Evaluating the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the 45th president and presidential candidate of the United States, Political Scientist Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan said, “In a conjuncture where we are on the verge of a global war, the November 2024 elections are a critical process not only for the US but for the entire world.”
Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan: “The background of the assassination attempt could be to force Trump to withdraw from the election. However, the failure of the assassination can almost certainly be considered to reverse the situation, increasing Trump's votes.”
Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, evaluated the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the 45th president and presidential candidate of the United States.
The current conjuncture is extremely sensitive
Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan reminded that the assassination attempt on Donald Trump took place at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 14, stating, “Assassination attempts against politicians have occurred before in the world and in the United States, but the current conjuncture is extremely sensitive. If we go back a bit, on May 15, 2024, Juraj Cintula tried to shoot Prime Minister Robert Fico in Handlová, Slovakia. Two months later, a similar incident occurred, this time in America. Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident, carried out an assassination attempt on the former American president who is in the presidential race for the White House.”
Trump and Fico's common ground is Ukraine…
Comparing the two incidents, Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan stated the following:
“We see that the common ground between Trump and Fico is Ukraine, or more precisely, their opposition to the continuation of the conflict in the public sphere. Bratislava stopped supplying weapons to Kyiv after the change of the Council of Ministers, and Fico actively opposes the Eastern European country's entry into the North Atlantic Alliance. On the other hand, Trump frequently says he is ready to stop the war immediately and that his advisors are preparing initial initiatives that could help end hostilities. However, in the Western mainstream, these people are often portrayed as dangerous politicians. Sometimes they are even spoken of as a kind of autocrat who could harm Western democracy. Yet, they are only dangerous to those who advocate for the continuation of the Ukraine crisis, which could turn into a full-fledged conflict between the Russian Federation and NATO.”
Deployment of long-range missiles in Germany in 2026…
Stating that the leadership of Russia, China, India, or other non-Western countries does not want war, Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan said, “During the NATO summit that ended on July 11 in Washington, the US and Germany published a joint statement regarding the deployment of much longer-range missiles in Germany in 2026 than those currently deployed in Europe. We are talking about SM-370 multi-purpose missiles with a range of 6 km, Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1250 to 2500 km capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, and hypersonic missiles that are still in the testing phase. It is noteworthy that after the summit, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov had a phone conversation with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin. Details were not disclosed, but the statement by the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense indicated that ‘the issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed’.”
An election on the verge of a global war…
Arslan, who stated, “In a conjuncture where we are on the verge of a global war, the November 2024 elections are a critical process not only for the US but for the entire world,” also noted the following:
“Democrats are insisting that Biden should withdraw from the candidacy; however, no such step has been taken by Biden yet. Given Biden's health, he is a weak candidate against Trump. If Biden does not withdraw, pushing Trump out of the election process would create a favorable situation for the Democrats. From this perspective, the background of the assassination attempt could be to ensure Trump withdraws from the election. However, the failure of the assassination can almost certainly be considered to reverse the situation, increasing Trump's votes.”
US election and World War 3 narratives…
Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan also pointed to World War 3 narratives, concluding her words by saying, “We can foresee that the upcoming American elections will also be decisive in shaping the narratives of World War III. Trump's moderate foreign policy, in contrast to the rigid foreign policy of Biden, the leader of the Democrats directly supported by the American arms industry, will also affect international relations. In this context, if Biden wins the elections, the rhetoric in global competition may become even harsher. Considering that the assassination attempt increased Trump's chances, we can also foresee that it will contribute to a change in the risk of global war.”