In Butler, PA, at a Trump rally, sounds were heard, and it appeared as if Trump was hit in the back or side of his head. I saw blood on the side of his face as he was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service into a vehicle.

I hope he is okay. He was taken away, and I assume, to a hospital.

Threats of Violence

We should also say here that Donald Trump and his MAGA followers have advocated violence at their rallies, including on January 6, when Trump followers stormed the U.S. Capitol. As documented in Ruth Ben-Giat’s book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, violence has been an attribute of Strongmen.

Trump has a long history of advocating violence. Was it simply a matter of time before Trump would be the real victim of a violent act as we witnessed at the rally? We should never condone anything such as this from happening. But, I am concerned that this will raise the level of violence in American politics.

I am not sure what will be learned from this. We have more guns in this country than people. We have mass killings nearly every day in our country. Will a particular political party heed the situation and join with others to reduce the violence that marks our country today?