TR and Donald Trump
The Donald Trump shooting is still in flux. The coming hours and days will tell the story as to motives and mental state of the shooter. We will learn about the lives of the dead and injured. We will hear about possible security failures and lessons learned.
But the one thing we know is courage. The courage of Donald Trump in this situation was remarkable and impressive. Within moments of getting shot, Trump was up and back in the fight, signaling to his followers that he was okay.
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It recalls the shooting of former president and active candidate Theodore Roosevelt. The famous Bull Moose was shot on October 14, 1912, in Milwaukee (ironically the sight of this year’s Republican Convention). Roosevelt had already served as President for seven-and—a-half years. Having taken over McKinley’s term after that President fell to an assassin’s bullet, Roosevelt felt that his time was not over.
So Roosevelt made an attempt at a third (second elected) term. His Progressive “Bull Moose” Party was built around his outsized personality. As he took the podium at a campaign stop in Milwaukee, a shot rang out. Roosevelt took a bullet to the chest. Fortunately, the .38 caliber round passed through the speech that Roosevelt had folded into his pocket before the bullet lodged in his chest.
Roosevelt went down, but was right back up. Realizing that the bullet had not entered his lungs, he insisted on finishing his speech. Bleeding from the wound, the former President stated, “it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.” He was removed to the hospital after he had completed the business at hand and returned to the campaign trail shortly thereafter.
Roosevelt’s would-be assassin was a deranged saloon owner who tracked Roosevelt around the country looking for an opportunity to kill him. Johann Schrank hallucinated that the ghost of William McKinley told him that Roosevelt had been behind his murder. Schrank was out to stop another Roosevelt presidency at any cost.
What we saw yesterday was remarkably similar. Trump, like Roosevelt, is an outsized figure and an aberration in politics. He didn’t start his own party, but to say he made the Republican Party his own would not be an exaggeration. Trump and Roosevelt are the only two former Presidents to survive assassination attempts. Trump may be more of a bull in a china shop than bull moose, but both are remarkable figures.
And both displayed extraordinary bravery. In fact, after an asthmatic childhood, Roosevelt’s entire life was a profile in courage, from safaris in Africa, to the charge up San Juan Hill, to his speech in Milwaukee. Trump’s courage, however, was different prior to yesterday. It was not seen as courage in the physical sense. Trump fought on despite all obstacles: from false accusations to civil suits to criminal charges.
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Yesterday, however, Trump showed physical courage. Quickly realizing that he was being shot at, he followed his training. Much like Roosevelt he realized that his wound was not serious and was back up in seconds. His raised fist was a symbol of bravery and determination that not only settled but inspired the stunned crowd. The man is relentless. No doubt he would have continued his speech if not for the Secret Service protocols.
For the next few days there will be a moratorium on vilifying Trump in most mainstream media outlets. But that will no doubt quickly return. He will be back to being an ersatz Hitler by the end of the summer.
Despite that, he will never be seen in quite the same light. His bravery in Butler will resonate, and that photograph of him with fist raised will become iconic. Like him or hate him, there will be a little more respect for the man. He is a fighter. He is indefatigable. He is courageous. Trump’s reaction in the aftermath of the shooting displayed depths even many of his supporters never perceived.
One hopes that he uses the respect he has garnered in a judicious and presidential way, as his chances of winning this election have undoubtedly increased. He can now use his single-minded determination to prove his critics wrong.
Let’s hope he starts at the Republican National Convention, because he is going to be watched this upcoming week as perhaps no president has ever been.
Donald Trump, the election – and as such, the nation’s future – is in your hands, starting now. It’s yours to lose.
Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!
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