Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith argued on his podcast that the assassination attempt on former President Trump “guaranteed” him victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s reaction after the attempted assassination – standing tall with his fist raised high as flags fluttered nearby – quickly became an iconic image, praised by supporters and critics alike.
“In my opinion, the shooter simply handed Donald Trump an electoral victory,” he said. episode Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith Show’s “Donald Trump Is Invincible,” he said: “That’s my belief. Of course, I don’t know if that’s the case. Of course, things can change. But in my opinion, he handed Donald Trump the victory of the election.”
“Folks, I’ve been in media for 30 years, and you can’t buy a better photo than what Donald Trump has right now,” he said, recalling the incident in which Trump “had blood dripping from his ear and the right side of his face,” then “pumped his fist and grimaced, and repeated, ‘Fight, fight, fight,’ three times. And while he pumped his fist, he was surrounded by Secret Service and had an American flag behind him. Folks, if you’re a politician, you can’t buy a better photo than this!”
President Trump reflects on shocking post-shooting photo: ‘To get an iconic photo, you usually have to die’
Stephen A. Smith argued that an assassination attempt on President Trump led to his election as president.
Beyond the rallies themselves, Smith argued that the media has praised Trump in a way that gives him an advantage over his opponents in the election.
“Just listen to the pundits on TV talking about how strong he is, how vibrant he is, how courageous he is. The words they used, not coincidentally, were the exact opposite of what they were saying about President Biden,” he said.
“Make no mistake: In my opinion, this is what Donald Trump has done to secure the presidency,” he argued. “After being impeached twice, paying a $454 million settlement, and being convicted of 34 felonies, yet still being the Republican Party’s leading candidate, Donald Trump is now a martyr.”
He further argued that such photographs have a unique power in American society, where image is so important.
“You can cut it any way you want,” he said. “If you’re talking as a politician about America and the impact that visuals can have on society, for better or worse, what could be better, folks, than a photo, by the way, from the Associated Press, of Donald Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents, fist raised, with the American flag behind him, telling people to keep fighting?”
The photo, taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, went viral, making front pages of newspapers and sweeping digital news sites and social media platforms around the world.
Journalist who witnessed Trump shooting describes moment he raised his fist in defiance
Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci took this now-famous photo of former President Trump shortly after the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Some in the photojournalism industry agreed with Smith’s assessment of the impact of the photos and expressed concern.
An Axios media trends assessment on Tuesday argued that “overuse” of the iconic image could “pose risks,” with an anonymous photographer reportedly telling the outlet that promoting the viral photos could be a form of “photoganda” because, despite the photographer’s intention to capture a news event, the Trump campaign would use the images to push their own agenda.
“The extensive use of Evan’s photos by publications has, in a way, been like free PR for Trump, and it would be dangerous for media organizations to continue sharing them, no matter how great the photos are,” an anonymous photo editor at a major news organization told Axios.
Washington Post art critic Philip Kennicott called it “the photo that could change America forever.”
Vucci, a Pulitzer Prize winner who has covered thousands of similar incidents for The Associated Press since 2003, told Fox News Digital that he knew he was experiencing a historic moment when shots rang out in the former president’s direction.
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“I was literally just thinking about doing the best I could because I knew this was a moment in American history where I had to perform at my very best,” Vucci, who was in Milwaukee preparing to film the Republican National Convention, told Fox News Digital on Monday.
“I knew right away that this was going to be one of the most important things I’d ever shoot,” he added, “and I needed to do the best job I could.”
Trump himself had this to say about the now world famous photo: New York Post interview “A lot of people have said this is the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right, I’m not dead. To get an iconic photo, you usually have to die,” he said Monday.
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Fox News’ Yael Harron, Brian Flood and David Latz contributed to this report.
