Saturday, July 13th was a defining moment for the 2024 election cycle, for the American people, and for the nation. A short, but deadly volley of bullets snapped through the air – wounding President Donald J. Trump, as well as several rally attendees, and killing Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who bravely and selflessly shielded his family from the gunfire. It nearly goes without saying that a mere one-inch difference in physical movement would have changed history. We have all seen that visceral footage, and we continue to unravel the confusing claims and the chain of events that led to the tragedy. Of course, a litany of endless questions and uncertainties remain.
What is not uncertain however, is the fact that as those shots cracked through the campaign, they shocked the nation with a stark and unembellished truth about two things. One – the absolutely brutal and unforgiving nature of our politics. And two – how fortunate we are to have President Trump alive, well, and strong.
In fact, looking a little deeper, these two points are linked – the brutal nature of our politics requires a person like President Trump, a figure who has the fortitude, the spirit and the longevity to endure the relentless and bare-knuckled barrage of attacks…whether those attacks are legal, unethical, extralegal or illegal. Who else, after all that he’s been through – from rule-bending lawfare, financial wreckage and dubious impeachments, to actual government conspiracies and slanderous, baseless, toxic mud-slinging – would still be in the battle for America’s future? Most would have melted like ice cream in August under a fraction of what he has had to face. Who would still be in it after being targeted in the public square?
And even if one doesn’t appreciate his style, every American should desire to have a leader like President Trump – a person who will literally rise and rally their fellow citizens after extreme trauma. Strength in the face of adversity. Think about that for a moment and ask yourself, “How many of us would have reacted the same way?” You probably cannot truthfully answer that without experience – but you can’t tell me that every political party doesn’t wish they had a candidate like that.
Beyond the base politics, even voters who do not intend to vote for President Trump should rejoice in the fact the he is alive. This is not simply because the standard for our civil discourse and political engagement should be higher – or that a cultural and national crisis was averted. But because at a time when the world seems aflame, and hostile nations watch our every move for weakness, a President that gets up after being shot down sends an important global message that is of benefit to all Americans. What does a bully like Xi or Putin think of the attempted assassination? What signal is now sent around the world about American political leadership – especially following the last several years of diminished executive authority, vacillation, coverups, pushover policies, and second-place satisfaction?
For the American people, the most important takeaway from that frightening and tragic moment is what President Trump’s actions mean for them. His reactions and composure in amidst the chaos – quick-thinking and constitution under fire – are bold and candid indicators of who he really is, and not what the media or his political opposition has worked hard to make you believe. That iconic photograph of President Trump – bloodied but far from beaten – will go down in history as the defining image of this campaign. And his passionate “Fight! Fight! Fight!” – seconds after shots split the air – was a clarion call to the public to dig hard, to stay sharp, and to not let hostile events or malign actors determine our course or our future. It was a call to never give up.
In looking back at what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, I’m left with one final thought about President Trump – he never had to do any of what he’s doing. Moreover, it is particularly during moments of terror or pain where one asks themselves, “Why am I doing this?” And yet, he does. And as many others have pointed out, he could be enjoying his best years, with his family and his wealth, riding it out and having a good time. But he hasn’t. He’s up there, onstage, taking shot after shot, day after day, week after week, motivating the public, and taking on the entrenched elite who have long believed that they have a more legitimate and proper claim on us as citizens, on our future, on our earnings, and on the direction of the country than we the people.
With existential concerns on that stage flashing through all of our minds, it makes perfect sense why President Trump urged us in that moment to fight. It was a crystal-clear warning – a warning that all can be lost in a split-second, and that you can’t take anything for granted, and that you must press on for freedom. That moment tightly captured everything that President Trump has been for us – a fighter for our lives.
Martha Fain is a policy expert, strategic consultant and frequent commentator on issues of national importance. She is Chairman of Vote America First and a Principal of Victory Coalition Strategies, LLC and has a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia School of law at George Mason University.