Published on July 21, 2024, 1:06 am

Donald Trump has ample reason to count his blessings this week. Nonetheless, a certain win in the November polls isn’t among them.

Joe Biden may appear to be behind in the popular projection and seems to be fighting an uphill battle with time itself. Yet, let it not be said that Biden lacks tenacity. The president comes prepared with a plan to translate Trump’s recent escape from an attempt on his life into a political fiasco.

During his address from the Oval Office, Biden cleverly connected the attempt on Trump’s life with various other politically instigated events of violence such as the U.S Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.

By doing so, he revisited a powerful narrative that played a significant role during the tumultuous summer of 2020 following George Floyd’s death— linking Donald Trump closely with societal chaos.

Biden’s campaign seems ready to deploy their next strategy — accusing Trump and the GOP of indirectly fueling the assassination effort due to their position on firearms regulation.

The reasons why Thomas Matthew Crooks, twenty years old, attempted to assassinate Trump are somewhat unknown. Yet it is clear how he attempted it – by using a rifle. His passion for firearms is well established. He was part of his high school’s shooting team, affiliated with a gun club and was wearing a pro-gun YouTube channel’s t-shirt when he died.

Following this narrative, Democrats argue that supporting Trump equates to backing political instability and potentially empowering volatile individuals like Crooks.

The Republican party seems stuck in its own trap due largely to their echoing Democratic themes – either in pursuit of easy political gains or possibly due to falling prey to groupthink themselves.

They argue consistently that progressives should be held accountable for creating an environment conducive to violence through their fervent anti-Trump rhetoric. They question if comparisons between Trump—a figure portrayed by Democrats as comparable Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler—are stoking murder fantasies towards him? Specifically, when Biden speaks of having Trump in a bull’s-eye, is that incentivizing someone to literally put him in their crosshairs?

This selective justification from Republicans has only surfaced recently – the party formerly dismissed progressives who accused them of inciting violence when using similar targeting metaphors.

Trump supporters should exercise caution in spotlighting dangers of intemperate language, as this can lead to unintended consequences.

Though comparing Trump with Hitler lacks sophistication and intelligence, it does not condone violence. If campaign discourse leans heavily on uncivil rhetoric as a determining factor, voters are likely to dismiss Trump — not just for his own controversial comments but also for the outrageous statements he provokes from his adversaries.

Democrats are more than happy to base their campaigns around these aspects. Their strategy involves situating Biden once again as calm and unifying force against an embodiment of never-ending disruption and discontent represented by Trump.

For Trump to replicate or surpass his 2016 victory, he is tasked with courting moderates without losing the backing of gun owners and pro-lifers within his core Republican base. But these uncompromising policies projected for conservatives often alarm potential swing voters.

Trump’s legacy includes creating a Supreme Court majority that overlaid Roe v. Wade. Yet he is conscious about how referendums on abortion have fared since then and refuses to let his campaign revolve around one issue — particularly when Democrats are doing everything in their power to do so.

Biden may certainly portray himself as moderate on topics such firearms regulation or abortion among other issues; however, his strategy seems poised at exploiting this image even further: presenting himself as drama-free candidate – a stable captain steering the ship even if some might view him overly matured for such role.

In contrast, at his best, Trump presents an unparalleled blend of humor, positivity mixed with urgency and outrage. Be it opera or disco or Rolling Stones music playing in background—such grand theatrics are his playground.

Importantly, he must display command over all the elements of this drama, much like his spontaneous fist-raise following the failed assassination attempt.

Biden’s consistent efforts to transform his relative mediocrity into an asset previously proved successful; all signs suggest he plans on such a strategy again. Right-leaning voters should be cautious about becoming too relaxed with regards to their Nov. 5 election forecast – and they should just as equally resist adopting Democrats’ rhetoric and violence framing.

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