Another Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump: What We Know
In an unacceptable display, yet another person has seemingly tried to kill the former President
In an unacceptable display, yet another person has seemingly tried to kill the former President

In yet another display of brazen violence, an alleged gunman has seemingly attempted to assassinate the former President. In much the same vane as I noted in my prior essay on the Pennsylvania attempt on Trump, political violence and assassination are completely and utterly unacceptable.
What We Know and What We Don’t
The FBI reported on Sunday that an alleged gunman was hiding in the bushes at Mara-A-Lago with an AK-47 and a scope, along with a GoPro to seemingly record the suspect’s actions. The Financial Times reported that the FBI had “responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former president Trump.”
Trump remains unharmed and it thus far remains unclear if any shots were fired by the alleged gunman and why said gunman fired on Trump in the first place. The gunman has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. However, it is unclear if the gunman has any particular political affiliations as of writing. Nor is it clear if the Routh fired on any secret service personnel.
The Responsibility of Ignorance
While there will inevitably be much to be uncovered in the coming minutes and hours, it is important in this highly interconnected and hyper-partisan political environment to avoid any and all baseless claims. Already, there have been conspiracy theories about a supposed trans mass shooting trend, much of which has been debunked.
It is tempting to try and fill in the gaps when information is lacking, and that temptation can sometimes lead people to ignore the burden of proof. By allowing themselves to avoid the necessary patience to confirm information, people can intentionally or unintentionally create justifications for engaging in baseless speculation. It is the responsibility of every consumer of the news to recognize what they know and what they don’t.
We still don’t know why this attempt took place and we don’t know all the details. It is critical that we remember that simple fact and avoid baseless speculation.
Condemning Political Violence
As many of my readers will know, I have previously condemned the first attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania. I would like to further reiterate my position as I stated it in July.
My readers will almost certainly know how I feel about the former President; I think he’s a criminal, a racist, and a massive narcissist who put our nation’s security at risk on a whim. Nonetheless, it is important to reiterate the clear and present danger of inadequately addressing the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. Failing to adequately condemn the reality of such violence, especially when said violence killed a bystander in the crowd, means setting a poor standard not just for this election but also for elections in the future.
- Conor Kelly, The Attempt on Trump’s Life is Unacceptable, July 15, 2024
Our future is not simply determined by political violence or the removal of anyone political figure from the stage. It is determined by the standards we set for our actions and the actions of those around us. Failing to condemn violence and failing to uphold the values of stability and pluralism will not create a healthier and more well-established democracy. It will only encourage more violence and hostility. While we still don’t know the specifics of the attempt on Trump’s life, it is clear that we can’t allow ourselves to be consumed by hatred to justify the actions of this alleged assailant.
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Originally published at https://theprogressiveamerican.com on September 15, 2024.