# 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:** 15
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/281 "2024-07-15T02:21:01Z")
His heart grew three sizes that day. ---
**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, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/282 "2024-07-15T02:23:02Z")
Perhaps a Gabriel Over the White House scenario? > **[Gabriel Over the White House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Over_the_White_House)** > > Gabriel Over the White House is a 1933 American pre-Code political fantasy film starring Walter Huston as a genial but politically corrupt U.S. President who has a near-fatal automobile accident and comes under divine influence—specifically the Archangel Gabriel and the spirit of Abraham Lincoln. Eventually he takes control of the government, solves the problems of the nation, from unemployment to racketeering, and arranges for worldwide peace, before dying of a heart attack. > The film received... ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/283 "2024-07-15T02:29:51Z")
[quote=“The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper, post:275, topic:1004185, full:true”] > [@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 1. He was already planning to make his convention speech less inflammatory than what he might say at a rally. The shooting gives him an excuse in case some supporters feel he went soft. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/284 "2024-07-15T02:32:47Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > A dollar that goes to Biden is a dollar that doesn’t go to some downticket race. Not necessarily. Coattails are a thing. Not putting that dollar to Biden might also mean losing the downballot race. As to “it would take a miracle”, no, it wouldn’t. We already know of something that’s likely to happen and likely to turn a lot of voters D-ward. Trump’s sentencing hearing has been postponed, true, but it’s still before the election. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/285 "2024-07-15T02:37:08Z")
And the shooting, ironically, could’ve been partially or entirely triggered by previous attempts to do so (his rhetorical walking back on abortion). ---
**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, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/286 "2024-07-15T02:44:54Z")
My initial take is to agree, but … I don’t think he can stick with it. It isn’t his skill set if he tries. It speaks to a mind set that has doomed the D side at times - seeing yourself ahead and playing to not lose. So maybe not? ---
**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, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/287 "2024-07-15T03:29:03Z")
You are correct to think DJT won’t be able to stick with whatever unity BS he comes up with in his keynote. I don’t even expect it to really be that unifying. I will say I’m getting really disgusted with the pundits, members of Congress and frankly posters on these boards who are desperately looking for a reason to panic or cede the race to the GOP. If it isn’t the BS about Biden being too old and the debate being the end of the world, now it’s the idea Trump is invulnerable after this assasination attempt. I don’t think it is guaranteed things will play out like this largely because DJT and the current GOP are vile, hateful, traitors most Americans know are bad news and that they will lead us to destruction. It’s past time the rest of us stop moping like the election has already happened and fight to get President Biden reelected. ---
**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, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/288 "2024-07-15T03:44:54Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I will say I’m getting really disgusted with the pundits, members of Congress and frankly posters on these boards who are desperately looking for a reason to panic or cede the race to the GOP. Sometimes I wonder if “If you expect the worst you’ll never feel let down” should be the DNC motto. ---
**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, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/289 "2024-07-15T03:52:28Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s a tactical failure for the obvious reason that you can’t act effectively to change the status quo if you’re deluding yourself about the status quo. Convincing yourself that Trump is automatically going to win now, and/or convincing yourself that Trump controls all, even unto the assassination attempts on his person—both of those are essentially calls for hopelessness and surrender. People present arguments and stances like this as bravely anti-establishment. But announcing that the establishment is all powerful isn’t opposing the establishment. It’s declaring you’re giving up because the anxiety and fear of dealing with actual events is too much for you to face. > > Which is part of where the moral failure comes in. Retreating into paranoia and denial rather than standing up for ourselves and others is wrong and harmful. The people hurt and injured by the shooter deserve better than to have their suffering waved away by those who feel that said suffering makes them uncomfortable. And the people Trump promises to harm—Black people, trans people, women, journalists, political opponents, Democrats—deserve better than to be told their situation is hopeless and the battle is already over. > **[Don’t Spread Baseless Conspiracy Theories About The Assassination Attempt](https://www.everythingishorrible.net/p/dont-spread-baseless-conspiracy-theories)** > > Lying to yourself and others is a tactical and moral error. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/290 "2024-07-15T04:56:15Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > It’s past time the rest of us stop moping like the election has already happened and fight to get President Biden reelected. Sure, Trump had a good moment waving his first. But the reality is that if political violence becomes an issue in this campaign, it’s not one Trump and the Republicans will win. They show an ad with Thomas Crooks? Fine, we show an ad with the January 6 rioters. We show Trump saying _“We will never give up, we will never concede. It doesn’t happen. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore and that’s what this is all about.”_ and Biden saying _“Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country … Everybody must condemn it.”_ Voting for Trump means voting for violence. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/291 "2024-07-15T04:59:28Z")
I wonder if the Republican convention will do the traditional balloon drop at the end. The sound of popping balloons might be an unpleasant reminder. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/292 "2024-07-15T05:09:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But the reality is that if political violence becomes an issue in this campaign, it’s not one Trump and the Republicans will win. You are assuming that objective facts have any meaning in this campaign despite all evidence to the contrary. No only is that no true here, it hasn’t been true for at least a quarter of a century. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/293 "2024-07-15T05:14:28Z")
The difference is still that, with Biden you have to look for the gaffs (which he usually apologizes for afterwards), while with Trump you have to look for coherency (which his sycophants try to provide afterwards). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/294 "2024-07-15T05:15:54Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > I still don’t get how people being out too get him suddenly makes a person want to vote for him. Me neither. If he gets a bump, a lot will be from the billion dollar’s worth of free publicity he’s getting. The fact that’s he’s a wretched creature of biblical proportions will have to be overlooked for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/295 "2024-07-15T05:19:38Z")
You could stack up every gaffe Joe’s ever made, and it wouldn’t come anywhere near “Saudi Arabia and Russia…ribbadoo…ah!” Have the MAGAts ever explained that one away? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/296 "2024-07-15T06:12:22Z")
One of my local MAGAs said it was suspicious that this attempt took the coverage off Biden stepping down. Yep, it is starting. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/297 "2024-07-15T10:43:17Z")
My standard response: “A registered Republican on Trump’s political turf shot at Trump with a weapon Republicans think should be legal to carry everywhere, so I’m not feeling guilty about saying ‘Vote Joe so this doesn’t happen again’.” ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/298 "2024-07-15T11:54:36Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > A bullet nicking his ear would not be deafening. A gun fired nearby is deafening; not so much a bullet whizzing by. > > Not really sure where you’re getting the brain damage either. Maybe a mild concussion from being tackled by Secret Service. Certainly no brain damage from the ear impact. An AR-15 has a muzzle velocity of 2200 MPH, about Mach 3. This means it’s got a shock wave attached to it. For each round the shooter fired, you (the mic in front of Trump) heard two sounds: the shock wave from the bullet going by, and then (about half a second later) the sound of the gunfire emanating from the rifle barrel a tenth of a mile away. I’m doubtful of brain damage from the shock wave, but for a supersonic round passing about a centimeter from Trump’s ear canal, some hearing loss seems likely to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/299 "2024-07-15T12:26:37Z")
Prediction: Trump has a speech all typed up for him for the convention that’s all about national unity… and then as soon as he has it in front of him, he starts going off-script about how all violence everywhere is the Democrats’ fault, and therefore we must kill all the Democrats to stop the violence. Except less coherently, of course. And then Republicans point to the script, and insist that reports that he said anything else are proof of Democrat deep-fakery. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/300 "2024-07-15T12:29:22Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The difference is still that, with Biden you have to look for the gaffs (which he usually apologizes for afterwards), while with Trump you have to look for coherency (which his sycophants try to provide afterwards). I find Trump to be a coherent demagogue. One issue for me is that, with both of them, my mind sometimes fixes what they said (or, more likely, what I read in the transcript) so I didn’t perceive the mistake. Loss of train of thought I notice, but not misnaming. Do a lot of people have brains that do this? Probably. Bringing it to the thread, I listened to Biden’s speech last night, with family, and did not hear a single error. But when I said that, others pointed out a few verbal miscues. (Related is this — I am a bad proofreader. I read every post of mine many times and know they still have obvious mistakes. Sorry!) [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=14) [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=16)