US President Donald Trump has been trying to shore up his plunging public approval ratings in the wake of the Iran war, which is the latest polarising factor in America that many think could lead to major Republican Party losses in the mid-term polls. The divisive actions of the President appear to be provoking deplorable violence. Saturday’s attempt to assassinate Trump, the third such serious incident after he won the 2024 election, was made by an individual who reportedly wrote a manifesto recording his frustrations with the current US policies.
Third serious attack since 2024 election
The brief attack that was thwarted just past the security perimeter of the Washington Hilton hotel, where the President was the guest at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, was preceded by a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, that left him injured, and shots fired by a gunman in Florida later that year.
Security lapses raise fresh questions
It would seem strange that even in the aftermath of a shocking incident, when guests cowered under tables and security personnel conducted a movie-style evacuation of the President, Vice-President JD Vance and other senior officials, Trump seemed more keen to highlight his pet project, a new White House ballroom that is facing legal hurdles, as a more secure venue. It is, of course, a relief that the attempted assassination was thwarted, although questions remain about how the alleged shooter possessing guns and a knife could check into the hotel in advance. Another US president, Ronald Reagan, was injured in a shooting outside the same Washington hotel in 1981.
Political violence cannot be ignored
It would be a fallacy for America to treat the series of assassination attempts and security breaches at Trump’s events as a mere challenge to the security apparatus. Political violence is clearly spreading. The world is riven by ideology-driven militarist manoeuvres, and the normalisation of war can only radicalise more individuals. Governments are alienating people by supporting companies that are developing new war-making technologies.
Foreign policy under scrutiny
US foreign policy cannot be solely transactional, on again-off again with all countries, unmindful of the deflated multilateral order. America’s economy is in the throes of high self-inflicted inflation, and Trump admits it is a “crazy world” where he is unable to bring down fuel and fertiliser prices, even as a needless war in Iran launched obviously at Israel’s behest is draining its resources.
Need to cool tensions at home and abroad
So many lives have been lost in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza earlier, and some Americans, Israelis, and others have perished too. The rest of the world also feels the deep economic impact of this terrible misadventure. It is imperative for the US foreign policy to return to legality and stability, end all wars, and ignore the siren songs from Tel Aviv and other quarters, which are drawing it into a long crisis in West Asia. What it urgently needs to do is cool international affairs and dial down domestic tensions. It should avoid creating more radicalised individuals who only need to succeed once.
