Attack on Trump connected to bitter polarization – breaking news alert

+ long history of violence against US presidents US Edition - Today's top story: 'One inch from a potential civil war' – near miss in Trump shooting is also a close call for American democracy [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Just how a would-be assassin managed to wound Donald Trump and kill at least one spectator at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday evening is for the FBI and other government investigators to figure out, through what will likely be a long investigation. But why such an attack happened to the former president and current GOP nominee in the 2024 presidential election is a question that can be considered more quickly. Less than an hour after the shooting, I tracked down University of Massachusetts, Lowell scholar Arie Perliger, who studies political violence and assassinations, and got him to agree to do an interview. Perliger pointed to the sharp polarization afflicting American politics as a key part of the context in which the apparent assassination attempt happened. “[If both sides are hammering into people again and again]( that losing an election is the end of the world,” says Perliger, “then it’s not a surprise that eventually people are willing to take the law into their hands and to engage in violence.” Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy U.S. Secret Service agents help former President Donald Trump offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images [‘One inch from a potential civil war’ – near miss in Trump shooting is also a close call for American democracy]( Arie Perliger, UMass Lowell A scholar of political assassinations says the US just narrowly avoided plunging into wholesale violence and potential civil war when Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. - [Attempted assassination of Trump: The long history of violence against U.S. presidents]( Thomas Klassen, York University, Canada The attempted assassination of Donald Trump adds to the long history of presidents and presidential candidates in the United States who have been the victims of gun violence. - - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](