RGV weighs in on Trump shooting aftermath

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Some say the political climate is changing, as Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump still weighs on the nation’s mind.

One University of Texas Rio Grande Valley student, Angela Villalobos said “When I saw that, I was like shocked and processing, and it made me feel more motivated to go vote for him."

Many like Villalobos are still shocked by the assassination attempt of Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump. She and others on the fence are now considering voting in November, whether for Trump or Biden.

UTRGV Political Science Professor, Clyde Barrow says this is a result of today’s political climate.

"Despite some calls from people like Biden to tone down the rhetoric, I don’t think you’re going to see a tone down. It’s going to escalate," he said. "We’re in the era of performance. Politics were more about showmanship than it is about policy and political content.”

Someone who was not too shocked by the attack was UTRGV student Santos Oviedo. He blamed Trump’s reputation and previous death threats as part of the problem.

“You shouldn’t be surprised, because when Trump originally was president then, people hated him. He would occasionally get death threats as well, and now that he’s running for president again.”

Barrow says the assassination attempt will also influence this week’s Republican National Convention.

"He’s already said this morning that he is changing his speech for the convention. So this event has changed what he’s going to say, and how he’s going to say it.”

Retiree Gary Groves thinks the former president will instead cool down tensions in future speeches and debates.

“We show respect to each other. We may not agree, but we should have respect and I think you’re going to see that from President Trump and his speech at this convention," he said.

As the Republican Convention continues, President Biden and others continue calling for the nation to cool down political tensions.