The 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had acquired a rifle that could be found anywhere, much like Lee Harvey Oswald, who was said to have shot Kennedy. (I say "said to have shot" because, in my view, Oswald did not pull the trigger; he merely brought the rifle to the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald, used as bait, became a giant scapegoat when he was killed two days later while supposedly being transferred to jail from the Dallas Police Department.)

Like in Dallas in 1963, people who saw the armed man on the building's roof tried to alert the police, but no one acted in time. Again, 61 years apart, the target was the President's head. The main difference: JFK died before reaching the hospital, while Trump was only slightly injured. Neither shooter faced a trial, another stark similarity. Given the numerous books, films, and discussions about the Kennedy assassination, I was surprised that the Secret Service didn't try to capture and interrogate the young shooter who attacked Trump. Even though it's not easy, the Secret Service's failure to apprehend the perpetrator, further silencing the source of the incident, cannot be overlooked.

On February 17, 1959, Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes survived a plane crash in London, while two-thirds of the passengers died. Following the incident, there were claims that Menderes was divinely protected. Trump doesn’t need such claims; he and his team, as well as his supporters, already believe that God saved him. After returning to Turkey, Menderes was greeted by his political rival İsmet İnönü at the train station, creating a brief period of political détente. Unfortunately, this harmony was short-lived, and tensions escalated until the coup on May 27. Similarly, Biden’s warm message to Trump after the attack created a fleeting sense of unity, but no one expects it to last.

WHY WOULD HE CREATE SUCH A SCENARIO WHEN HE WAS ALREADY WINNING?

Now, thousands of articles and dozens of books will be written about Crooks. His childhood, adolescence, and relationships will be scrutinized. He has become a permanent figure in American and world history. Isn't it easy?

Our quick-witted minds in Turkey love conspiracy theories. They immediately started concocting countless scenarios. Every conspiracy theorist wanted to share their brilliant ideas with the world. But no one considered the possibility that Trump might have hired a sniper from 137 meters away to say, "Don't kill me, just graze my ear and give me a little blood on my cheek for dramatic effect." The chance of this scenario is zero. No one would agree to spend their life in prison or die on the spot to help an unknown person win an election. The event in Pennsylvania was a genuine assassination attempt. While we're on the topic, I believe the July 15 coup attempt was real. No one would risk their life, lose all their wealth, and face years in prison for a fake coup attempt. The July 15 coup attempt was genuine, but whether the response was delayed can be debated in history books.

In Turkey, there was an intelligence officer who, whenever a notable writer was killed, would say, "The important question is, who benefits from this?" thus protecting the usual suspects and known terrorists. He has since passed away, but his words always gave me chills. I have never encountered someone so intent on exonerating the real criminals. So, saying, "This benefits Trump, so he must have orchestrated it," sounds clever but is baseless.

Ultimately, this incident was a godsend for Trump. The social media illustrations of him with a bandaged ear were the lighter side of the story. If the bullet had struck a fatal blow, we would be discussing entirely different things. Had Trump died, half the country would have forever revered him as a martyr, angel, and the idol of conservative America, with his photos and statues everywhere.

No assassination can ever be justified or supported. Fortunately, this attempt failed. Had it succeeded, Republicans would have had to find a new candidate, and Democrats might have used the opportunity to postpone the election.

Biden didn’t fall into the trap of claiming, "This was staged." He had little chance in the election anyway; now it seems like the election will be a mere formality. Although the polls show little difference, significant events like this take time to reflect in the numbers.

It’s clear there won’t be the usual suspense about "Swing States" in this election. I'm among those who believe Trump will win decisively. But not because of this assassination attempt—things were already heading that way.

DEMOCRATS' SUICIDE

While Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, Democrats are committing political suicide. I think of past Democratic presidents—not just Kennedy but also Carter, Clinton, and Obama. Is the Democratic Party so short-sighted? Supposedly a progressive party, yet they are stuck with an old, weakened president who can barely express himself. What is happening? Is there some vow to keep Obama’s vice president in the White House for eight years out of respect for Obama? Democrats have become so identity-less that they can’t see how they are embarrassing themselves not only to American voters but to the entire world. Kamala Harris, who once garnered support as a sympathetic black woman, is nowhere to be seen. She’s been almost invisible for nearly three years.

Republicans won’t miss the opportunity to exploit this situation. Since the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, the heavily nationalist/patriotic Republican base can now revel in their candidate becoming a living monument. No one can be surprised or object to this.

How have Democrats fallen so far behind? First, they have no real campaign or candidate that instills confidence for the future. Second, the relentless attacks on Trump have made even neutral voters and some Democrats sympathize with him. Democrats tried to make a political argument out of a woman who broke her (immoral) promise of silence after being paid to stay quiet about her relationship with Trump. They created the impression that the only thing they cared about was people’s private lives.

I don’t think Democrats will make a big move and field a new, effective candidate at the last moment. Analysts in the future won’t be able to explain the Democrats’ self-destruction. Maybe they need to hit rock bottom to come to their senses. In America, where automatic weapons can be bought as easily as a tennis racket—Ergin Yıldızoğlu's recent article mentioned they’re now placing bullet vending machines in public areas—there’s no hope for common sense. The right to bear arms is enshrined in their constitution because of their history of venerating cowboys who fought for the Wild West.

In Turkish, there’s a saying: “He’s dead, but they forgot to bury him.” No more comments!

Ultimately, barring any extraordinary disruptions, Trump is counting the days until he reclaims the presidency. Meanwhile, Biden is brooding over when to vacate the White House...