In wake of assassination attempt on Trump, Michiganders hope for end to political strife

An assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday has reverberated from one battleground state to another, as Michiganders expressed dismay in the aftermath of an act of political violence not seen in the U.S. in decades.

“It’s horrible. I mean, it shouldn't happen,” said Christine Ramos, 57, of Mason. Ramos learned of the shooting from a text from her daughter. “I don't care who it is," she added. "Whether you like him or not … the violence is just out of control.”

Presumed Republican nominee Trump, who was campaigning about 45 minutes north of Pittsburgh as he tries to win back the White House from President Joe Biden this fall, reported being "fine" after the shooting. One spectator was killed and two others were critically injured in the shooting, the Secret Service said. The shooter, whom the FBI identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Pittsburgh suburb Bethel Park, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents shortly after opening fire.

"We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness," Trump posted on social media," later continuing "...(i)n this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win."

Biden called Sunday for unity across the country following the assassination attempt on Trump.

“Unity is the most elusive goal of all, and nothing is more important than that right now,” Biden said in remarks from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, noting he had a “a short, but good conversation” with Trump on Saturday night.

The shooting was the most brazen attempt on a president or presidential candidate's life in the U.S. since President Ronald Reagan was shot during an attempted assassination in 1981.

"I'm glad it wasn't successful," said Dan Musgrove, 34, of Grand Rapids.

It also upends a presidential election cycle already fraught with exceptional circumstances — Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in May by a New York jury in a historic hush money trial. Biden, after a tenuous performance in a June 27 debate with Trump, is facing calls from some members of his own party to step down from the Democratic nomination ahead of the party's August convention over concerns about his ability to win another election. In an already atypical political cycle, the shooting has left some in Michigan questioning how electoral politics could escalate so far.

"It was bad in 2020, it was bad in the midterms," said Musgrove, who questioned what the mental state of the shooter was. "I think there will be a lot more bickering, (more) of the same that's been going on, up until we get people running for office that change their rhetoric so it's not so offensive."

"When you get someone like Trump who is very polarizing, I think it's inevitable," he added.

The shooting placed even more focus on this fall's presidential election — Trump maintains a slight edge over Biden in opinion polls in several battleground states, including Michigan. Even among those who aren't backers of Trump, there's belief the shooting could bolster support for his campaign.

Michiganders do electoral calculus, express skepticism

Cedric Martin, 46, of Detroit, heard the news first from his parents, who had seen news of the shooting on TV. He had to watch himself.

At first, he wondered if it was a hoax, but reports of the death at the rally convinced him otherwise. He said Trump didn't deserve what happened.

"It should never get that serious as far as politics," said Martin.

"At the end of the day, we’re all humans. We all have a job to do, we’re all trying to make this place a better place. No one should lose their life trying to make this place a better place."

Martin said he served in the Air Force and it’s sad to see something like this happen at home.

He’s not a fan of Biden or Trump, but thinks Trump will get more votes because of the shooting.

Martin was not alone in believing the assassination attempt could lead to a stronger electoral performance for Trump's campaign come November.

Danielle Tyus and Monica Nyarko, both 28 and from Detroit, had been at a barbecue when they learned the news.

Someone at the gathering told Tyus, who actually thought the person was making a joke at first, she said.

She doesn’t think anyone should ever be assassinated but given that Trump survived, she doesn’t have a lot of empathy for him because he hasn’t been held accountable for his past actions and harms such as the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, she said.

She believes the attack will "unfortunately" help his campaign.

"This is the country that we live in and the gun laws that we have," she said of moving forward. "I can’t do anything about that, all I can do is vote."

She plans to vote for Biden, who she described as the lesser of two evils.

Nyarko said she doesn’t want to have to choose between evils, and the two agreed they wished they could go back to more peaceful time under former President Barack Obama.

Nyarko was one of numerous people on Belle Isle who expressed doubt in the shooting and said they didn’t believe the circumstances. Still, she said, "nobody should lose their life or be injured."

Reginald Williams, 31, of Detroit was setting up to fish on Belle Isle with his family as he reflected on the incident. He was among those who believe it was a political setup, tied it to getting Black individuals to vote and attributed that to the candidate he still plans to vote for — former President Donald Trump.

He prefers Trump’s approach to immigration and what bathrooms transgender individuals are allowed in, as a father of multiple girls, he said.

He’d seen memes on Facebook last night and then checked Twitter to learn the news, he said, noting it was "wild."

More than half of the people contacted by the Free Press on Belle Isle stated they did not believe or questioned the circumstances being reported about the incident with multiple referring to "set-ups" or being "staged."

Voters see sad time for political discourse

For some in Michigan, the assassination attempt marks another symptom of a decline of civility in American politics. Ricky Gonzalez, 28, of Harbor Springs, said the shooting first sparked "a combination of shock and sadness," but increasingly divisive rhetoric makes him believe acts of political violence could be inevitable.

"It's a sad time in our country," he said. Gonzalez was at a family dinner when he learned of the shooting through texts from friends.

"I don't think this tension dissipates anytime soon. I think it's just going to get worse and worse, especially (since) both sides are demonizing the other side, it's getting to the point where it's dehumanizing the other side. Once we're dehumanizing people, it's easier to resort to violence."

Tyler Forbes, 27, of Milford, said he thought it was a miracle that Trump was not seriously injured or killed in the shooting on Saturday. Although there were fatalities, “You can’t explain something like that,” he said about Trump.

“I think we’re f---ed,” Forbes replied when asked where we are headed as a country.  “We are all going to social media. And that's ruining our society,” he explained.

Jecel Garlejo, 34, of Hamtramck was walking with her kids and husband on Belle Isle on Sunday as she recounted hearing the news last night. She was surprised someone could do such a thing.

She thought of her family, her young children and the world she wants for them. It made her sad and scared for what’s happening around the world, she said.

"And hoping for a better place (and) safer place for our kids," she said.

There are Michiganders who are hopeful for less political strife, although they concede it may take some time to get there.

Lori and Mike Cohen were at home in White Lake Township watching Netflix when Lori hopped on Facebook and noticed someone had mentioned something vaguely about an incident involving Trump in a shooting.  She immediately followed up on Instagram to search for more information, she said, describing how they first learned about the incident on Saturday.

“When we did turn on the news it was very nebulous,” Mike Cohen told the Free Press.

The nearly three decades long, self-described happily married couple said as far as what it means in the short-term for the country, “I am in hopes of it reuniting” Mike Cohen, 59, said. Lori Cohen, 58, says she agrees with that, but cautioned there is still a way to go. “It’s just the beginning of more turmoil,” she said.

A more human-centered approach to politics would be good for everyone, said Alex Bishop, 38, of Farmington Hills.

“I saw his ear. I saw his reaction,” said Bishop, who was at home watching a video when he saw a notification on his phone that a shooting happened Saturday evening. “I almost didn't even believe it. But you know, we could see the evidence. And it was terrible.”

When asked where we should go from here Bishop replied, “I think maybe people just need to start thinking about each other as people instead of being so divided by extreme politics.”

“A lot of people on both sides have gone very far to the far left and the far right. And they forget that we're all people …. we're friends, family, brothers, sisters and I think people really need to think about that more than their basically divisive politics.”

USA Today contributed to this report.

Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michiganders say Trump shooting marks 'sad time in our country'