Toxic for America

What was really happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA, when a shooter opened gunfire at former president Donald Trump? Was it only a simple shooting or a violent attack or even a planned assassination? America is just now in deep swamps of election campaigns heading to the November 5th presidential election. Trump is the candidate of the Republican Party. The outcome of this election is open. However, it depends much more on the aftermath of the recent incident in Pennsylvania.

Former US President Donald Trump. Source: AFP/VNA

Whatever it was, it has already made Trump a martyr. This incident would consolidate his voters' and supporters' bases not only within the Republican Party but also within the MAGA movement. The forthcoming election campaigns and the final outcome will now depend on how the Trump campaign capitalizes on this incident for his White House race and how wisely and properly the Joe Biden campaign will deal with this new development.

In America, shootings at politicians, violent attacks against politicians and even politically motivated assassinations of politicians have been not strange. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan were some of the most prominent names. But the shootings at Donald Trump could produce more harm and damage for America. Because America's politics and society now is more deeply divided, polarized, and radicalized than ever before in its history. Violence and killings, misuse of weapons, and hate are countrywide widespread.  America still lacks social peace and consent, a healthy political culture, and social equity. Therefore, the recent attack against Donald Trump is toxic for today's America.

It is toxic for America because it would radicalize the political and social atmosphere in America, heading to the final encounter between Trump and Biden, between two extremes and two big uncertainties for America. It showed that America isn't still able to get rid of its urgent problems and will continue to be so even after the coming presidential election, independent of who will win this election.

It is a very dangerous path that America has recently started to go along. All signs indicate that America is continuing to follow this way and maintain these directions. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are all old faces. And it would be too much and unrealistic to expect any one of them, after winning the coming election, to be able to lead America in choosing and going other ways.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by Ambassador Tran Duc Mau are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Hanoi Times.