View: Attack could exacerbate tensions in US society
assassination attempt on former US President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump over the weekend could well be the gamechanger of the 2024 US presidential polls. The picture of Trump with an injured ear, blood streaming down his face but resilient and in fighting spirit — punching the air with a clenched fist — is expected to become the defining image of US politics for some time to come.
It presents a stark foil to the image of incumbent President Joe Biden, who is facing ever louder calls to step down from the presidential race given the uncertainties over his age and health. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to “strongly condemn” the assassination bid. “Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people,” the PM posted on X.
In the US, both the Republicans and the Democrats have condemned the attack. President Biden spoke to Trump after the incident. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence… It’s sick,” the President said. “That’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. You cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this,” Biden has been quoted as saying.
Former presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama too repudiated the bid on Trump’s life. But it is unclear whether the condemnation of the attack from
