Making sense of the assassination attempt

Just five minutes outside the city limits of Butler Township, in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, lies an unassuming field with patches of grass, a few strands of trees, and some small outbuildings dotting the landscape – the perfect location for a Trump rally, or so it seemed before the day erupted in pandemonium.

Around 1 p.m., with Lee Greenwood's song, “God Bless the USA,” streaming through the air, President Trump stepped out onto the stage in front of a sea of supporters who were shouting “USA, USA, USA.” Minutes into the rally, shots rang out, knocking Trump to the ground and sending the Secret Service scrambling to his rescue.

This is the first assassination attempt on a president since John Hinckley's infamous attack on President Reagan 43 years ago. This time, a would-be assassin fired eight rounds from his rifle at Trump, attempting to steal the fate of an election and reshape the destiny of our nation. Thankfully, the hand of heaven intervened and blocked the assassin's bullet from penetrating his head.

With blood still dripping down his face, the media minstrels wasted no time in resuming their mudslinging, even suggesting killing Trump may be the only way to keep him from the White House. To date, we have witnessed a carefully choreographed campaign to sully Trump's good name and stifle his political viability. These gruesome attacks have undoubtedly tarnished his image, but were they meant for a more sinister purpose?

Just days before the assassination attempt, Biden remarked that he was fit to run for a second term and under no circumstances would he drop out of the race. And yet, 14 days after the failed assault on President Trump's life, Biden withdrew from the race. Are we to believe this was just an untimely coincidence or is something more diabolical at play here?

Who can explain the flagrant ineptitude we witnessed on that summer day in PA? The gunman flew a drone over the venue unimpeded by law enforcement. He climbed on top of a building with his rifle less than 140 yards from where the President would be speaking without the Secret Service intervening. The Secret Service was aware of the impending threat, and yet they ignored the risk and escorted Trump onto the stage without a second thought.

Were the actions of the Secret Service on that day a tale of incompetence or willful acts of malevolence? There are so many lingering questions fueling conspiracy theories and adding to the public's distrust – just one more inexplicable episode in a long list of Federal Agency coverups.

Final thoughts: If we can't trust our government to protect a former president, how can we expect it to defend us? As the nation wrestles with recalcitrant factions fighting over the trappings of power, the time for unity has never been more urgent.

If we are to preserve the republic, we must reject the contemptuous rhetoric that is debasing our culture and retrace the principles that safeguard the rights of all Americans, not just the rights of Democrats!

Dave Maynard