| The reactions to an apparent second attempt on Trump’s life were inevitably predictable. There was a collective, bipartisan expression of shock and outrage. Many said that political violence has no place in the US, “although, obviously, political violence is a longstanding feature of American politics, and indeed, you might say a feature, not a bug, of political life,” Chris says. Joe Biden has also committed to providing every resource available to support Trump going forward – though some have asked why this hadn’t happened after the attempt on his life in July. Trump still sought to blame president Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris for the shooting, telling Fox News that “their rhetoric” was causing him to be “shot at”. Although there have been attempts to politicise this incident, from figures like Elon Musk, it has been more difficult for Trump’s allies to do it persuasively this time around. The attack in Pennsylvania spawned the now infamous image of a bloodied Trump pumping his fist in the air and shouting “fight, fight, fight”, creating a lightning in a bottle moment that made it seem as if he had already clinched the election. This time though, says Chris, “there’s no such image like that, and his opponent is much stronger”, making it infinitely more difficult for the GOP and Trump allies to recreate that fervour. The suspect’s reported lack of a clear political motivation has also made it challenging for Republicans to point the finger in a particular direction – Routh was a registered Democrat but he also reportedly said on social media that he voted for Trump in 2016 and expressed support for a Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy ticket in the 2024 Republican primaries. The Secret Service’s role After the events in July, the first of their kind in 43 years, the agency came under intense scrutiny over security lapses that left Trump exposed. Last week, a report found that a number of substantial communication breakdowns led up to the shooting in Pennsylvania. For there to have been another in under two months has reignited the concerns that not enough is being done to protect the former president. Although Trump does have a security detail, which has increased since the first attempt on his life, as he is not in office, he has a slightly lower level of security than would be afforded to a sitting president. Nonetheless, Ronald Rowe Jr, the US Secret Service acting director, insisted that “the protective methodologies of the Secret Service were effective”. Some have praised the Secret Service for spotting and apprehending the suspect quickly – Trump himself thanked them and other law enforcement agencies for an “incredible job” – but others have raised apprehensions. Agents have said that they were not able to surround the whole golf course that Trump was playing in – had he been president they would have. “He may not be the president, but he is a former president and a presidential candidate,” says Chris. And, considering the events of July, he adds that “it’s outrageous that more wasn’t already being done”. What this means for the election | 