Dark Democratic Plot or Orchestrated by Trump himself?

washington - Conspiracy theories are raining over an assassination attempt. A second, thwarted murder attempt on Donald Trump in Florida is intensifying the race for the White House.

Was it a casual remark by the local sheriff in West Palm Beach in the hours after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump? At a hastily arranged press conference, a journalist asked why the public road at the golf resort, where the shooter could enter the golf course, was not closed off when Trump was playing golf on Sunday. The sheriff replied that it would only have been done in case of the sitting president's arrival. For the former president, a lighter regime applies.

After what the FBI calls 'an apparent assassination attempt' on Trump, Republicans are outraged. Why aren't all measures taken to protect their presidential candidate? Wasn't it just nine weeks ago when there was an assassination attempt on Trump's life, where a 20-year-old shooter managed to fire eight bullets at the 78-year-old businessman? And wasn't there an Iranian assassination plot uncovered, with Tehran seeking revenge for the US' assassination of 'terrorist general' Qasem Soleimani?

It was an observant Secret Service agent who discovered 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who had hidden in a thicket alongside the golf course with an AK-47, sight scope, bulletproof vest, and a GoPro camera. The agent, scouting ahead for the golfing Republican, spotted the gun barrel and opened fire. The suspect ran off and fled in a car parked further away. He was later cornered by the police on the highway. Phone records show that he had been lurking around the Trump International Golf Club for twelve hours, just a stone's throw away from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. How the man knew Trump would be there remains a mystery.

Current President Joe Biden apparently felt uneasy after the new thwarted assassination attempt. He immediately issued a statement stating that he had instructed his team to ensure that the Secret Service receives all the means, capacity, and protective measures necessary to ensure Trump's safety. The phrase 'to ensure' was not chosen by chance. It is meant to emphasize that the president is already doing everything in his power.

A debate has erupted in the US over whether that is actually the case. Despite the previous assassination attempt and Iranian threat, the security protocol around Trump is clearly not at the level of the commander-in-chief. Republicans are outraged that their presidential candidate is still at risk because not all measures are being taken. Former White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer raged against the protocols that prescribe a higher security level for Biden than for his predecessor. The Republican House majority leader, Steve Scalise, also demands more action from the Secret Service. This special service is responsible for protecting politicians in the US.

Democrats seem to fear being blamed in this polarized election period. Biden has now added to his statement that the Secret Service 'needs more help'. To immediately pass the ball to Congress. 'I think Congress needs to respond to their needs.'

As for Trump, Democrats will not get away with calls for more security. The Republican accuses Biden and Harris of inciting violence. 'Their rhetoric is causing me to come under fire,' Trump said on Fox News on Monday. He added that Democrats 'want to destroy the country'.

After the failed assassination attempt in July, both Democrats and Republicans seemed to want to tone down their hostile tone. The good intentions turned out to be short-lived. Especially during their convention in Chicago in August, where Harris was crowned as the new presidential candidate, Democrats went on the offensive. Trump was the favorite punching bag at that four-day party gathering. His name was mentioned 147 times on the first night alone.

Harris calls Trump a threat to democracy and a disgrace to the country. During last week's TV debate, she falsely claimed that Trump was threatening 'a massacre'; Trump was talking about the electric car industry. Her running mate Tim Walz has called the Republican a fascist who 'endangers the lives of citizens'.

After the new assassination attempt, both Harris and Walz declared that there is no place for political violence. However, it seems that the genie is out of the bottle in America. Social media is flooded with conspiracy theories, with progressive circles claiming that the assassination was orchestrated by Trump himself. On the right, it is claimed that the assassination attempt is part of a dark Democratic plot to steal the elections.

The question is what the event in Florida means for the further course of the campaign. Trump has said he will 'never surrender'. For now, a campaign rally in Michigan on Tuesday is still on the schedule. That event is indoors. The Secret Service had also agreed to new rallies outdoors, albeit behind armored glass. Those are not scheduled in the short term.