Expert: “They hate Trump so much”
Donald Trump has survived another assassination attempt.
There is a high risk that there will be more.
– Among politicians, he is one of the most threatened in the world, says expert Jan Hallenberg.
Very shortly after the shooting in Washington, the following appeared:
Posts on social media from Americans who were disappointed that the suspected perpetrator, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, did not shoot US President Donald Trump at the journalists' dinner in Washington on Saturday.
It is telling, says Jan Hallenberg, associate senior researcher at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.
– All American politicians at that level have a significant threat image, but this man is the most controversial president since possibly Franklin D. Roosevelt, he says, referring to the president between 1933 and 1945.
– Because they hate Trump so much. Some of them genuinely think so. There are people who want revenge on him, both politically and personally, and in those cases it is very personal.
Jan Hallenberg says that there are more presidents who have aroused strong emotions, such as John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.
But there is a difference:
– Trump's vocabulary contributes to making the mood in the United States even worse. There is no getting around it.
His expression of hatred for his enemies, hatred for the media, and the increasing violence among Americans have contributed to the division in the country becoming abysmal.
– It is extremely common for people to say, “My Republican daughter can’t marry a Democrat,” for example.
The shooting in Washington means that this is the third time that Trump has come very close to an attack on him in various ways. At an election speech in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024, he was even shot in the ear – but fortunately survived.
– I fear this could happen again, says Jan Hallenberg.
– I don’t think it’s about groups. In previous cases, including against other politicians, it has usually been people with mental health problems who have guns. I don't think there is any conspiracy to kill the president.
The impact of the shooting in Washington also depends on what the politicians do.
This also applies to Trump.
- Are they acting responsibly, or are they going to score cheap points? After Butler, people came together and demanded joint measures. Trump was also soft the first week, but then went back to his usual rhetoric.
Even after this weekend's incident, Trump gave an unusually toned-down speech, Hallenberg thinks:
- He told reporters that this is the kind of problem that must bring us together. But soon the criticism will come, from all sides.
Already on Sunday, for example, there were statements that the suspected shooter hates Christians, something that suits Trump's voter base very well, according to Hallenberg.
- There is a very strong trend within the Republicans that white Christians are the most persecuted people in the world. And those who are anti-Christian are of course the Democrats.
- In that case, in the short term, he could get a two-three percent increase in support in the opinion polls. But then Americans will notice that gasoline prices are still high, that the Strait of Hormuz is still closed, and that the world economy is at risk of recession due to Trump's decision. I don't think this incident will affect support in the long term.
FACTS
Assassination and attempted assassination of Donald Trump
July13, 2024 – Shooting at Pennsylvania rally
A 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire from a rooftop next to Trump's campaign rally. Trump was hit in the upper part of his right ear. One bystander was killed and two were seriously injured. The shooter was shot and killed by the Secret Service. The FBI classified the incident as an attempted murder.
September 15, 2024
The Secret Service discovered a gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, hiding in bushes near the golf course where Trump was playing. He had a semi-automatic rifle, camera equipment and had been waiting in the area for nearly 12 hours. An agent opened fire before the man could shoot Trump. The man was later arrested after a car chase. The FBI also described this as attempted murder and Routh was later sentenced to life in prison.
April 25, 2026
A gunman opened fire during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Trump and several ministers and politicians were present. A Secret Service agent was hit, but was protected by his protective vest. The acting US Attorney General has stated that the perpetrator likely had Trump as his target.
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