The assassination attempt against Donald Trump all but sealed his victory in November’s vote, veteran former Clinton campaign consultant Dick Morris said Sunday.
Trump’s bravery in escaping death comes as some leading Democrats are calling on President Biden, 81, to withdraw from the presidential race, citing mental and physical problems.
“Essentially, the campaign is over,” Morris said on the WABC podcast.[Trump] If you survive, you win. … Nothing stands in Trump’s way except bullets.
“As horrifying as this assassination attempt was not successful in killing President Trump, it may have succeeded in destroying any chance of a Democratic victory this year,” Morris said.
He said the top priority now for Trump, 78, and his campaign team is to take further precautions to protect the Republican candidate, including having him speak behind a protective shield.
Morris predicted that this week’s nominating convention in Milwaukee could see Trump and Republicans rise by 10 to 15 points in the polls — a lead that would be nearly impossible for a squabbling Biden and Democrats to reverse.
Morris said voters would see the iconic image of a bloodied Trump with his fist raised after being shot in the ear, which he likened to the Marine statue at the World War II Iwo Jima memorial.
“I was just astonished. This will go down in history,” Morris said of Trump’s actions in the aftermath of the shooting. “Obviously, his approval rating will go up in the polls. The question is, to what extent and what impact will it have?”
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Meanwhile, Democrats are dejected, with 20 members “defecting” and urging Biden not to run for reelection and to give someone else a chance to beat Trump. A defiant Biden has insisted he will be the party’s standard-bearer.
Morris said this could be a very bad week for Democrats.
The political commentator has represented both the Democrat and Republican parties and has defended Trump in recent years, including in his 2022 book, “The Return: Trump’s Big 2024 Comeback.”
