After November 5
Everything seems to be changing in the US pre-election scene after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, who has now gained ground for the presidential race on November 5. If President Joe Biden’s feeble voice and lost gaze during the debate between the two men was the initial stumbling block to his reelection, Trump’s immediate reaction when the AR-15 bullet grazed his ear appears to be the decisive blow to the current president’s candidacy.
Trump not only quickly recovered, showing absolute awareness of the situation, but he asked security personnel who rushed to protect him to let him speak to his supporters the rally. Even as his guard hustled him into his armored car, he turned to the gathered crowd and defiantly raised his fist, shouting “Fight. Fight. Fight.”
It was an image of determination and self-sacrifice that undoubtedly had a major impact on the average voter of the global superpower – even if it came from someone who attempted to overthrow American democracy on January 6, 2021.
However, a return of Trump to the White House would change the dynamics worldwide, especially in Europe. It would signify a shift in US policy on major issues concerning European capitals – from combating climate change to the reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military operation against Ukraine.
Could Europe really entrust its security to the US armed forces and depend on the decisions of an unpredictable American president who has threatened to withdraw from the NATO alliance? Could Europe depend on a president who spreads protective walls for American products and ostentatiously turns his back on women’s rights?
Moreover, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has relied on Greek-American relations because he believes that in the event of a heated incident in the Aegean, he can pick up the phone and find a sympathetic ear on the other side of the Atlantic. Will this even be the case under Trump, a declared friend of Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan? As Biden’s reelection fades, Europe’s dilemmas sharpen – and so do Greece’s.
