There is nothing new about political violence in the United States. But in its current form, it is more concerning than ever before. A deeply polarised society now has both the access and the capability to use technology in novel ways — often to map, train, and weaponise hostile intent.

Extreme partisan politics continues to fuel this growing sense of angst. On Saturday, when President Donald Trump faced what appeared to be a third attempt on his life while attending an event at the Washington Hilton in DC — following earlier incidents, including one in 2024 when he was grazed by a bullet in Pennsylvania — the script felt disturbingly familiar.

In an eerie parallel, President Ronald Reagan was shot just outside the same hotel in March 1981. Despite this historical familiarity, many observers would agree that the scale and intensity of political partisanship today are tearing the nation at its seams.

Trump was attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner for the first time in more than 10 years, alongside most of his key officials. Should there have been any security lapse, the incident could have potentially changed the course of the nation’s politics once again, especially as America nears the midterm elections. Yet, there are ample lessons from this incident that, along with the past ones, should offer a blueprint for course correction of a fractured........

© Indian Express