America Is Staring Into the Abyss

Edward Luce: “It is far too soon to speculate — as some were quick to do — that Trump’s already-good election prospects are not now inevitable. In 1981, Ronald Reagan got a huge ratings surge after he was shot by a lone gunman. That boost evaporated within a few weeks.”

“But it is fair to say that an already existential election is now considerably more fraught than before. Violence was already implicit in much of the rhetoric. Now it is explicit.”

“It is always tempting to point out that guns and political murder are a staple of the U.S. republic. That is true compared with other democracies. But the conditions in 2024 are unique. A bullet almost killed the man who is vowing retribution if he is returned to the White House. A spirit of vengeance is haunting America.”