DENVER — Former President Donald Trump called for unity and resilience Sunday after an attempt on his life added fresh uncertainty to an already tumultuous presidential campaign. Setting aside stark political differences during a delicate stretch of the race, President Joe Biden used a prime-time address to condemn the violence and implore Americans that "we can’t, we must not go down” the road of political violence.
"The attempt to assassinate Trump has really heightened that tension, the stakes of this campaign," University of Denver international studies professor Fritz Mayer said.
Mayer said the shooting could be tied to the contention in the country during the current election cycle.
"It's a moment where we are when we don't talk about 'we,' it's 'us vs. them,'" Mayer said. "It's really sharply divided, and to a point where it isn't in some way surprising that this kind of thing happened, and surely there would be those who would target Biden if they could."
Mayer said there will be continued conversations around the attempted assassination as the presidential race continues.
"He will arrive at the convention, having not only survived this attack on him, but in the moment, showing some courage, punching the air with his fist, apparently mouthing the word 'fight,' it will energize his campaign even further," Mayer said, referring to Trump. "You can only imagine the reception he will get at the Republican Convention. It will be tumultuous."
He said the impacts could also affect the Biden campaign, especially given where the shooting took place.
"Biden really can't win without Pennsylvania," Mayer said. "He's trailing in all the polls."
He said this could even change what political ads look like for Biden against Trump. He said the campaign is expected to pull some of its attack ads against the former president.
"The whole campaign, or much of it anyway, is really about attacking Trump," Mayer said. "They can't really attack him for the moment, and they have to be careful about that."
Mayer said overall, he's worried about how this act of political violence could hinder the global view of the U.S. and its democracy.
"This adds to the perception that we don't have our act together. It makes it much more difficult for America to lead in the world," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.