Donald Trump, a bullet and the fine red line that lies between democracy and violent chaos

The blood on Donald Trump’s face was a shocking and vivid reminder of the fine red line that lies between democracy and violent chaos in even the world’s most powerful country.

The gunman’s bullet struck the former president’s right ear before Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and hauled him down.

And now, the image which emerged of him injured, fist raised in defiance, the Stars and Stripes flying above, may help propel him back into the White House.

With just an inch’s difference, the shot could have led to Trump’s death and sparked a very real chance of America – bitterly divided with a heavily armed population – sliding into widespread violence, insurrection, and possibly even a second civil war.

The moment of danger for the republic came on a blisteringly hot late afternoon in Pennsylvania with a crowd of tens of thousands, waiting for hours at Butler Farm Show Grounds for Trump to arrive. With little shade available, medics moved among the crowd, with many elderly rallygoers suffering under the blazing sun and MAGA caps taken off for heads to be sponged.

Any torpor turned into messianic fervour when Trump got on the stage, settling quickly into the vaudeville pattern of his rallies. The faithful cheered at his boasts, booed at mentions of Biden, exclaimed in ire when he spoke of a stolen election and attempts to silence him with fake criminal charges.

Then came the shots, muted cracks one after the other, at least eight times. Those of us who have covered violence in conflict zones and volatile gatherings hit by gunfire are familiar with what unfolded – the initial incomprehension, a brief stillness, and then an eruption of confused fear, shouts and screams.

“The first thing I thought myself was,