Why Michigan’s Youngsters Are Flipping for Trump
One badass photo can make all the difference
I’ve never considered myself a MAGA enthusiast, but that changed on July 13, when a would-be assassin shot multiple rounds at the former president during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, narrowly missing Trump’s head, killing a man in the crowd, and injuring several others.
The next day, I put on the red “Make America Great Again” hat that had been stuffed in my closet and walked out my front door in Washington, D.C. My very liberal neighbors were probably appalled. I got more than a few dirty looks as I walked my dog. But for the first time since Trump entered the political scene, I didn’t care.
It wasn’t just the assassination attempt itself that galvanized me. It was Trump’s response to it. Like just about every other American that day, I watched on TV as Trump picked himself up off the stage, and, with blood dripping from his ear, made his Secret Service team wait before ushering him to safety. He wanted to reassure the crowd – and the country – that he was OK.
The image of Trump with his fist in the air immediately became the defining picture of not only the 2024 election, but of Trump’s political career. That day, Trump wasn’t the ego-driven, rash, loud-mouthed president I’ve always taken him to be. He was patriotic, courageous, and pretty freaking badass.
