When Donald Trump arrives at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin this week, his supporters will be greeted by a larger-than-life martyr they believe was “gifted by God.”
“Donald Trump will emerge as Lazarus in Milwaukee,” political scientist Ian Bremmer said on CNN on Sunday, likening Trump to a character from the New Testament’s Gospel of John who died but was brought back to life by Jesus.
Trump’s cult of personality and the strength of his charisma among his MAGA base has grown exponentially in an instant.
“This is going to make Trump’s approval rating even higher,” Bremmer, president and founder of political risk research firm Eurasia Group, said of the impact Saturday’s shooting at a Pennsylvania rally will have on Trump’s appeal to his supporters.
In the Bible’s story of Lazarus, Jesus demonstrates his ability to perform miracles by raising his friend from the dead. Republicans will likely see Trump as a similar figure, someone who was miraculously saved.
Duccio di Buoninsegna/Kimbell Art Museum/Wikimedia Commons
“He believes he’s been given a gift from God. It’s unbelievable,” a person who spoke with Trump told The Washington Post’s Josh Dorsey on Sunday, adding that “it’s completely out of the ordinary for him.”
According to CNBC’s Joe Kernan, who interviewed Trump on Sunday, with blood pooling around his right ear and streaks running down his face, Trump mustered the strength to urge his supporters to “fight, fight, fight” — a reminder of the movement’s mission to “Make America Great.”
Federal law enforcement officials have yet to determine a motive for the shooting, committed by a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, but Republican leaders have been nearly unanimous in blaming Democrats for stoking anti-Trump rhetoric that led to the attempted assassination of the former president.
“I’ve been concerned about this for a long time,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), a close ally of Trump, said Sunday, embracing a biblical theory about the close-fought race. “You know, democracy doesn’t end if he wins. He’s not a fascist. He represents a viewpoint shared by millions of people. His rhetoric is just too extreme.”
Trump will arrive in Milwaukee with the promise of a hero’s welcome from his supporters.
Brendan McDiarmid/Reuters
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), a finalist for Trump’s running mate, spearheaded the movement on social media Saturday night, blaming President Joe Biden and his campaign for portraying Trump as “an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.”
“Those comments directly led to the assassination attempt on President Trump,” Vance said days before defeating Biden and formally accepting the Republican nomination — provided Trump could defy growing pressure within his party to unseat the top Democratic candidate.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), another leading contender for the GOP No. 2 spot, tweeted “God protects President Trump” shortly after the shooting.
Republicans have become more reverent towards Trump than ever since the attack, while the Biden campaign and most Democrats have dropped attack ads for the time being and expressed sympathy and concern about possible security lapses ahead of the two parties’ national conventions.
“There will be a time when sharper contrasts can be drawn, but it might be good for everyone to take the time to talk more about what we agree with rather than what we disagree with,” Jamal Simmons, a Democratic political communications strategist, told The Daily Beast.
But with the Republican convention starting on Monday and the Democratic nominating forum scheduled to begin in Chicago on Aug. 19, the political truce is unlikely to last long.
“MAGA remains a threat, but Democrats may not mention Trump while they process their personal pain from Saturday,” Simmons said.
