# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/385 "2026-09-27T11:48:59Z")
Given the not-totally-implausible theory that he ordered Kirk’s death, that’s not surprising. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/386 "2026-09-27T21:10:36Z")
If he _ **had** _ ordered that death, he might still use references to Kirk the Martyr for his own political advantage (given that Donald has no shame whatsoever). But references to “martyred” right-wingers is simply not his style, even though it’s a time-honored tool in the Demagogue’s Toolkit. (Possibly because he doesn’t want his listeners to cease thinking about HIM for even one second.) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/387 "2026-09-27T21:23:43Z")
Or because Trump genuinely thinks that people who get killed are by definition losers. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/388 "2026-09-27T21:46:34Z")
Yeah, that’s a fair reading of his personality. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/389 "2026-09-27T22:22:37Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But references to “martyred” right-wingers is simply not his style, even though it’s a time-honored tool in the Demagogue’s Toolkit. (Possibly because he doesn’t want his listeners to cease thinking about HIM for even one second.) My working theory is most of MAGA don’t really care one whit about the death of Charlie Kirk let alone anyone caught in the crosshairs of an assassination attempt. They might have liked that Kirk was sticking it to those college libs but they didn’t really care about Kirk himself. The anger from MAGA following Kirk’s death was purely performative. It just gave them another excuse to lash out. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/390 "2026-09-28T21:30:33Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > The anger from MAGA following Kirk’s death was purely performative. It just gave them another excuse to lash out. I agree. A **lot** that they do is ‘purely performative.’ It’s an addiction—Being Righteously Outraged. It feels great and they’re always looking for their next high (i.e. excuse for lashing out). (In fairness, there are people on the left with that same addiction.) ---
**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:** [September 28, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/391 "2026-09-28T22:12:14Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I agree. A **lot** that they do is ‘purely performative.’ I’ve sometimes wondered if zero — not just a trivially small number, but _literally zero_ — people gave a shit about the tan suit. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/392 "2026-09-29T09:38:52Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > (In fairness, there are people on the left with that same addiction.) Why do you think so many of us are on this messageboard? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/393 "2026-09-29T10:29:47Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’ve sometimes wondered if zero — not just a trivially small number, but _literally zero_ — people gave a shit about the tan suit. Yep. I think the “outraged” reaction when, for example, Reagan wore one gives us all the evidence we need. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/394 "2026-09-29T23:01:38Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’ve sometimes wondered if zero — not just a trivially small number, but _literally zero_ — people gave a shit about the tan suit. Seems plausible. Plenty were willing to _pretend_ outrage at that “insult to the Office,” but likely no one had a _genuine_ belief that ‘tan suit = disrespectful.’ > [@Gyrate](#): > > Why do you think so many of us are on this messageboard? I’ll take issue with this, in line with my response just above: I don’t think that many here are merely _pretending_ to find Donald (and his enablers) deplorable. I would guess that the majority have very genuine feelings of disgust at those individuals and all their works. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/395 "2026-09-30T09:48:48Z")
The outrage is real, but we keep coming back for more. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/396 "2026-09-30T14:58:12Z")
And some of us are outraged, but because we don’t get to vote, come here for empathy, both for ourselves\* and to offer to the USA. We are all in horror of the Trump era. \* it is unfortunate that this small-minded man’s actions/inactions have such global reach. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-for-discussion-of-political-ramifications-of-trump-injury-from-shooting-at-the-butler-pa-rally/1004185/397 "2026-09-30T22:00:24Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > The outrage is real, but we keep coming back for more. I suppose there’s a range of ‘this is healthy’ to ‘this is unhealthy’ about that. On the healthy side: it actually can be helpful to one’s state of mind to be able to commiserate with others. > [@scudsucker](#): > > And some of us are outraged, but because we don’t get to vote, come here for empathy, both for ourselves\* and to offer to the USA. There you go. Empathy is a useful tool for keeping oneself sane and connected. [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=19)