Opinion: The Worst Political Violence of 2024 May Lie Ahead—Thanks to Trump

It says something about the times in which we live that a second apparent assassination attempt against a former U.S. president is not the most significant or worrisome political violence trend of the moment.

Indeed, given stakes that call for unflinching honesty, we must acknowledge that the intended target of Sunday’s planned but failed attack is actually the source of a greater threat, one that could produce unprecedented conflict in the weeks before or immediately following the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5.

There is no disputing that a threat to the life of a political candidate is heinous. We are fortunate that law enforcement authorities spotted accused would-be shooter Ryan Routh before he had a chance to fire a shot at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Routh was apprehended 40 miles north of the golf club at which he had apparently intended to attack Trump. Now in custody, his motives are unclear but it has already been established that he is a man with right-wing leanings, a record of erratic behavior, and past run-ins with the law.

Read more at The Daily Beast.