In the early evening of 13 July 2024, the world would witness one of the most heinous acts of political extremism in decades. Just minutes into Donald Trump’s speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the sound of gunshots rang across the stage as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks opened fire on the podium, determined to assassinate the former president. Yet in a stroke of luck so remarkable that it seemed an act of divine intervention, Trump turned his head at the very last millisecond, causing Crooks’ bullet to miss his skull and pierce through the top of his right ear instead. With blood streaming across his face, Trump would shout the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” to the crowd while heroically raising his fist against the US flag. This resulted in one of the most iconic photographs of the century, perfectly capturing the patriotism and relentless defiance that defines the MAGA movement.
This was the first time that an assassination attempt had injured a president in over 40 years, and the news of the shooting took the world by storm. As the single most shocking and viral story of the entire year, media outlets across the globe scrambled to deliver the latest news on the Trump assassination attempt. Yet the coverage of the shooting by almost every news outlet in the world provided a rare opportunity to observe the political spectrum taking shape in the media that we consume every day. The prevalence of the story all over the internet has revealed deep-rooted political biases in a variety of sources, and understanding this can allow us to be more vigilant about how the media distorts facts to fit a particular agenda. This how the media reported the Trump assassination attempt.
The Left
The best place to start is by looking at those who hate Trump the most – the left. Reports by left-leaning media outlets tend to deliver far more objective recounts of the events of the assassination attempt. This includes the location of Crooks, Trump’s injuries and the aftermath of the incident. By refraining from the use of particularly vivid or emotional language in their descriptions of the atmosphere of the rally and the nature of Trump’s injuries, the left has attempted to dissuade readers from expressing sympathy or establishing any kind of emotional connection to Trump. As such, the iconic photo of Trump raising his fist, which has caused the MAGA movement to gain significant support throughout the past week, has been largely removed from left-leaning media platforms.
Additionally, the left places much greater emphasis on the irony of Crooks being a registered Republican. This hints towards disorder within the ranks of the party and Trump’s lack of favourability with more moderate Republican voters. Several subsequent articles by the left have also focused on the crowd’s aggression towards the reporters who were present at the rally following the Trump assassination attempt, vividly recounting the perceived radicalism and hostility of his supporters. Many left-leaning journalists have used this image of the deranged Republican voter as a reminder of the January 6 US Capitol Attack and an attempt to discourage the audience from voting for him. While barely noticeable at first, we can now see how the left has subtly manipulated narratives to minimise any sense of sympathy or support that the reader may develop for Trump. This is achieved through objectivity and the use of non-provocative images.

The Center
Next, we will look at the center. Media from the center exhibits a similar level of objectivity to the left, but is significantly less selective when it comes to reporting all of the details of the Trump assassination attempt. The center describes the severity of Trump’s injuries in far greater detail, and regularly uses the photo of Trump raising his fist to illustrate this point. Unlike the left, the center frequently reported on the responses of prominent Republicans to the shooting. This provides a far more diverse spectrum of voices and opinions than media outlets with political affiliations. They also place greater emphasis on the historical significance of the event, as the first assassination attempt that injured a sitting or former president since Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The center focuses far more heavily on the failure of the Secret Service in protecting Trump than the left does, while also attempting to paint a picture of Crooks by investigating the causes and motives behind his actions. While this does not necessarily mean that they are ‘better’, per se, media outlets on the center tend to deliver objective recounts of the event without misconstrued interpretations of facts.
The Right
Finally, we arrive at the right. Media from the right employs vivid descriptions of the atmosphere of the rally, recounting with visceral detail the chaos and turmoil following the shooting. The overt emphasis on the sheer severity of Trump’s injuries in right-leaning reports suggests an intentional effort to compel readers to express sympathy connect emotionally with Trump, which has resulted in renewed enthusiasm and support for his campaign.
Contrary to the left, the right almost universally uses the image of a bloodied Trump raising his fist in defiance, conveying a sense of heroism and evoking public faith in the MAGA cause. They also place great emphasis on the abrupt movement of Trump’s head after Crooks fired the bullets, which ultimately saved his life at the last millisecond. This widespread belief among Republicans that Trump’s remarkable luck was an act of divine intervention can, in part, be attributed to the right’s repetition and popularisation of this narrative. By including suggestions of fortune, fate, and higher powers, the right furthered their portrayal of Trump as the heroic saviour of America.

The right also frequently mentioned Trump’s desire to attend to the Republican National Convention, presenting this as a testament to his exceptional resilience and suitability to serve as president. Additionally, the theme of religion regularly appears in right-leaning media as an appeal to their largely Christian audience, with mention of Corey Comperatore, a victim of the shooting, being a devout Christian. Through the subtle elevation of particular narratives that benefit their agenda, we can see that the right has tried to glorify the MAGA movement and present Trump as a martyr of political division in America.
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