The US election has witnessed more political violence, just how ugly could it get?

Donald Trump is at the center of the US election yet again, but not for good reason. Will there be a peaceful handover of power in 2025?

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
(Image credit: ROBYN BECK / Contributor)

“As if there hadn’t been enough drama in America, Donald Trump has survived another assassination attempt,” says Freddy Gray in The Spectator. The attempted killing of the former president at his golf course “was not nearly as threatening or deadly as the shooting nine weeks ago in Butler, Pennsylvania”, but it could still prove to be a “major moment” in the presidential campaign. It will remind voters of his “narrow escape” in Pennsylvania and of the fact that there are people who still want him dead, which might boost support among his backers and the undecided.

Trump won sympathy for his “conciliatory” tone after the shooting in July, says Rozina Sabur in The Telegraph. But this time he has said that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s rhetoric are to blame for creating an atmosphere of hatred and distrust. This is ironic coming from Trump, who is known for his ad hominem attacks on his opponents, but it’s also a “strategic error”. His claim may resonate with his ardent supporters, but it risks alienating the moderate swing voters who Trump must reach if he is to prevail in November. 

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri