SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After gunfire erupted at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania Saturday, many are wondering how both parties move forward.
It’s a moment in history: a deadly shooting being investigated as an assassination attempt made at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
This is a moment many experts, including political analyst Steve Swatt, feared was coming.
“The tone of the campaign has been so vicious and so personal that I’m not entirely surprised there has been some violence,” said Swatt.
Swatt has been a political analyst for 25 years and says this deadly shooting reminds him of a few other events in history.
Most recently, Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, then George Wallace was shot in 1972 and Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed in 1968.
Before that, in 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt was running for re-election, campaign in Milwaukee.
“During a campaign stop he noticed a bullet went through his chest but he wasn’t bleeding a lot, so he continued with his speech, he ended up finishing that campaign. He did not win that 1912 race then again in 1972 the Alabama governor, the segregationist, George Wallace ran for president and he was shot during a campaign event,” said Swatt.
Swatt has covered 10 presidential nomination conventions. He believes the deadly shooting will not change Monday’s start to the Republican National Convention.
“Trump will try to make hay with this and try to accuse democrats of trying to assassinate him and end his campaign — I think he will certainly get more sympathy from delegates at that Milwaukee convention,” said Swatt.
Senator Tim Scott, who has been rumored to be on Trump’s short list for Vice President took to social media with an accusation.
“For years, democrats and their allies in the media have recklessly stoked fears, calling president Trump and other conservatives threats to democracy," he wrote. "Their inflammatory rhetoric puts lives at risk.”
Former President Obama among many other Democrats across the nation condemned the violence.
"There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery," said Obama in a statement.
The FBI is investigating the attack as an assassination attempt and the situation is still evolving.
