One cm difference

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is going to be one of those moments where decades later you can remember what you were doing when you heard the news. I was at the Southern Cross bar with the kids and followed it almost in real time on Twitter where initial reports were hazy as to what had happened.

All attempted assassinations are poignant. I recall Reagan’s shooting. But there is something about a bullet that clips an ear that makes you realise how a minute difference in wind or aim could have resulted in a JFK type assasination.

There is still uncertainty over the shooter’s motives. Not that he wanted to kill Trump, but why? The reports of him being bullied at school, might make this a case where he just wanted to be (in)famous, and if not Trump, then maybe a school. Or it may be Occam’s razor – he wanted to stop Trump.

I have reflected on the what if scenario, if Trump had been killed. It would have deprived tens of millions of Americans from their democratic right to vote for him. You defeat politicians with votes, not bullets.

If Trump had been killed, then my best guess is Donald Trump Jr would have replaced him on the ticker, rather than Trump’s yet unannounced VP pick. Trump Jr would probably run a much darker campaign based on vengeance for his father.

Would Biden still stand? I suspect not, as he says he is only in it to stop Trump. He is also probably unelectable. So if he went, then Gavin Newsom is as likely as anyone else to have become the Democratic nominee.

That would be a rather bizarre what if scenario, as Newsom’s ex wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is now engaged to Donald Trump Jr. Newsom was cheating on her with the wife of his campaign manager, which seems very ungracious thing to do!

But fortunately Trump was not killed. I remain someone who does not want him to win the presidency, but it will be fascinating to see what he does in his second term.