Political violence overshadows US election

Former President Donald Trump, who is the Republican candidate for the US election in early November, has just escaped an assassination plot at his golf course in Palm Beach, California.

Ryan W. Routh, who the US media said was a suspect in the plot to assassinate Mr. Trump, participated in a pro-Ukraine rally in Kiev (Ukraine) in 2022 - Photo: REUTERS

The incident occurred on September 15 (US time), and the suspect has so far been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh - a 58-year-old man living in Hawaii. This is another notable development in the unpredictable US election process. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has not released many details, but is investigating the possibility that this was an assassination attempt on Mr. Trump.

American politics shocked by violence

Mr. Trump was safe after the above-mentioned assassination attempt. However, this is the second time in just two months that the former US president has been the victim of an assassination attempt. This has caused public opinion to see a dark picture of American politics because of the overshadowing violence. Many eyes are on the US Secret Service - a federal law enforcement agency tasked with protecting political leaders in this country. The recent plot to attack Mr. Trump is leading to serious discussions about adjusting security activities. Speaking to the Guardian (UK), a spokesman for the US Secret Service affirmed that "we are living in a dangerous period". According to Palm Beach Police Chief Ric Bradshaw, Mr. Trump is not the current president, so his protection is not carried out at the highest level. "If he were president, we would have surrounded this golf course. But because he is not president, his security is limited to areas that the Secret Service thinks are possible," Mr. Bradshaw said. Michael Matranga, who protected former President Barack Obama in the Secret Service, described the assassination attempts on Trump as "unprecedented," and told the New York Times that the Secret Service should provide Trump with security as a president. Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted Democratic Representative Ro Khanna (California) as saying: "Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former president and Republican nominee are unacceptable. The Secret Service needs to go to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources they need to increase protection and allocate those resources in a bipartisan vote tomorrow."

"Politicizing" the assassination?

If what happened in Palm Beach was indeed an assassination, how will it affect Trump's image ahead of the election, and how will his Democratic opponents take the story? In mid-July, when a bullet grazed Trump's head in Pennsylvania, many thought the 2024 US presidential election was over. Trump used that near-death experience to send a strong message about his "no-holds-barred" image, and now the Republican candidate's supporters are using the Palm Beach assassination plot to do the same. In an email linked to a campaign website, Trump wrote: "Nothing can hold me back. I will never surrender!" US Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent in the November election, was quick to condemn the assassination attempt. But from a certain perspective, Ms. Harris has more reasons to not want such an assassination plot to happen at this time. The Democratic candidate, who was just praised by the press for her "winning" debate performance against Mr. Trump, now has to give the public attention to her opponent. Since 2016, observers have said that Mr. Trump has always become more prominent and attractive after shootings and violence. Some of Ms. Harris's supporters or those who do not like Mr. Trump understand how Mr. Trump and the Republican Party can take advantage of this latest incident. In an analysis on September 16, CNN said that the Palm Beach incident will risk escalating American political violence even further, depending on... Mr. Trump's reaction. According to the station's argument, Mr. Trump seemed more "restrained" after surviving death in Pennsylvania, but also "returned to his noise" and "his words have become even more extreme". In other words, CNN is concerned that Mr. Trump will further divide the country if he focuses on the assassination and tries to "politicize" it. Is this a way of dissecting the issue in a way that blames the victim? In fact, in the above article, CNN itself proactively hedges by asserting that there is no legitimate reason for a democracy to try to silence a political figure through violence. But anyway, the 2024 election in the US is full of hatred.

Ukraine denies links to suspect

On September 16, Ukraine condemned the plot to assassinate Mr. Trump as well as political violence. Ukraine's response was notable because the suspect Routh is known to be a supporter of Ukraine and a critic of Mr. Trump - who is often associated with a hardline stance on aid to Ukraine. While Kiev tried to deny any connection with the suspect, Russia had a hidden message. When asked about the FBI investigation into the assassination, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We are not the ones who should think in this situation, it is the US intelligence agency. In any case, playing with fire always has consequences."

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bao-luc-chinh-tri-phu-bong-bau-cu-my-20240916230109477.htm