Attempted Assassanation of Donald Trump
On July 13, in Butler, Pa., Donald Trump was speaking at a rally when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at him from a nearby rooftop. Secret Service quickly surrounded the former president while counter snipers fired at Crooks, killing him. Trump received some damage to his right ear, which has since healed. Fifty-year-old rally attendee Corey D. Comperatore was also caught in the crossfire and was killed while shielding his family from the gunshots around him. Investigation into Crooks’s motives have proven to be contradictory. He was a registered Republican, but had donated $15 to the liberal political action group ActBlue in 2017. Since the attack, political leaders from both sides of the aisle have called for an end to political violence and greater unity between parties.
Biden exits presidential race
Following his poor performance at the first presidential debate and heightened concern about his age and mental acuity, Biden’s chances of being able to win in this November’s election were looking increasingly slim. The possibility of a Biden and Trump rematch had also left many unenthused, especially now that Biden, 81, and Trump, 79, both seemed disturbingly too old for the office. Even after the debate, Biden was strongly against dropping out, saying, “Only the lord almighty could compel me to quit.” But while quarantining from a bout of COVID, it seems his attitude shifted. On July 21, Biden announced that he would withdraw from the presidential race and would be endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris who is now the Democratic nominee.
Kamala Harris running for president with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as VP
After President Biden suddenly withdrew from the presidential race, Kamala Harris became the new face of the Democratic Party for this November’s election. The sudden change left Harris with just more than 100 days until the election, but the Democrats were able to quickly pivot to supporting their new nominee, raising more than $100 million during the first two days of her campaign. In national polls, Harris has maintained a lead of multiple percentage points over Trump, but her margins in swing states have her only slightly ahead of Trump in some and tied in others. Her Vice Presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has also proven to be much more popular than Trump’s Vice Presidential nominee, Ohio senator, JD Vance.
Supreme Court decisions shake nation, spark calls for reform
This summer saw new rulings from the Supreme Court regarding presidential immunity, homelessness, and emergency contraception pills. On July 1, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that all current and former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for all “official acts,” or acts within the core duties of the president as outlined by the Constitution, while in office. The ruling prevents prosecutors from using many of Trump’s actions from his time as President against him in his trials. In late August, however, Trump received another indictment from special counsel Jack Smith, who previously prosecuted Trump for his alleged crimes on Jan. 6, and who reconfigured the election interference case to use his non-official actions as evidence. In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that cities can ban the homeless from sleeping in public spaces, even if shelters are full. Following the ruling, Gov.Gavin Newsome of California signed an executive order instructing state agencies to “address homeless encampments with urgency and dignity.” Finally, the court ruled 9-0 to uphold the FDA’s certification of the contraceptive mifepristone for use in abortions. The ruling, however, does not affect states where the drug is banned due to abortion laws.
Article by Oscar Guillemin