Political strategists often talk about campaigns in terms of “moments.”
These are moments in time that irreparably change the political landscape, forcing those affected to adapt their behavior to a new situation.
THE Assassination attempt against Donald Trump on Saturday night This is the most important moment in decades.
In the seconds that follow Gunshots rang out across the exhibition grounds As the Republican candidate addressed his supporters, it became clear that everything had changed.
An immediately historic image of the scene, captured in time by an Associated Press photographer, shows Trump stumbling off the stage, dripping blood and surrounded by Secret Service agents.
Moments after his near-death experience, the former president raised his fist in defiance, his lips forming a single word: “Fight.”
It is the first credible assassination threat against a US president since Ronald Reagan was shot in March 1981.
Other, more timid attempts have been made, notably against Trump, who has already been the target of at least three plots. Several other attackers have planned to kill Joe Biden.
The constant threat of violent death is something of an occupational hazard for American commanders-in-chief, and four sitting presidents have succumbed to it.
However, it is undeniable that this incident will have a significant impact on this year’s presidential race.
Trump has built his campaign on the idea that everyone is out to kill him. Federal prosecutors, judges, election officials, rival politicians and journalists have all been accused of trying to undermine his campaign and prevent his return to the White House.
Many of these claims have been rightly disputed. But after the Pennsylvania incident, even Trump’s worst enemies can’t deny that some would rather see him dead than reelected.
Like Reagan, Trump can hope for a rise in the polls
Polls already suggest Trump has a strong chance of winning back the presidency in November, after a torrid few months for his opponent and a criminal conviction that has had little impact on his popularity.
If history teaches us anything, Saturday’s events will only increase his popularity. In the months since Reagan’s assassination, the newly elected Republican president has seen his poll numbers rise by eight points.
On Monday, Trump will greet supporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to announce his running mate for the Republican National Convention.
Already strict security measures will likely be further tightened in response to the major security breach that nearly ended the candidate’s life.
But the rhetoric will be different, too. Trump’s supporters are already casting the assassination attempt as the last stand in his war to save America, and that narrative will now dominate the campaign.
Minutes after the incident, the former president’s son posted a photo of his father being taken away, with the caption: “He will never stop fighting to save America.” After receiving medical treatment, Trump himself said it was “unbelievable that such an act could take place in our country.”
The subtext of this remark is obvious: America is broken and he will fix it with the help of his supporters.
The assassination attempt on Trump is a stark reminder of how a single revolutionary moment can upend an already tumultuous campaign.
Any remaining doubts about Trump’s victory in this year’s election are now fading, and Mr Biden’s gaffes earlier this week – while undoubtedly dramatic – now seem irrelevant.
People still alive in 1963 still wonder what they were doing when they heard that John F. Kennedy had been shot.
In decades to come, they will ask: “Where were you when the bullet missed Trump?”
