Donald Trump may have survived the assassin’s bullet, but the shots that rocked the world, have effectively killed off what was left of Joe Biden’s fast-fading hopes of remaining in the White House.
If Biden’s clearly failing mental state hasn’t ended his long political career, then the inaccuracy of a crazed young gunman has.
Not even a last-minute, unprecedented change of candidate can save the Democrats now.
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As the delegates and super fans gather for the Republican Convention in Milwaukee in the coming days, expect a change of tone by Trump as he officially accepts his party’s nominations.
We’re told his speech is being furiously reworked.
There will be less of his usual fire and brimstone about America’s decay under the Biden administration.
No doubt still sporting that bandaged pierced ear like a badge of honour, it will be Trump the surviving hero. The man who bravely got to his feet and defiantly pumped his fist shouting “fight, fight, fight” as blood streamed down his face.
He will attempt to portray himself as a leader who will unite, not divide the country, as he tries to win over the party’s moderates and independents.
Aides will be imploring him to do what he finds almost impossible: just stick to the script.
But don’t be fooled, as the red, white and blue balloons tumble from the roof of the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee after Trump delivers his acceptance speech, the mood will be anything but American unity.
MAGA Republicans want retribution.
They already believed the Democrats were determined to jail Trump through one of four court cases. (Three after his classified document case was bizarrely tossed out by a Florida judge.)
And while the assassin’s motive is not yet known, many are now convinced they tried to kill him as well.
Having just returned to visit my American wife’s family, the mood before the attempted killing was already white hot.
Any attempt to talk politics over the family table often resulted in pointed fingers and raised voices. Unlike the Australian belief of never discussing politics or religion, Americans loved to debate the virtues of their candidate and party.
In normal times, it was something akin to ribbing each other about our football teams.
But gone are the days when you could laugh off differing beliefs.
If you’re a Trump supporter: you are a dangerous right-wing nut. A Biden fan: a good-for-nothing, woke leftie.
These were already dangerous times.
So, what happens when Trump wins back the White House? Some fear part of the answer lies in the so-called Project 2025.
The comprehensive 900-page policy is the work of the right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation.
It’s aimed at removing the independent, non-political appointees across the U.S. bureaucracy that the Trump administration blame for standing in his way in his first stint in the White House.
It calls for disbanding the education and commerce department, further rejecting abortion, dropping climate protections and allowing the military to conduct mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Project 2025 would also target the independence of America’s justice Department which Trump claims, I believe wrongly, was weaponised against him.
The changes would clear the way for him to do the same.
Potentially targetting President Biden and his drug-addled son Hunter, prosecutors and the many former allies from his first administration who turned against him.
Trump has so far distanced himself from Project 2025. But it has the fingerprints of many of his closest advisors.
Proponents call it the second American Revolution. Critics fear it could deliver an extreme agenda that could threaten the very fundamentals of America’s democracy.
If Biden successfully fends off efforts to replace him, then the Democrats could all but abandon hopes of winning the White House race.
Instead of throwing money and support trying to retain control of the Senate and win back the House, thereby weakening Trump’s power to wield change.
It could be a losing battle.
But don’t think Australia could be shielded from this seismic shift.
Trump has already promised to cut military and financial support to Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is counting on it.
Worse still, he could withdraw America from the NATO alliance claiming other members aren’t paying their way. It could see the Russian President push his claims of reuniting the old Soviet Union dangerously further.
Could that embolden China’s President Xi Jinping to try to take Taiwan by force by 2027 – the anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army?
Would a new Trump administration, with an isolationist, America-first approach, stand in the way of China’s so-called grand reunification?
And, either way, where would that leave Australia?
Get ready.
President Trump 2.0 is coming.
Just remind me not to mention it over the dinner table with my American family.
And as they love to say: God save America.
Mike Amor is a 7NEWS presenter and covered five US elections as bureau chief.