The Scoop: Analyzing responses to attempted assassination of Donald Trump

The political landscape in America shifted dramatically this weekend as former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt.

Corey Comperatore, a father and retired firefighter who was attending the rally, was killed by the shooter.

The dark day in American history will have repercussions that will echo for years. The Secret Service faces intense scrutiny for how it could have allowed such a close call. And pundits are scrambling to understand what it means for the November election, with many believing it will turn the tide in Trump’s favor, thanks in no small part to instantly iconic images of Trump rising to his feet, bloody and defiant, and pumping his fist as an American flag flutters overhead.

But let’s talk about the messaging that both Trump and rival Joe Biden have released in the 36 hours since the assassination attempt.

Trump has appeared unusually measured and disciplined in his handful of post-interview statements. In his Truth Social post just hours after the shooting, he specifically noted that “Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.” There is no speculation about what those motives may have been, no insinuation he was a Democrat. The rest of the post is filled sympathy for Comperatore, gratitude for the Secret Service and law enforcement and a brief recounting of the shooting.

Trump has not yet appeared in photos or videos since he was rushed offstage by his security detail. But he did hold an interview with the New York Post Sunday en route to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

The Trump in that interview seems to be marveling over his survival, saying it was “by luck or by God.” There’s a single sentence presented in the article that goes after Biden: “I had all prepared an extremely tough speech, really good, all about the corrupt, horrible administration. But I threw it away.”

Now, he said, he will be a voice for unity, though he’s unsure if that’s possible. He even vaguely suggested the possibility of a more civil campaign moving forward.

Biden, in an Oval Office address, strongly denounced the shooting and pushed for a similar degree of civility.

“There is no place in America for this kind of violence or for any violence ever. Period. No exceptions. We can’t allow this violence to be normalized,” Biden said. “You know, the political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. And we all have a responsibility to do that.”

Biden listed a number of incidents of political violence in the last few years, including the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband and the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, condemning them all.

This framing is important. By putting the shooting in a broader context of rising political violence, Biden is trying to regain some control and counter a victim-driven narrative, even as Trump himself has sometimes cheered on political violence.

But this zoom-out approach has drawn criticism and accusations of continued partisanship. While Trump has been restrained in his response so far, other Republicans have rushed to put the entire blame on Democrats for fanning the flames, conveniently ignoring acts of political violence perpetrated against those in the party.

This is a precarious moment for the United States. Be safe, and be kind.

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Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.