Transcript:
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the hair's breadth closeness we came upends everything once again in the 2024 race for the White House. I wish I could say that the attempt was a shocking surprise to me, but I think many feel like I do - that this is just this was a long time coming and it's not the end of political violence in America.
It is, however, a near guarantee that Donald Trump will once again make a leap forward in the polls and in the likelihood of being elected president if his opposition is Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. The raised fist response of the former and potentially future president has already become iconic and creates a risk and an opportunity.
On the risk side of course he was chanting fight apparently as he raised his fist and his more extreme followers may indeed feel that this is a moment to fight more overtly than ever before. However, this also is an unprecedented opportunity for the former president to broaden his base.
It is hard for a man like Donald Trump to be a sympathetic character, but this is the moment that he will be positioned in exactly that way. Current President Joe Biden called this assassination attempt sick and an example of behavior that is unacceptable on all sides.
We can only imagine if President Biden's ear was shot off what the rhetorical response of the Trump community and the former president himself would have been. I doubt that it would have been that, but the step back from open rhetorical animosity right now creates an opportunity for Donald Trump to attract the votes of the many wavering in the broad center, and even on the right, who have not wanted to support him. It opens up the Trump maybe voters to say if you can now make America united again, you can earn our votes.
Like it or not, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and his impulsive raised fist response with his face bloodied, but on both sets the stage for an overwhelming potential victory by him in November and leads us to two potential scenarios among many.
Number one, that his followers and his opponents become more radicalized, more violent, and the nation descends, or that the former president and his handlers, who no one can handle, decide that they would like to have a broader base to detach themselves from the extremists on abortion and other issues. There's a positive outcome that can come from this. I frankly look toward the first as the most likely outcome, further descent into division, anger, hate and violence, but there is an opportunity.
And all of us can harness this near tragedy to give ourselves one more chance at unity. I frankly expect that the former president will blow this opportunity to reach out to the middle, but I hope that this is the moment that he or his followers and all of us decide to harness the forces of history for a rebirth of American values and unity.
And that is not BS, but I am, and I look forward to your comments.
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