Another Assassination Attempt. What Now?

Sep 18, 2024

2 min

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

In a shocking turn of events, another attempt was made on former president Donald Trump’s life on Sunday, September 15. He was playing golf in West Palm, Florida, when there was a suspect found with a gun, intending to assassinate Trump. Though the suspect has been apprehended and the former president is unharmed, this situation stirs up many questions about safety amid election season and how that could affect voters.



Political expert, Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, has offered useful insight on the effect that this unsure election season has on voters. Here are three key takeaways from his recent interview:


  • The multiple assassination attempts and overall tense election season has created a sense of heightened emotions for many Americans. How will the second attempt on Trump’s life affect the decisions and actions of voters?
  • It seems as though Americans are growing more fearful and divided in the midst of this election season. In the wake of Sunday's events, is there hope for unity among Americans? 
  • Many voters are now looking for answers. What action is being taken to ensure that both presidential candidates are safe as the election approaches and tensions only seem to rise?


If you are a journalist covering the recent assassination attempt or the upcoming election – our experts are here to help.


Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with the media regarding the recent assassination attempt, election emotions and the upcoming election. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.


Connect with:
Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

Mark Caleb Smith, Ph.D.

Professor of Political Science

Dr. Smith is an expert in American politics, campaigns & elections, and constitutional law.

Constitutional LawPresidential PoliticsPresidential Campaigns

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Cedarville University

2 min

Who will be the Canadian Prime Minister's Successor

On January 6th, 2025 Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau announced his intentions of stepping down. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has be leading the Liberal Party of Canada for the past 12 years. Since his announcement of resignation there has been many prominent individuals stepping up to enter the race of being his successor. In Canada's political system the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons will act as primer minister. The successor of  Mr. Trudeau’s role as party leader will then go to general elections against the leader of the Conservative party. Elections must be held no later than October. What will the change in Prime Ministers look like for the future of Canada's government.  International relations expert, Dr. Glen Duerr, has been a reliable source on the events occurring in the Canada. Here are three valuable insights from a recent interview Earning the vote to be Prime Minister Trudeau's successor is not a guarantee of permanently keeping the role of Prime Minister. Once Canada's Liberal Party elects their candidate to replace Trudeau they will run against the leader of Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, in a general election. The winner of this election will then maintain the role of Prime Minister. How will the general election impact the Liberal Party?  Recently Conservatives and the leader of the party has been dominating public opinion polls. Experts believe that the vote in the House of Commons will cause a drastic shift in the government under a new prime minister long before the general election. Will the shift in popular opinion end the over decade long rule of the Liberal Party? Prime Minister Trudeau explains the Liberal Party will be choosing his successor through votes by the parties members, which has become a minority in Canada's population. Successor candidates include: Chrystia Freeland, Mark Carney, Karina Gould. All of whom have had a succesful political career in the Liberal Party, serving under Primer Minister Trudeau. Are these candidates enough to keep the decade long power in the Liberal party?  If you are a journalist covering the change in Canada's leadership, look no further than our experts for valuable insight and expert knowledge. Dr. Duerr is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding Canadian politics– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

2 min

What does the Israel-Hamas ceasefire mean

After 15 months of war Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced Wednesday, January 15, his in the process of receiving approval for ceasefire from his security Cabinet in order to further the truce with Hamas. This ceasefire is not only expected to stop a war that has taken more that 46,500 lives, but also the phased release of dozens of American hostages and hundreds of Palestinians. Reports reveal that the ceasefire may be in effect by the end of the week. How will American citizens respond to what appears to be a resolution to the conflict in the middle east?  International relations expert, Dr. Glen Duerr, has been a reliable source on the events occurring in the Middle East. Here are three valuable insights from a recent interview: Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs the support from his security and full Cabinet to receive approval on will be a roughly six-week initial ceasefire phase. The Israel Supreme Court has up to 24 hours to approve The Prime Minister's ceasefire. It is estimated that the ceasefire will take full affect Sunday. What can we expect in the Middle East during the wait of the ceasefire? It was announced that there will be an emergency cabinet meeting held tomorrow renegotiating the deal after Prime Minister Netanyahu's office accused Hamas on reneging on part of the of the ceasefire. However a Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri denied all accusations of Hamas reneging on the terms of the ceasefire. Is the conflict and delay of the ceasefire a prediction to the conflict that is to come? The first stage of the ceasefire will take about 6 weeks, allowing the phased release of American and Palestinian citizens. Hamas is expected to release at least 2 American citizens during the first phase and a a Senior administration official during the second phase. It is expected with each hostage released by Hamas a number of Palestinian detainees will be released. How will the phased release of Hamas hostages affect the culture of Americans?  If you are a journalist covering the ceasfire betweek Isreal and Hamas, look no further than our experts for valuable insight and expert knowledge. Dr. Duerr is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing the war between Israel and Hamas – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Or schedule an interview by contacting Mark Weinstein at mweinstein@cedarville.edu

2 min

What the 2025 Tax Season May Look Like According to the IRS

The 2025 tax filing season will begin on Jan. 27. The Internal Revenue Service warns it may not be functioning as adequately due to the Republican-controlled congress rescinding IRS designated funding, causing cuts in staffing and potential technological updates to become stagnant. During the Biden administration the IRS was granted extra funding as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, passed exclusively with Democratic votes. The Trump administration has introduced a new scanning technology allowing tax returns to be filed quicker, upon the cut in previous IRS funding. This online filing system will allow taxpayers to file electronically with IRS for free, cutting out any unnecessary third party. There are concerns that the cut in funding may cause Trump's IRS updates to delay. How will the cut in IRS funding affect the 2025 tax season?  Economics expert, Dr. Jared Pincin weighs in on the discussion of how fund distribution will look under Trump administration in recent interview. Trump administration has cut funding for IRS from $80 Billion to $60 Billion through 2031. During his campaign for presidency Trump promised a reallocation for funding and distribution. How will we see Trump's policies redistribute funding?   Trump's new system, Direct File, is available in 24 states with hopes to make the 2025 tax season smoother than ever. Concerns arise that Trump's cut in funding to reallocate elsewhere may make his system to be come stagnant, causing delays and longer wait times for tax payers. Will Trump's new tax filing system make the 2025 tax season smoother or another nightmare?  President-elect Trump promised stricter tariffs on manufacturing industries and more aggressive industrial policies. Rescinding IRS funding is just the beginning of Trump's reallocation of funding. How will we see the change in funding affects businesses? If you are covering the the U.S. economy during the Trump administration and need to know more, let us help with your questions and stories. Dr. Jared Pincin is an expert on economics and is available to speak to media regarding the Trump administration and the economy – simply click on his icon or email mweinstein@cedarville.edu to arrange an interview.

View all posts