Violence Is Fueling the GOP’s Agenda And It’s Working
There has been a string of targeted shootings linked to the right side of politics lately: Trump, his administration, MAGA, and the Republican Party. These shootings are not part of mass casualty incidents like school shootings or hate shootings. These are aimed at a specific person or group, triggering opportunistic reactions from Trump and his administration.
Whether these events were solely and independently carried out by the accused shooters is a topic for another day. What is clear is how Trump has used these occurrences for personal and political gain.
Immigration Control: National Guard Shooting
Most recently, two National Guard members were shot. One was killed and the other remains in critical condition.
The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was a member of a CIA backed Zero Unit and according to a relative he arrived in the United States in September 2021 after serving ten years in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces.
Officials have said this was a targeted shooting.
The Trump administration seized on the shooting to intensify efforts to restrict legal immigration. Trump claimed that he would “permanently” pause migration from what he called “third world countries” after the suspect was identified as an Afghan national.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on NBC News “Meet the Press” that the asylum process would resume once the administration cleared its backlog under new standards created after the attack.
It also works as a unifier for their base at a time when some military service members have been seeking outside legal advice about missions assigned by the Trump administration. United States strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats and deployments to American cities have sparked debate over their legality, and some service members are turning to nonprofit groups for guidance.
Censorship: Charlie Kirk Assassination
A few months ago, Charlie Kirk was assassinated by the accused shooter, 22 year-old Tyler James Robinson.
Two months after Kirk’s assassination, a government-backed campaign led to firings, suspensions, investigations and other action against more than six hundred people. The GOP officials endorsed punishments and encouraged the public to report anyone who made statements about the assassination that were considered inappropriate or distasteful.
The campaign later expanded to include criticism of Kirk himself.
The Money-Maker: Trump’s Assassination Attempt
In July of 2024, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire. Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear.
A FBI conclusion in November 2025 determined Crooks acted alone, though his motive remains unknown.
The assassination attempt on Trump and his defiant response strengthened his support within the MAGA and GOP base. It was the first of these shootings to show Trump and MAGA that these incidents could work in their favor, at least financially, even though most reports say the political boost was temporary and non-deliverable.
Three days after the assassination attempt, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 43% of Americans would vote for Trump and 41% would vote for Joe Biden if the election were held right then. This was before Joe Biden announced he would step down from running and after Trump named JD Vance as his running mate.
Trump and his associated companies also capitalized on the July shooting. His “fight, fight, fight” slogan and the image of him with a bloodied face and raised fist became marketing tools. A Trump owned company, CIC Ventures LLC, began selling merchandise using the phrase, including watches, fragrances, sneakers, bobbleheads and apparel.
According to Forbes, Donald Trump’s net worth increased by roughly 1 billion dollars to more than 2 billion dollars in the days after the July 13th assassination attempt. Primarily due to a surge in the stock value of his social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group.
If any of these events were about public safety and gun violence, the response would look very different. Gun reform would have been part of the GOP’s talks after these events.
Instead, it has been a further push of personal gain and the Project 2025 agenda by profiting off his own public assassination attempt, launching a government sponsored censorship campaign, and using unprecedented use of executive power to control immigration.
That does not look like solving a problem. That looks like exploiting a crisis.
To Trump supporters, these shootings reinforce the idea that the country is under threat and there is a leader willing to act. Others see a pattern of exploiting violence to reshape government into something that serves one man and one agenda. What comes next will show which vision defines the next era of American democracy.
Until then, good night and good luck.
