President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Monday made high-profile appearances, each man acknowledging in his own way how the weekend assassination attempt against Trump has reshaped both of their presidential campaigns.
Trump briefly appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention late Monday, a white bandage taped over his right ear where a bullet clipped him Saturday as he addressed a Pennsylvania rally. On Monday, the Biden administration announced a separate, independent investigation into the shooting, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation leads the main inquiry.
The stark differences between the two main presidential campaigns were further illuminated Monday, with Trump not uttering a word but entering the Milwaukee stadium to rapturous applause and a standing, cheering ovation sustained for the length of a very, very extended version of Trump’s signature campaign song, "God Bless the U.S.A."
Meanwhile, Biden spoke in cool, measured tones to NBC’s Lester Holt, saying that he still deeply disagrees with Trump, and with the “inflammatory” and “vicious” way Trump and his base communicate their grievances.
And asked whether he thought the shooting would change the trajectory of the presidential race:
“I don’t know,” he replied. “You don’t either.”
But the weekend’s events seem to have resolved the last political cliffhanger – the national debate over whether Biden’s poor, stumbling June debate performance against Trump meant he should step aside.
“I expect that Joe Biden has weathered the storm and this question about whether he should drop out is mostly in the rearview mirror,” said Jim Kessler, executive vice president for think tank Third Way. “But he needs to perform well.”
Biden, in the lengthy interview held at the White House after he canceled a planned Monday trip to Austin, aimed to distinguish himself from his rival in stark terms.
“Look, I'm not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one,” he said. “I'm not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election. I'm not the guy who said that he wouldn't accept the outcome of this election.”
Both men have called for unity in the wake of Trump’s shooting.
But analysts say that word may not mean what you think it means.
“They're both calling for unity,” said John Geer, a distinguished professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. “But I think their differences in the kind of concept are fundamental. And that's where the, I think the problem is going to break down. And so they're calling for it, but, in fact, it may well be partisanship in disguise.”
And the political divide between Americans is so bitter that advocacy groups are warning that it’s not just the candidates who need to cool it – voters need to do so as well.
“Stay passionate about the causes you care about and remain engaged,” said Will Fuller, of Pennsylvania-based Common Ground USA, in guidance sent to journalists Monday. “We face significant challenges that require us to fulfill the promise of opportunity for all Americans. But in that work, it’s essential to distinguish between advocating for our beliefs and fighting against each other.”
