; one died trying to shield his family from the bullets while two other men suffered injuries from the shooter.
The shooter was identified to be 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper shortly after he initiated several shots toward the former president.
In a thrilling sequence of events, only about a week following Trump’s assassination attempt, Joe Biden decided to drop out of the election. On Sunday, July 21, President Biden, anticipating the upcoming election vs Trump, announced his withdrawal from the 2024 United States presidential election in a statement posted on social media. Due to numerous debates centered around the age and fitness of the president, Biden ultimately stepped down from the election, instead endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump in less than four months.
“During this time as President, Biden has mismanaged foreign affairs, the economy, and the migrant crisis, weakening the status of the U.S. and allowing conflicts like the war in the Middle East to escalate,” said sophomore Noah Yousefzadeh. He continued, “I believe these issues will continue and worsen if Harris is elected but will resolve with Trump’s win.”
Ever since Harris stepped up as a presidential candidate, a race putting Trump ahead of Biden now has no clear leader. Within a week of her campaign, she managed to raise $200 million, four times the amount Biden raised in the entire month of April. Democrats are more than willing to put their time and money into making sure she secures the spot as president, preventing a second Donald Trump presidency.
Camp Parkwood employee Victor Jimenez said, “I found it good that Biden dropped out of the election. He was far too old and I don’t think he was capable of holding a second spot in office.”
In the wake of these events, the political landscape has been shaken. The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump not only highlighted the persistent threats faced by political figures but also underscored the unpredictable changes of the current election. The abrupt withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, has left the nation in a suspenseful and uncertain state. As the election approaches in November, both parties will continue to rally around their candidates in hopes of securing a win.
