On July 13, 2024, a picture that may change the course of world history was taken. It showed the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania covered in his own blood a few seconds after he survived an assassination attempt, raising his right arm and inciting the crowd to “fight”, like a mystical warrior-like figure who dragged his followers into a violent battle from which he emerged victorious. Thus, his crusade became everyone’s struggle. The issue at stake, though, is that this incident should never have happened. Not in a country that worships freedom and democracy.

The media’s response to this event was unparalleled and most of the world’s leaders, despite their own political opinions, have rightly condemned Thomas Matthew Crooks – the deceased 20-year-old shooter. President Joe Biden, Trump’s main rival in the upcoming elections, expressed solidarity with the republican candidate and denounced this outburst of violence: “we must not go down this road in America”. With this iconic picture, the assassination attempt became an “attack on democracy”, as FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasised.

However, although it was a brutal attempt to alter the democratic process, we should also be aware of two things: firstly, this wasn’t just an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, it was also a mass shooting that killed 50-years-old firefighter Corey Comperatore. He was fatally shot while protecting his daughters, while two other men, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, were hospitalised due to injuries.

Secondly,  since a mass shooting is “an event in which one or more individuals are actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area”, this assassination attempt marks the 296^th mass shooting that occurred in the United States since the beginning of the year. Moreover, there have been nine more mass shootings since the assassination attempt, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Therefore, while public figures are quick to condemn this violence, they still proudly embrace the 2^nd Amendment and allow ammunition to be sold in vending machines like Coca Cola. Pervasive gun violence in the US is often met with indifference or inadequate control measures.

US political discourse has been characterised by extreme rhetoric, polarisation, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation. Trump’s messianic rhetoric in his first interview after the incident,  depicting himself as a man chosen by God to keep fighting for the United States of America, should not come as a surprise. His political strategy will build upon this “miracle” and sanctify his persona even further. However, although the assassination attempt is a great opportunity for Republicans to gain more votes, it is crucial that US citizens remember that they are not electing a messiah. They should not be swayed by populist rhetoric– they should vote based on policy, values, experience, and knowledge.

It is too soon to predict the ramifications of Trump’s assassination attempt. However, both Trump and President Biden have failed to use this violent attack as a way to shed light on the inadequacy of US gun laws. Gun violence will continue to exact a devastating toll throughout the country. Unfortunately, meaningful change is still a long way off.