My first reaction to Donald Trump’s attempted assassination was to ask if it was faked or staged. That’s become my natural response to any news ever since 9/11 (or maybe the moon landing). But only in the movies is the lone gunman such a good shot that they could graze their target’s ear without blasting off their head. Yes, the hard-core conspiracy theorists will speculate the shooter was a top-secret AI killing machine from the future and Donald Trump a disposable clone… or that the whole production was CGI and Pennsylvania doesn’t even exist. There’s a rabbit hole for every possibility. But as far as objective and probable reality goes, four things appear to be true:
1. The socialist-fascist psychopaths who are trying to turn Western countries into desolate third-world hellholes know they are losing in the battle of words, ideas and reason (as proven by the recent Presidential debate). Despite all the media brainwashing, mass propaganda and their fake pandemic they still can’t control the masses. Violence and murder are the ultimate modus operandi of those who oppose freedom — from forced taxation (AKA theft) to forced indoctrination camps (AKA schools) to forced vaccination (AKA democide).
2. Trump is no coward and doesn’t miss a photo-op. Sure he ducked when under fire. He’s also not an idiot. But once the shooter was taken down he stood tall calling for people to fight as if knowing those might be his last words. He then appears to be fighting his entourage of Secret Service bodyguards so that he can raise his fist in the air, as they try to shield him with their bodies — leaving the world with a photo more memorable than his “don’t mess with me” mug shot.
3. He was fired at several times. Other than a flesh wound to the ear he is uninjured. If he hadn’t turned his head he would be dead — the consequences of which could have been more significant than the shooting of John F. Kennedy (e.g. civil war). The fact he survived suggests that — even though Trump is certainly no angel — he has an angel watching over him.
4. The Secret Service charged to protect the Former President failed in so many ways — either deliberately or out of sheer incompetence. Why was there no agent on the rooftop where the shooter had a clear line of sight? Why did they not spot this guy earlier? Why did they ignore those in the audience who pointed him out three minutes before the attack?
Speculations about really happened may go on for decades, but a four practical takeaways: Words are powerful weapons, use them liberally. Stand tall, there are cameras everywhere. Remember people beat impossible odds all the time, maybe you’ll be next. And, above all, hire your own security team.
John C. A. Manley is the author of the full-length novel, Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story. He is currently working on All the Humans Are Sleeping. John lives in Stratford, Ontario, with his son Jonah, and the ever-present spirit of his late wife, Nicole. You can subscribe to his email newsletter for a free preview of his latest novel and to be alerted about the release of All the Humans Are Sleeping.