Reagan’s handling of assassination effort resembled Trump’s

NEWS AND OPINION:

Following the attack Saturday on former President Donald Trump, one analyst recalls the nation’s 40th president, who survived an assassination attempt in 1981.

“Ronald Reagan’s legend began after he was shot. With his doctors soon to operate, he quipped, ’I hope you’re all Republicans.’ He told his wife, ‘Honey, I forgot to duck.’ The coolness reinforced his image as America’s new leading man,” writes David Paul Kuhn, who served as a political writer for CBS News and Politico, among other news sources.

“One of the political axioms, I have always felt, was ’you concentrate on your strength,’ Reagan’s longtime strategist, Richard Wirthlin, once told me. The shooting accentuated an impression. Reagan had shown poise under fire. He was still a new president when he was shot in 1981. Public approval would only modestly, and fleetingly, rise. But the impression lasted,” Mr. Kuhn said in an analysis published Sunday by Real Clear Politics.

“The image of Donald Trump with streaks of blood across his face, punching the air, betrayed an instinctive stage presence Reagan would have envied. Rallygoers leapt at the sight of Trump’s fist. Soon they chanted, “U—S—A! U—S—A!” the analysis said.

“This impression, too, will last. And it changes the presidential race. Trump rising, so soon after a bullet grazed his ear, will further spotlight his opponent’s frailty. If President Biden stays in the race, he will have to demonstrate presidential vigor, ever more. If he bows out, the new Democratic nominee will now have to personify strength to neutralize Trump’s strength. It was Bill Clinton’s insight, that strong and wrong beats weak and right,” Mr. Kuhn noted.

IN THE AFTERMATH

Scott W. Johnson, an analyst for the Powerline blog, offered an opinion Sunday during a difficult weekend, under the headline “Trump’s triumph.”

“A few thoughts on the attempted assassination of President Trump. Ernest Hemingway famously defined courage as grace under pressure. President Trump displayed grace under pressure. Mr. President, you made us proud,” he continued.

“It was not just Donald Trump who dodged a bullet last night. We all dodged a bullet. The anger and chaos that would have followed his successful assassination are unimaginable. Thank you, Lord for sparing us the ordeal,” Mr. Johnson said.

“Trump rallies are genuinely celebratory and joyous affairs, and yet this one turned to tragedy for at least three of those in attendance. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to those killed and injured last night,” he later added.

Powerline, by the way, features commentary on the news from a conservative perspective at Powerlineblog.com.

CONVENTION ANTICIPATION

Tevi Troy, a presidential historian, has a word or two on the Republican National Convention, which starts Monday — along with the Democratic National Convention, set for Aug. 19-22.

“I am very much looking forward to both conventions,” Mr. Troy said in a written statement to Inside the Beltway.

“The conventions are no longer opportunities to choose the candidate so much as to make the case for the candidate. The brokered convention is a quadrennial media fantasy but it appears to be a thing of the past. What is interesting about the conventions is how they choose to advertise the candidate. Do they use big name politicians, Hollywood stars, or regular folks?” Mr. Troy asks.

“We have seen examples of each in conventions in the past. The other thing to look at is how parties use technology in their conventions. Franklin Roosevelt was the first to recognize that when speaking at the convention, his audience wasn’t the people in the hall so much as those listening on radio. Subsequent conventions were designed for radio. And now we have Twitter, instagram; and TikTok, which means that the convention designers will be thinking more about hashtags and memes than about 40 minute speeches by famous politicians,” Mr. Troy says.

The author is, by the way, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center and a deputy secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. He also has an intriguing book on the way.

“The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry,” arrives Aug. 20 from Regnery Books.

“It is the definitive story of the relationship between presidents of the United States and the pioneering CEOs — John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Henry Luce, Lew Wasserman, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, among others,” Mr. Troy notes.

This is his fifth book.

THE CONVENTION PRESS

So how does the new media characterize the big GOP gathering this week? Here’s a few headlines of note from the past 24 hours:

“Republican National Convention in Milwaukee has law enforcement on heightened awareness” (CBS News); “Republican National Convention in Milwaukee at risk of tornadoes, strong wind Monday” (Fox Weather); “Will Trump speak at RNC? Former president expected to attend convention after shooting” (USA Today); “Welcome to the Trump show: Republican convention to resemble coronation” (The Guardian); “How a largely Democratic Milwaukee is feeling about welcoming thousands of Republicans” (The New York Times); “What is the RNC, anyway? What to know about speakers, 2024 Republican party platform” (USA Today); and “Trump and the GOP have long bashed Milwaukee. Now it’s the site of their biggest party in years” (NBC News).

POLL DU JOUR

• 81% of registered U.S. voters say they are “definitely voting” in the 2024 presidential election; 83% of Republicans, 81% of Democrats and 80% of independents agree.

• 9% overall say they are “likely voting” in the election; 9% of Republicans, 10% of Democrats and 9% of independents agree.

• 7% overall say “chances are 50-50” they are likely to vote in the election; 5% of Republicans, 7% of Democrats and 6% of independents agree.

• 2% overall say they are “likely not voting” in the election; 1% of Republicans, 1% of Democrats and 3% of independents agree.

• 1% overall say they are “definitely not voting” in the election; 2% of Republicans, 0% of Democrats and 2% of independents agree.

SOURCE: A Marist/NPR/PBS News Poll of 1,309 registered U.S. adults conducted online and by phone July 9-10.

• Follow Jennifer Harper X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse. Contact her at jharper@washingtontimes.com.

Correction: In a previous version of the column, the number of books written by Tevi Troy, a presidential historian, was listed incorrectly. He has written five books.