# Thread for Discussion of Political Ramifications of Trump Injury from Shooting at the Butler, PA Rally **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 14, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185 "2024-07-14T01:25:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/261 "2024-07-15T00:18:39Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > It would be hilarious if he suddenly DID form an opinion, now that it’s personal, and it was the opposite of the one most of his supporters have. I have no idea what consequences would follow if that happened – I THINK the gun nuts would freak out and he would probably cave as soon as he started missing that sweet rush of adulation, That’s what would happen, all right. Recall that at an interview with Bill Reilly when he spoke of getting a COVID booster, [he got booed by the audience.](https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/20/politics/donald-trump-booster-shot-boos/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/262 "2024-07-15T00:20:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > deliberately hitting his ear (or superficially wounding him in any other way) without killing him would be a fantasy-level difficult shot: Maybe the best snipers in the world could do that, but even they wouldn’t be confident about it. As you alluded to, if someone **did** want to stage a shooting for sympathy’s sake, they wouldn’t shoot at the person’s _ear_. The slightest error would be fatal. They’d aim at the arm, leg, or somewhere else where, if things went wrong, the person would still have a good chance of survival. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/263 "2024-07-15T00:40:10Z")
> > > Jake Tapper @jaketapper ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/264 "2024-07-15T00:55:18Z")
Sadly I think many otherwise smart people such as yourself will continue to build foolish conspiracy theories around what happened. I’m seeing a lot of it and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but in my opinion it creates a lot of disruption in the pursuit of actual truth an understanding. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/265 "2024-07-15T01:02:00Z")
There’s a fine line between hard-nosed realism and resigning oneself to failure. I’m not sure that AOC _or_ those insiders have found themselves in the right place. AOC appears to want an echo chamber incapable of self-reflection or making hard choices. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/266 "2024-07-15T01:03:17Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > AOC appears to want an echo chamber incapable of self-reflection or making hard choices. I’m not sure “Trump is going to win and there’s nothing we can do about it” is a productive attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/267 "2024-07-15T01:12:43Z")
Probably not. And yet, one still has to allocate resources. A dollar that goes to Biden is a dollar that doesn’t go to some downticket race. It’s probably unwise to put _all_ available funds into the presidential election. Especially if there are other races that actually are likely wins but need some support. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/268 "2024-07-15T01:13:52Z")
Here’s Biden’s Oval Office speech from earlier tonight (starts at 31:41); > **[Biden delivers Oval Office address after Trump assassination attempt (FULL...](https://www.youtube.com/live/rJlRvLa59bo?si=D3EZafY-ifo9T2cG&t=1904%2F1)** > > Watch live as President Joe Biden addresses the nation after former President Donald Trump was injured during an assassination attempt Saturday at a Pennsylv... Well-delivered, IMO. He calls for calm and unity while reiterating, without attacking Trump directly, how important this election is and what he stands for. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/269 "2024-07-15T01:15:22Z")
Yeah, to AOC’s point - it’s one thing to say “well this puts us in a hole for sure” and another to go on to “might as well give up”. Even if you think that, _ **you don’t say it out loud** _. And FWIW, holding the Senate and turning the House _ **should have been on the agenda all along, anyway,** _ regardless of what were up with the Presidential. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/270 "2024-07-15T01:19:12Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And FWIW, holding the Senate and turning the House _ **should have been on the agenda all along, anyway,** _ regardless of what were up with the Presidential. Just saying “we’re going to do all the things!” isn’t a strategy. This is perfectly obvious in other races, where you don’t pour funds into some red state seat that’s at -60%. It’s unwinnable so you just put in the token effort. But the same thing applies to _every_ race. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/271 "2024-07-15T01:19:24Z")
I noticed some small Biden flubs in that speech. He said “the former Trump” and left out the President part that would have made that make sense. He also said “the battle box” instead of “the ballot box”. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/272 "2024-07-15T01:20:57Z")
I accept the fact that the odds of beating Trump right now are likely one in four or less with few paths to raising them. I’d love the odds to be better, and I am of the group that thinks a Harris candidacy would have more of a possibility of doing that. (Others disagree. Different threads. Yeah more than one.) I also am no fan of AOC. And I completely agree with her on this. One in four is far from zero and I suspect we can expect the unexpected. Giving up because you are losing is not realism. Few paths are not no paths. Now admitted I’ve come around on this. But it isn’t rolling double sixes. A leader whose response to being behind is just give up should move along and make room for those who are ready to roll up their sleeves instead. It seems like Biden won’t step aside and our board position is … not good. The advantage? It frees you up to play to win. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/273 "2024-07-15T01:54:44Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > And I completely agree with her on this. One in four is far from zero and I suspect we can expect the unexpected. I’m not saying AOC is completely wrong here. But calling for them to leave the party completely is a bit over the top. Probably everyone needs to dial things back a bit. The one-in-four chance is something like “and then a miracle occurs”–but miracles do happen. So no, they should not give up completely. But nor is it unexpected that some of them would be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It is a potentially result-changing event. And they do have to be realistic about their chances. There’s only so much money and people. Not losing the Senate should probably be #1. The prediction markets are basically saying now that it will be Biden vs. Trump. They had been giving Harris and others non-negligible chances of stepping in. But the assassination attempt seems to have solidified the race in their minds. News mindshare, recent less-disastrous public events, or something else? No idea. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/274 "2024-07-15T02:07:43Z")
> **[Trump is making one major change after assassination attempt: report](https://www.rawstory.com/trump-change-rnc-speech-shooting/)** > > Donald Trump is making a change after being grazed by a bullet while on stage at a Pennsylvania rally, according to an exclusive interview with the former president.Trump was scheduled to give an interview to a Washington Examiner reporter, but that... > [@](#): > > “Former President [Donald Trump](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/) has completely rewritten his convention speech in light of the assassination attempt against him on Saturday and will call on Thursday for a new effort at national unity,” the report states. “In an exclusive interview with the _Washington Examiner_ a day after being hit by a sniper’s bullet, Trump said he wanted to take advantage of a historic moment and draw the country together.” > > According to the conservative outlet, Trump said, "The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger … Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches” that he said would have targeted President Joe Biden. > > “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now," the ex-president then added. > > “He has switched, he said, from planning to excite his voter base to one that demonstrates his belief that the attack on him at a rally in Pennsylvania had changed the election campaign entirely.” I see one of two possibilities at work here; 1. Trump was visited by three ghosts overnight and has become a changed man 2. He’s had a legitimately smart idea and figured out an entire new way to BS people into supporting him ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/275 "2024-07-15T02:08:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I see one of two possibilities at work here; > > 1. Trump was visited by three ghosts overnight and has become a changed man > 2. He’s had a legitimately smart idea and figured out an entire new way to BS people into supporting him Can’t it be that _someone else_ had a smart idea, and Trump is passing it off as his own? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/276 "2024-07-15T02:09:07Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Not losing the Senate should probably be #1. Sure. But there is not shockingly an overlap of [key Senate races](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections,_2024#:~:text=chose%20to%20caucus.-,Seats%20up%20for%20election,scheduled%20for%20November%205%2C%202024.) and presidential battleground states. > [@](#): > > races in eight states—[Arizona](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Arizona,_2024), [Maryland](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Maryland,_2024), [Michigan](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Michigan,_2024), [Montana](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Montana,_2024), [Nevada](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nevada,_2024), [Ohio](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Ohio,_2024), [Pennsylvania](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Pennsylvania,_2024), and [Wisconsin](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Wisconsin,_2024)—will decide which party will have a majority in the chamber in the next Congress Yeah there will be some ticket splitters, but D side turnout for president is key for these races. It is exactly why they are worried about the impact on their races. Just shifting money to them won’t be enough if Trump gets general election turnout and the D side looks like a midterm. To win the key Senate races you need D turnout that only comes out in the general. And then some. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/277 "2024-07-15T02:11:22Z")
I concur with the possibility of “someone else’s idea”. Sometimes he is temporarily enthralled with an idea someone convincingly puts to him. He might well try to sound very uniting at the convention due to this idea. But then within 2 weeks tops he will be all about his former incoherent attacks on everything again, with an additional dollop of martyrdom added on top. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/278 "2024-07-15T02:15:29Z")
We will see but I’m not buying it. I fully expect the rhetoric from people like MTG, Rubio, JD Vance, Speaker Johnson et al to be loud, nasty and hateful. They stand a good chance of turning off millions of voters who are sick and tired of all the partisan bickering and hatred that is mostly being spread by the GOP. Of course, I could be totally incorrect and they could turn over a new leaf and embrace all the groups they have been working overtime to demonize and start a National Unity campaign. I’m not willing to bet a wooden nickel on it though. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/279 "2024-07-15T02:18:26Z")
If Trump can pivot towards "unity"he’s going to win going away at a gallop ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/280 "2024-07-15T02:19:25Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump was visited by three ghosts overnight and has become a changed man Maybe the bullet _did_ pass through a very particular part of his brain. Sort of a Phineas Gage thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185.md?page=15)