Republicans believe second assassination attempt will give Trump a boost

Several Republican lawmakers have said they think the second assassination attempt of Donald Trump will give him a boost in the polls.

Officers arrested Ryan Wesley Routh on Sunday for allegedly aiming an SKS-style rifle through the bushes at Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, whilethe former president was playing a round.Officials say Routh lurked in the bushes for nearly 12 hours before he was arrested.

The attempt came two months after Thomas Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking the former president in the ear. The 20-year-old, who was fatally shot by Secret Service agents, also killed one attendee and injured two others.

“I think people are going to rally to President Trump’s side. He’s under siege on so many fronts,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told The Hill on Tuesday. “It’s a Republican today, it could be a Democrat tomorrow. The system is broken.”

While the South Carolina senator is allied with Trump, the two have had their disagreements. Graham opposed Trump in 2015 and 2016 before flipping to support him in 2017.

Graham appeared at campaign events for Trump earlier this year. But in April, the former president said he regretted endorsing the senator in his re-election bid after Graham criticized him for refusing to support a federal abortion ban, the Associated Press reports.

Then, last month, Graham told NBC News Trump needs to focus on policy to win the election.

“President Trump can win this election. His policies are good for America, and if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election,” Graham said.

Another Republican senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, toldThe