Regardless of what we think of a possible second Donald Trump administration, everyone should be grateful that he was lucky enough to survive the attempt on his life. The gratitude can be pragmatic because an assassination might likely trigger an uprising. Similarly death or grievous wounds would move millions of Republican voters out in droves. And at a humane level there is the belief that violence is only tolerated in self-defense. Whatever you believe you should be grateful he survived with only a case of the “yips.”
He already looked to be devolving onstage before the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a huge AR-15 round scraped his ear. Trump was literally ten to twenty millimeters away from a second JFK incident with horrific video everywhere – it’s what rifle bullets do. He understands the close call because according to Axios he admits to audiences that he “has the yips.” The reference is a golf term when – usually an older golfer – who tenses up while putting and pulls the ball either right or left. It is involuntary and is rooted in psychological pressure.
The tension that Trump describes manifests itself while speaking at rallies. He delivers one of his over the top speeches and then see movement that suddenly scares him. This is obviously 100% understandable He surely suffers from PTSD. It would be weird if he didn’t have moments of abject fear. Calling such hesitations the “yips” is a good analogy
However, the bullet did not in any way change Trump’s incessant need to portray himself as a superhero. He now tells supporters that “I took a bullet for you.” Well, buddy – perhaps at the most technical level it might be physically true. But he is not Forest Gump. He didn’t get shot in the buttocks while selflessly saving others. That’s a bit mean.
In another sense he is right. Set aside that he was not physically hit square. The bullet blasted him at a psychological level and will never be the same, no one would. A question remains regarding the psychological trauma. Is he so fundamentally shaken that he’s more dangerous, more confused, or even the opposite – perhaps more humble?
We aren’t experts but it seems like brushes with death leave people with greater humility. They see life as a gift. But Trump is Trump because he is not “most people” and doesn’t seem to have gained any humility. Are the “yips” a sign that he’s more grounded? No, not really. They are completely understandable as noted above but also entirely reflexive. Perhaps acknowledging these reflexes is actually some humility. Probably not.
The important point is that Trump speaks of a bullet he took but won’t release his medical records this despite it being the greatest threat to his health since downplaying what we later learned was a near-death bout of COVID. We are left with questions. Is he taking an SSRI to abate PTSD? That would be normal. Is he taking anti-anxiety meds like Xanax or Klonopin? That would also be normal. Is his blood pressure maxed out when speaking? We don’t know. We do know it is unlikely to change anyone’s vote. But the public should evaluate his health going forward.
In the end, he is Donald Trump. He will talk about the good – taking a bullet for people while retaining his health. He won’t address the inevitable PTSD, nor post-shooting medications, or the psychological trauma, none of the questions to evaluate should he win and only then get more erratic.
All we know is that the attack matters to us, to the country, and to him. We don’t fully know how it matters beyond the yips confession. If he wins, many more will feel similar reflexive tension and an acute case of PTSD. Medications optional.
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Well if he had been locked up (at a military base…. Easiest for government and usss) he never would have been shot at.
When the kids at Uvalde were shot with an assault weapon, they couldn’t even identify some children except by their shoes. Given hiding the records and his ear looking normal shortly after, it’s clear HE WASNT SHOT OR HIT BY A ROUND FROM AN ASSAULT RIFLE. Also throw in its his party that put the guns on the street and the shooter was a maga kid with Maga parents…phuck him and his ‘PTSD’. If you want to know who really has PTSD its the survivors of mass shootings and the grieving parents of dead children. He even made a joke about the Maga member who was killed. He’s just a phucking narcissist looking for money and attention.
As you write above “… In the end, he is Donald Trump…” and so, don’t expect to see any outward change in his superficial spots; regardless of any deep scarring and declining ‘yips’ or drug related self/prescribed palliation.
“Report: Assassination Attempts Change Trump’s Psychological Health”
Yes, he’s even more of the bullying coward than he was before.