Trump blames Biden, Harris rhetoric for assassination bid, to unveil crypto

Donald Trump yesterday blamed his election rival Kamala Harris and U.S. President Joe Biden after he was targeted in a second apparent assassination attempt, saying their “rhetoric” about him endangering democracy is to blame.

Trump’s rapid politicisation of Sunday’s incident, in which a man allegedly planned to fire on the Republican while he played golf in Florida, guaranteed that tensions ahead of the presidential election in seven weeks would continue to boil.

Both Biden and Harris have denounced the assassination bid, with the president saying: “I’ve always condemned political violence. I always will.” The second assassination attempt against Trump in two months is raising new alarms about whether the Secret Service can adequately protect the former president or whether more needs to be done to bolster the security of the Republican presidential candidate even though he’s not in office.

While Secret Service agents on Sunday prevented the potential shooter from firing at Trump while golfing at his West Palm Beach course – unlike the would-be assassin in Butler, Pennsylvania – questions have arisen again about how another gunman was able to get within hundred yards of the former president.

But after a second close call, President Joe Biden has acknowledged that the problem still persists. “The Secret Service needs more help,” Biden told reporters while leaving the White House on Monday.

Not deterred however, Trump is set to unveil a new cryptocurrency business during a Monday evening address from his Mar-a-Lago estate, the latest venture that stands to benefit the former president as he seeks another four years in the Oval Office.

Details on the new business, which will be called World Liberty Financial, are limited, but Trump’s sons have spent weeks promoting it. The GOP nominee himself has teased the latest expansion of his family’s business empire from the same social media account that carries his political messaging.

No major party nominee has ever leveraged their candidacy for personal profit like Trump has during his third White House bid. Since entering the race two years ago, he has netted millions of dollars selling items featuring moments from his political life while also generating billions of dollars in wealth through a social media site where he speaks directly to supporters.

But this latest enterprise, taking off just 50 days before the election, comes with a hornets’ nest of ethical conflicts should Trump win in November. On the campaign trail, the former president has promised to usher in a wave of policies favorable to digital currencies as he courted the votes and financial support of the bitcoin community. Now, a company he is helping to get off the ground could stand to benefit from the actions he takes in the Oval Office.