Two million people signed a petition opposing his state visit here in 2018, and the Mayor of London agreed that a 20ft balloon depicting him as a podgy, perma-tanned baby could be flown over Parliament. The prospect of his return to the White House makes me shudder, and I’m baffled that one of the most vibrant democracies in the world can’t seem to stop him.
But loading a high-calibre round into a long-range rifle and firing it from a rooftop overlooking one of his campaign rallies is not the answer. For the bullet to graze his ear shows how close this was to the most lethal shot possible — smack into the brain. A tilt of the head, the tiniest of movements by a very big man, looks like it saved him.
We will never know what exactly motivated the would-be assassin. But we can safely assume he did not want Donald Trump back in the Oval Office, and so his failure was spectacular. Not only is the former president still alive, but he’s arguably better placed than ever.
This story is from the July 15, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the July 15, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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