RICHMOND, Va. -- Politicians in Virginia and across the country are now calling for peace and unity, as officials investigate what led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump posted to social media Sunday sharing prayers for the victims of Saturday's shooting, saying "In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win."
President Biden spoke Sunday, asking the public to "unite as one nation."
The President also detailed his orders to extensively review security measures for Saturday's rally, as well as the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which Trump is expected to be at, as scheduled.
"If they want to capitalize on what's happened, that's what they'll do. That's the right response," said Larry Sabato with the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "On the other hand, if we have overheated rhetoric, over the top rhetoric, not just by Trump, but by others speaking at the convention, it could ruin the one positive thing that might come out of this, which is to start to reduce the level of violence, which has ramped up substantially in the last few years."
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Sabato said Trump has consistently led in national polls.
"He's ahead now and we haven't measured the effect of this, it will probably push him further ahead. But it's mid-July. It's mid-July. The public memory, of even a big event like this, is short," Sabato said, citing intense polarization that is not expected to let up any time soon.
"Now over time, public officials, by lowering the temperature of politics and their rhetoric, could actually make a difference," Sabato said. "But that's a big uphill climb. I'm not sure all the people in public office are up to it."
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Sabato said this about potential voters who may still be on the fence: "We're talking about a few percent of the electorate now, they might be the few percent that determines the outcome because it is close, and it has been so competitive, and it still might be in November. But again, will the sympathy factor help Trump? Temporarily. That does not last very long, it really doesn't."
Sabato predicts neither President Biden nor former President Trump will let up on public appearances any time soon.
"Public officials are rather stubborn about that. And we've had a history of that," Sabato said. "It often leads to disasters as it did with President Kennedy. His Secret Service detail had tried to convince him to allow agents to hang onto the back of his car, his limousine because that could block bullets from behind."
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Looking back at the history of presidential assassination attempts in America
Despite the intense polarization between political camps, Sabato said there's a strong mutual feeling among everyone, even if he predicts it will be short-lived.
"I think everybody feels the same way. These sorts of things shouldn't happen in our society. And we've said it over and over. We've said it for decades. Every time one of these assassination attempts occurs, and everybody agrees, and we need to lower the temperature of the rhetoric," Sabato said. "Then two weeks later, you don't even know what's happened. Because everything goes back to the way it was. That's human nature, unfortunately, and we're going to have to live with it."
He also called on voters to be social media savvy and not fall into conspiracy theory traps that are already circulating.
"Do not believe the junk on social media," Sabato warned. "And it's already there. It's already there less than 24 hours afterwards. It's already there and multiplying by the minute."
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