Trump’s assassination bid has shattered US illusion of being safe & secure: Former Diplomat

New Delhi: Former diplomat Jitendra Nath Misra, who previously served as Indian ambassador to Portugal and Laos, said on Sunday that the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump has shattered the illusion the US had harboured for being a “safe” and “secure” democracy.

In an interview with IANS, the former diplomat said that the assassination attempt also raised questions about the US’s advocacy of democracy abroad.

However, the former diplomat said that a bloodied Trump raising his fist defiantly sends a message of resolve and to fight the Democrats with more vigour.

Misra, who is now a Professor of Diplomatic Practice at O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, added that the US Secret Service will also come under scrutiny following Saturday’s episode in Pennsylvania.

Interview excerpts:

IANS: What does the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump reveal about the security of the US?

Jitendra Nath Misra: An illusion has been shattered that American democracy is safe and secure.

IANS: Does the incident reflect poorly on the current US administration for its failure to adequately protect an opposition leader?

Jitendra Nath Misra: Even though the US Secret Service acted effectively, it will still come under scrutiny for the assassin coming so near Trump.

IANS: Violence has no place in any mature democracy. How will today’s events impact the long-term image of the US especially in view of the democracy promotion and activism it undertakes abroad?

Jitendra Nath Misra: The assassination attempt does undermine the image of the US and raises questions about its advocacy of democracy. A bloodied Trump raising his fist defiantly sends a message of resolve. His defiant gesture may not only help his bid for the presidency but it also demonstrates that a candidate fighting an election can’t be cowed by an assassination attempt. That’s good for democracy. Besides, this assassination attempt is not a first. Four US Presidents have been assassinated including Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. President Ronald Reagan was shot at by John Hinkley Jr in 1981. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr were also victims of political violence.

–IANS