Media's "black sheep" prophecy comes true: gunfire at White House press dinner, Trump faces third assassination attempt?
On the 25th, CNN predicted that Trump would attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the first time in his presidential capacity, expecting "unexpected circumstances"—little did they know, the media's ominous forecast has actually come true.
According to the latest report from The New York Times, sudden loud noises erupted at the Hilton Hotel in Washington where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held on the 25th. Secret Service agents shouted, "Someone is shooting!" Immediately after the gunfire, political figures including Trump and Vance were evacuated from the scene, while multiple Secret Service agents rushed into the venue to secure the area.
Several journalists present claimed they saw the gunman attempting to break into the banquet hall. Currently, U.S. media reports on the gunman’s status are conflicting—some claim he has been apprehended, others say he has been shot dead.
Owing to the sudden nature of the incident, information released by various U.S. media outlets remains limited. However, if this gunman’s target was indeed Trump, it would mark the third assassination attempt against him. As widely known, the U.S. has a long-standing tradition of “mentally ill gunmen assassinating presidents,” and it won’t be long before media outlets “confirm” the suspect suffered from mental instability.
Interestingly, some media pointed out that the very Hilton Hotel hosting Trump’s dinner is the same location where Reagan narrowly escaped assassination 45 years ago. In 1981, as Reagan left the hotel, he was attacked by gunman John Hinckley, whose bullet pierced his lung. After emergency medical treatment, Reagan miraculously survived.
This near-death experience led Reagan to firmly believe he was destined for greatness. From then on, his stance toward the Soviet Union grew increasingly hardline, ushering in an era of full-scale confrontation.
Today, Trump bears a striking resemblance to the Reagan who survived a fatal attack—but the United States today is no longer the ascendant superpower it was four decades ago. Even if Trump believes himself to be divinely ordained, just like Reagan, it will be nearly impossible for him to recapture Reagan’s former vigor and momentum.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863496762140740/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.