Gus Carlson is a U.S.-based columnist for The Globe and Mail.
Supporters of Donald Trump, anguished but energized by the assassination attempt on the former U.S. president on Saturday, rallied near his Mar-a-Lago oceanfront compound here, showing a range of emotions – relief, pride, anger and resolve.
Several dozen Trump faithful congregated on the causeway connecting the mainland to the island of Palm Beach, a stone’s throw from the estate, after the shooting that wounded Mr. Trump and killed two others, including the gunman, at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. The Trump supporters clogged roads and parking lots and kept local police busy. More supporters are expected in the days to come, including a caravan from Miami.
Some cried openly about the news of the attack. Some joined hands and prayed. They were dressed in all manner of Make America Great Again paraphernalia, waved flags and carried Trump campaign signs. One group of motorcyclists wore matching vests bearing pro-Trump slogans.
Supporters of former president Donald Trump gather outside of Mar-A-Lago on July 14, in Palm Beach, Fla.Saul Martinez/Getty Images
Drivers passing by honked their car horns and shouted encouraging words, while passengers leaned out windows and stood through sunroofs to take photographs.
At the estate itself, all was quiet. The giant gates were closed, and a lone security car guarded the main entrance. But there were no guards outfitted in riot gear and brandishing assault weapons, who typically patrol the property when Mr. Trump is in residence and hosting events.
The crowd on the causeway came from different parts of the state, but they shared common sentiment. They were stunned by the attack, but relieved Mr. Trump survived with a minor injury. They took comfort knowing he was recovering at his home in New Jersey and planned to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week as planned.
Fact-checking the disinformation being spread about the Trump rally shooting
Debbie Macchia, a fixture at pro-Trump rallies at Mar-a-Lago for years, told reporters that Mr. Trump’s backers were “shocked, just shocked” at the attack.
The rally-goers said they were proud of Mr. Trump’s resilience and defiance, epitomized by the dramatic news images of him, face bloodied, fist raised and shouting “fight” repeatedly as he was shuffled from the stage at the Pennsylvania event by a human shield of U.S. Secret Service agents.
Trump survived an assassination attempt while speaking at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pa.Saul Martinez/Getty Images
To many of his flock, this was a Braveheart moment for Mr. Trump and reaffirmation that he is a warrior, not a wimp. For them, it struck a stark contrast with the President Joe Biden the world saw fumbling his way through a recent televised debate with Mr. Trump, a subsequent interview on ABC television, and last week’s NATO press conference. Even the staunchest Democrat, undecided or independent voter – or world leader – would be hard-pressed not to admit the difference was remarkable. In a ghoulish irony, Mr. Trump’s actions immediately after his brush with death might help him at the polls in November.
To be sure, there is finger-pointing on all sides of the situation regarding the root cause of the attack on Mr. Trump. The Florida supporters were angry with what they saw as anti-Trump rhetoric and actions from the left, including his many criminal indictments and the talking point from Mr. Biden and other senior administration officials that Mr. Trump is a threat to democracy.
“Honestly, I wasn’t surprised,” West Palm Beach resident Alex Gonzalez told the local CBS news affiliate at the rally near Mar-a-Lago. “Everything they have done to him with the cases, the indictments, it’s all political. It’s so political, so this, to be honest, I was expecting.”
To that point, Ms. Macchia said she and others at the gathering did not believe the shooting of Mr. Trump was the work of a random person, suggesting this was a politically motivated, organized attack.
While investigators have identified the gunman, they have not disclosed a motive. The FBI said the man was a registered Republican but had also contributed to Democrat causes.
Donald Trump was hit in the ear in an apparent assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally on July 13 in a chaotic and shocking incident that will fuel fears of instability ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.GIORGIO VIERA/Getty Images
In contrast to the pro-Trump view, some progressive commentators have said in postattack media interviews and on social media the exact opposite about the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump – that his rhetoric has been so incendiary, violent and toxic that this sort of political violence was almost inevitable. They point to his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Whatever the cause of the attack, the Mar-a-Lago group said they were resolved to fight harder to put Mr. Trump back in the White House in November – to honour the resolve he showed with his defiant fist-pump and calls to fight on.
In that near-fateful moment on stage in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump seems to have been elevated from hero to almost a martyr among his supporters. The power he holds on his faithful is one of the most remarkable dynamics in modern politics, and based on the fervour outside his Palm Beach estate, Saturday’s shooting could make it even stronger.
As any political strategist knows, heroes are hard to beat; martyrs, almost impossible. And that spells more trouble for Democrats already struggling to sort a make-or-break leadership crisis.