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Former US President Donald Trump was rushed to safety on Sunday after Secret Service agents found a gunman hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Course in Florida, just a few hundred meters away from the former president’s beach. Lake Manor. The suspect, named Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was shot by agents and fled the scene. He was later arrested by local authorities and charged with two firearms-related offences.
Just two months before this incident, Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania and a gunman tried to assassinate him, causing him to be injured.
The response to Sunday’s attack was swift and unanimous across the political spectrum. President Joe Biden responded quickly, making clear that he was relieved that Trump was not injured and reiterating that “there is no place for political violence or any violence in our country.” Vice President Kamala Harris stressed that she was “deeply troubled” by the possible assassination attempt.
These apparent attempts on Trump’s life were the first in the United States since Ronald Reagan was shot dead in 1981. What these events say about political violence in the United States. Just after the headlines.
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UK news | Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has fallen completely out of favor with a six-month suspended sentence after he admitted accessing indecent images of a seven-year-old.
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Europe |The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central and eastern Europe has risen to at least 16, with many more missing, with authorities reporting fatalities in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria and warning the worst may be yet to come.
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healthy |Tackling Britain’s growing health crisis is key to boosting economic growth and the government needs to invest £15 billion a year in a radical reform program aimed at improving well-being and the country’s prosperity, a center-left think tank said.
Go deeper: “Violence is a long-standing feature of American politics”
The reaction to this second apparent assassination of Trump was inevitably predictable. There were bipartisan expressions of shock and outrage. Many say political violence has no place in America, “even though it’s clear that political violence is a long-standing feature of American politics, in fact you could argue it’s a feature of political life rather than a bug,” Chris said.
Joe Biden has also pledged to provide every available resource to support Trump going forward — though some have questioned why this was not done after his assassination in July. Trump is still trying to blame President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the shooting, telling Fox News that “their comments” led to him “getting shot.”
While Musk and others have tried to politicize the incident, Trump’s allies have had a harder time doing so convincingly this time. The attack in Pennsylvania spawned the now-infamous image of a blood-stained Trump raising his fist and chanting “fight, fight, fight,” creating a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that made it seem like he had won the election. This time, however, “there’s no such image and his opponents are much stronger,” making it harder for Republicans and Trump allies to recreate that enthusiasm, Chris said. The suspect’s reported lack of clear political motivation also makes it difficult for Republicans to point the finger in a particular direction — Rouse is a registered Democrat, but he also reportedly said on social media that he Voted for Trump in 2016 and expressed support for Trump.
The role of the Secret Service
The agency has come under intense scrutiny for security breaches that exposed Trump after the first such incident in 43 years in July. Last week, a report found that shootings in Pennsylvania were caused by multiple serious communications failures. Another incident less than two months later has reignited concerns that not enough is being done to protect the former president.
While Trump does have a security detail, and it has increased since his first attempt since he was out of office, his security level is slightly lower than that of the current president. Nonetheless, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. insisted that “the Secret Service’s protective methods are effective.”
Some praised the Secret Service for quickly discovering and arresting the suspect – Trump himself thanked them and other law enforcement agencies for their “incredible job” – but others raised concerns. Agents say they can’t surround the entire golf course where Trump plays — as they would if he were president. “He may not be the president, but he’s a former president and a presidential candidate,” Chris said. And, given the events of July, he added, “it’s outrageous that more action has not been taken.”
what this means for the election
The sheer unpredictability of American politics over the past few months means we have no way of knowing what potential consequences this apparent assassination attempt might have.
Logically, the format of the event may change. Trump briefly stopped holding outdoor rallies in July but resumed them with additional safety measures in place. There have been suggestions that a potential second assassination attempt could curtail further public appearances, but the former president’s team says Trump will still kick off his campaign this week as originally planned despite recent events.
Chris also points to the wider impact of the “normalization” of political violence – not just on high-profile figures, but on ordinary people working in politics. “There’s a lot of concern about the knock-on effects on poll workers, for example in elections, who have become increasingly politicized over the past few years.” The threats and abuse became so severe that the U.S. Department of Justice had to create a dedicated task force to address violent messages, including death threats, directed at election officials and their families.
From a political perspective, the incident heightened the sense of instability surrounding Trump. “He needs to win over voters in swing states who consider themselves moderates, but who are really fed up with Trump being an agent of chaos. So while this could further solidify support among his supporters and reaffirm to them that he is Victims and martyrs, but I can’t imagine undecided voters reacting well in the long term.
what else have we read
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golf |The recriminations against the defeated European team have begun even before the Solheim Cup is over, but captain Suzann Pettersen appears unmoved by any criticism of her leadership.
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front page
this guardian Leading to “suspects being charged after apparent assassination of Trump”. this era ‘Labor says working from home can boost productivity’ while telegraph Says “Starmer defies peers over freebies”. this financial times According to the report, “Brussels has prepared a 40 billion euro loan package for Ukraine despite the faltering efforts of the G7.”
this I Report “Hugh Edwards avoids jail for child abuse images”. this sun “Disgusting” tells the same story; Mirror There is “terrible”. this mail Said it was “humiliating, insulting…but not a day in jail.”
Today’s focus
Hugh Edwards’ devastating secret
The newsreader has been sentenced for viewing indecent images of children. How did the BBC handle this scandal? And Boffy Report.
Today’s Cartoon | Nicola Jennings
benefit
A good news reminder that the world is not all bad
A 33-year-old man from Lancaster has gone viral after filming himself bagging groceries faster than the infamous Aldi employee. Leroy Lupton was amazed by the “sportsmanship” of local store employees, started filming videos for friends, and then started using TikTok. His Street Fighter-style videos have since been viewed more than 2 million times.
In his latest video, Lupton struggles as a cart of items – including an order of Pot Noodles and a four-pack of Stella Artois – is thrown at him. Lupton said his ultimate goal is to defeat the extremely fast “final boss” Cashier later this year.
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