ANDREW NEIL: If Donald Trump can rise to this occasion, he'll be truly unstoppable. But the danger is he succumbs to anger...

The leaders of Europe woke yesterday greeting to a apt imaginable astir of them find frightening and would alternatively not contemplate: Donald Trump arsenic nan adjacent president of nan United States.

They must now scheme for upheaval erstwhile it comes to American support for Ukraine, backing for Nato, penal tariffs connected their exports to nan US and immoderate surprises nan unpredictable Trump has up his sleeve that’s he’s not yet told america about.

The election was already going Trump’s way, arsenic a doddery, confused President Biden’s each nationalist quality simply confirmed what astir Americans had already concluded — that he was unfit to tally for re-election — and Democrats had nary backbone erstwhile it came to doing thing astir it.

But Saturday night’s grounded assassination effort astatine a Trump rally successful Pennsylvania makes a triumph for The Donald much apt than ever.

A number of American friends and sources contacted maine overnight to opportunity they thought Trump would now triumph by a landslide. And these were not supporters of him – they were each Democrats aliases ‘Never Trump’ Republicans.

Team Biden planned to make wide usage during nan run of that celebrated mugshot of Trump taken successful a Georgia jailhouse past August aft he’d been indicted for racketeering, among different charges, while reminding everybody he was already a convicted felon.

I retrieve penning astatine nan clip thing on nan lines that it would beryllium nan defining image of nan statesmanlike predetermination of 2024.

No longer. That accolade now goes to Trump fist-pumping nan air, humor splattered crossed his face, shouting ‘Fight, fight, fight’ arsenic nan Secret Service bundled him disconnected nan shape aft he’d travel little than an inch from death. There was moreover a immense American emblem fluttering conveniently successful nan background.

For Trump and his MAGA (Make America Great Again) activity this will now go nan totemic image of his candidacy. It will punctual his existent believers of nan iconic image of US Marines planting a immense emblem connected a hilltop aft nan sadistic conflict to return nan land of Iwo Jima from nan Japanese successful early 1945.

But that celebrated photograph progressive an constituent of staging (a smaller emblem had antecedently been raised connected nan site). Trump’s potent image is wholly authentic. Nobody tin disregard it arsenic clone news.

The halfway taxable of nan Biden campaign, 1 that is heavy promoted by its galore cheerleaders successful nan media, is that Trump is an existential threat to democracy. It’s emblematic of nan overheated rhetoric that now dominates statement connected some sides of nan governmental disagreement successful America these days.

But it will beryllium alternatively harder to credibly deploy that statement against a governmental campaigner who came truthful adjacent to losing his life campaigning successful a antiauthoritarian contest.

The shooting (in which, fto america not forget, 1 personification was killed and 2 earnestly injured) has led to predictable calls for America to curb its hateful and dispute governmental discourse, successful overmuch nan aforesaid measurement arsenic Labour MP Jo Cox’s execution during nan Brexit referendum successful 2016 produced pleas for a much civilised statement successful our politics.

I fishy specified calls will beryllium moreover little successful successful America than they person been successful Britain.

President Biden and his Democratic predecessor successful nan White House, Barack Obama, were speedy to condemn ‘political violence’, though their remarks were perfunctory and lacking immoderate genuine outrage. Curiously, neither could bring themselves to usage nan words which would person decently described what had happened — an attempted assassination.

Far from cooling it, America is already awash pinch huffy conspiracy theories, fuelled by nan incompetence of those meant to protect Trump successful allowing a 20-year-old pinch a semi-automatic firearm to summation entree to a rooftop overlooking nan rally.

Their ineptitude was highlighted successful a singular BBC TV question and reply that ran crossed America’s broadcast networks, successful which 1 witnesser said he’d warned nan constabulary and information operatives that location was a shooter connected a adjacent roof. The Secret Service’s chaotic efforts to evacuate Trump aft nan shooting only added to a nonaccomplishment of confidence.

This is being taken by nan conspiracy theorists arsenic impervious that it was each a deep-state effort involving nan FBI and nan Secret Service to destruct Trump (the MAGA camp’s take) aliases that it was each staged by MAGA operatives to boost Trump’s predetermination chances (the nutty Left’s take).

Such delirium does not merit nan clip of day. But nan Secret Service and its associated rule enforcement agencies are successful for a unspeakable reckoning. There are already calls for its head to resign.

Biden will beryllium relieved that his unfitness to tally again is nary longer dominating nan headlines. But it is impermanent relief. The unit to find a campaigner who could hit Trump is much urgent than ever, though it whitethorn beryllium that he is now unassailable nary matter who nan Democrats put up arsenic a candidate.

Indeed, immoderate Democratic hopefuls mightiness deliberation it wiser to beryllium retired this peculiar statesmanlike predetermination cycle. After Saturday night, nan Democrats look for illustration they’ve tally retired of bully choices.

And nan timepiece is ticking. The Democratic normal is only 5 weeks distant and, unless nan ‘Dump Biden’ rebels move quickly wrong nan adjacent 10 days, they will tally retired of clip to make nan basal arrangements to move Chicago into an ‘open convention’ beauty parade of replacement candidates.

Biden would simply beryllium confirmed arsenic nan campaigner by default, since astir of nan delegates are pledged to him and tin only beryllium released if he drops out. A fewer days agone Biden said: ‘It’s clip to put Trump successful nan bullseye,’ confirming that his capacity for gaffes is unlimited.

As nan leaders of America’s friends — and enemies — get to grips pinch nan implications of a Trump presidency, each eyes will beryllium connected nan Republican normal nether measurement from tomorrow successful Milwaukee.

It was ever going to beryllium an uncontested coronation for Trump. Now it will beryllium an emotionally charged, historical arena designed to propel him remorselessly to nan White House and watched not conscionable by America but by nan world.

Back successful 1984, I was successful nan edifice adjacent to nan Grand successful Brighton for nan yearly Tory convention nan nighttime nan IRA blew it up successful a grounded effort to assassinate Margaret Thatcher.

She insisted connected addressing nan convention first point that morning, moreover though she had almost been murdered and had had to beryllium evacuated successful nan mediate of nan nighttime to a safe base.

By nan clip we gathered successful nan convention hall, we had been joined by each nan London correspondents of nan world’s media. The Iron Lady arrived connected clip to a sober but lukewarm and heartfelt reception.

She said pinch calm authority, nary bitterness, nary tub-thumping, conscionable an unbending resoluteness to take sides democracy. It was nan reside of nan leader of a proud nation, not nan leader of a party.

If Trump tin likewise emergence to nan juncture successful Milwaukee past he really will beryllium unstoppable successful November. If he succumbs to anger, exacerbates section and makes ridiculous accusations against Democrats past he mightiness conscionable still beryllium vulnerable.

In 1912, different statesmanlike candidate, Teddy Roosevelt, said successful Milwaukee. Like Trump he had hardly started his stump reside erstwhile he excessively was nan target of an assassin’s bullet, which lodged successful his chest. But Roosevelt was a toughie — erstwhile boasting he felt arsenic beardown arsenic a bull moose — and decided he’d decorativeness his speech, which was 84 minutes long.

Also for illustration Trump, Roosevelt had already been a Republican president. But he was now starring a breakaway statement called, appropriately enough, nan Bull Moose party. Third parties ne'er triumph successful America. Trump’s trial this week is somewhat little onerous.

The slug only grazed his correct receptor and he still leads nan Republicans. It looks arsenic if only his ain darker demons tin extremity him from being nan adjacent president of nan United States.

So far, successful nan aftermath of nan shooting, he’s remained remarkably restrained. He needs to enactment that measurement moreover successful beforehand of his adoring religious successful Milwaukee, for whom he is now a surviving MAGA martyr.