The Scoop: Trump faces second assassination attempt

Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” on Sunday. The incident took place at his golf club Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Details are still emerging but what is clear is this is the second apparent attempt on Trump’s life in the past two months.

Following the first assassination attempt, PR Daily’s sister publication, Ragan.com, wrote the following:

“The role that intentional language, which addresses and seeks to drive specific behaviors, plays in setting this tone cannot be understated. While many describe last weekend’s incident as an act of ‘political violence,’ social media is awash with memes equating ‘political violence’ with controversial issues like the war in Gaza and the homelessness epidemic, too. It’s a reminder that intentionality is also specificity, that sometimes a phrase composed with the intent to be neutral can create a void for others to repurpose it to their own ends.”

Following the first assassination attempt in July, there were hopes by some that the situation would lead to a more civil, gentle election cycle.

For a time it did, but as was evidenced during the Trump-Harris debate, it didn’t stay that way. It’s impossible to know what the future holds, but for right now, leaders from across the political spectrum are saying all the right things.

Trump praised the work of law enforcement and thanked the American public for their well wishes. Harris said she was glad Trump was safe before saying, “Violence has no place in America.”

Similar messages came from Trump running-mate JD Vance and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as well as those from the other side of the aisle: President Joe Biden, Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety,” President Biden wrote on Sunday.

No matter your political affiliation, remember the following: words matter. Stay safe and be kind.

Editor’s Top Reads:

• TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, are back in court today for the continuation of a longstanding legal battle centered around the social platform’s future in the United States. “Fifteen minutes,” CNN wrote. “That’s how much time TikTok will have today to dissuade a federal appeals court from supporting a possible (U.S.) ban of its social media app, which is used by 170 million Americans.” Short-form video is the king of social content right now, and comms teams would be wise to set up contingencies for what they and their brands would do if TikTok either went away or if the platform changed to the point it lost popularity. 
• Cast members of the longtime political drama “The West Wing” appeared at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards to urge viewers in the U.S. to vote this November. The playful reunion inside a replica Oval Office occurred 18 years after the show’s finale. The group, led by Martin Sheen (President Jed Bartlet), came on stage to present the award in the Outstanding Drama Series category. But the cast also used the brief appearance as a way to raise awareness about the upcoming election and the importance of registering to vote. The appearance was a great example of capitalizing on a major cultural moment of the time. “The West Wing” celebrates its 25th anniversary in September, and the writing was also playful and general enough – “It’s hard to believe… the writers actually had to use their imaginations to create interesting plotlines,” Allison Janney joked – to not likely alienate anyone in the audience. Instead, they focused on a simple message: get out the vote. 
• A London-based newspaper is facing backlash after allegations that it published fabricated articles related to the Israel-Hamas war. The Jewish Chronicle reportedly printed articles by a freelance journalist that Israeli media outlets have questioned, according to the Associated Press. In response to the situation, three of the Jewish Chronicle’s columnists resigned over the “disgrace” brought to “world’s oldest Jewish newspaper.” This situation serves a reminder of how important it is for PR pros to be very careful about the media with which you’re interacting. Even historically respected outlets are shifting from political leanings to outright propaganda, sometimes false stories. In August, a Wyoming reporter was caught using artificial intelligence to create fake quotes and stories for the Cody Enterprise, a publication dating back to 1899. To its credit, the Jewish Chronicle’s editor publicly cut ties with the reporter and removed all of his work. It also posted a brief story on the situation semi-prominently on its website, noting, without specifics, that it had taken measures to ensure this type of situation wouldn’t happen again.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.