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Within minutes of the gunshots that rang through Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday, the internet had an axe to grind.
Social media platforms flooded with conspiracy theories. And these came not just from Trump’s far-right followers, as one might expect, but from all parts of the political spectrum. The main theories cast doubt over whether the attempted assassination was even real, as opposed to a “staged” event.
As Katherine M. FitzGerald explains, the rapid spread of such ideas is bad news for the upcoming election, as it could influence voters’ attitudes and erode trust in the political system more broadly. It also doesn’t help that key political figures – including some of Trump’s closest allies – are stoking the flames for their own gain.
Acts of political violence rarely come out of nowhere, so what role does toxic political rhetoric play? Michael Jensen argues that it’s a large one, and that both sides are guilty. Analysing social media posts from both Republicans and Democrats, he says propaganda with little basis in reality is widespread, and an “us versus them” mentality can lead to violence being legitimised.
Then, as always in America, there are the guns. But while previous presidential assassinations or assassination attempts have led to gun reform, this time it won’t, writes David Smith. That’s because protecting the right to carry guns is extremely important to Trump supporters, and they won’t want a debate on it.
Finally, with the attention in the US now on the Republican National Convention, Trump has finally named his VP pick: Senator JD Vance. Ava Kalinauskas and Samuel Garrett explain what Vance’s selection could mean for the rest of the world if the Republicans win the election in November.
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Noor Gillani
Digital Culture Editor
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Katherine M. FitzGerald, Queensland University of Technology
Politicians and other influential actors are amplifying conspiratorial content – potentially contributing to increased distrust in the US political system.
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Michael Jensen, University of Canberra
Analysis of the rhetoric coming out of the Trump and Biden campaigns shows high levels or toxicity, particularly from the Republican.
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David Smith, University of Sydney
Trump supporters are unlikely to want any debate around gun reform – they support the status quo, even when their leader is almost killed.
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Ava Kalinauskas, University of Sydney; Samuel Garrett, University of Sydney
Vance’s foreign policy views could prove influential if Trump is re-elected in November.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Labor’s national executive will meet on Thursday to deal with requests to suspend the union’s affiliations in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
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Haley Tancredi, Queensland University of Technology; Callula Killingly, Queensland University of Technology; Linda J. Graham, Queensland University of Technology
In a new study, we interviewed 59 Year 10 students with language or attention disorders about their English classrooms.
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Paul Griffin, The University of Queensland
We actually already have some vaccines against bird flu. But scientists are working on vaccines that could be adapted more easily as the virus changes.
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Michalis Hadjikakou, Deakin University; Carla Archibald, Deakin University; Özge Geyik, Deakin University; Pankti Shah, Deakin University
The last thing we want to do is take the pleasure away from eating. But bite-sized changes add up to significant environmental benefits.
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Puneet Vatsa, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Alan Renwick, Lincoln University, New Zealand
Healthy eating is increasingly out of reach for struggling families. Since 2014, prices on fruit and vegetables have increased by around 45%, while processed foods have seen just a 14% rise.
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Kate Marie Quigley, James Cook University; Andrew Baird, James Cook University
We all know the Barrier Reef – but Australia also has three other World Heritage reefs, Ningaloo and Shark Bay in Western Australia and Lord Howe Island off the New South Wales coast.
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Jade Portingale, The University of Melbourne
‘Body swapping’ may help people get a clearer idea of what their own bodies are really like.
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David Forrest, University of the Sunshine Coast
A ‘childish’ prank that will ‘harm’ MONA? Hardly. The world loves an art forger – and now they have a female star.
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Konstantine Panegyres, The University of Melbourne
Ancient physicians prescribed swimming, ball games and walking on sand as ideal forms of physical exercise. A treatise published in 1569 is the best source of information on their advice.
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Marlee Bower, University of Sydney; Ferdi Botha, The University of Melbourne; Mark Deady, UNSW Sydney
Society’s expectations of how a man works and what he earns is a key contributor to how lonely he feels in the workplace.
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Politics + Society
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Scott Goddard, Southern Cross University; Christian Swann, Southern Cross University; Stewart Vella, University of Wollongong
It would be fair to assume elite athletes focus intensely on their chosen sport. However, some are now turning to exploration, which can deliver surprising benefits.
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Health + Medicine
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Sarah Blunden, CQUniversity Australia
Around 1 in 4 children already have trouble getting to sleep, or getting back to sleep when they wake in the night. This can worsen when travelling internationally. But melatonin isn’t the answer.
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Science + Technology
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Benjamin A. Jancovich, UNSW Sydney
The most common method used to study animal sounds visually has some known drawbacks. We created a new tool that reveals previously unseen details.
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Environment + Energy
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Arman Pili, Monash University; David Chapple, Monash University
Invasive alien species become much harder and more expensive to manage as they establish and spread through the landscape. So preventing their arrival is vital.
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Education
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Renee Desmarchelier, University of Southern Queensland; India Bryce; Kate Cantrell, University of Southern Queensland
We surveyed 140 separated Australian parents about their experiences dealing with their child’s school.
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Arts + Culture
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Ciara Smart, University of Tasmania
With a royal visit on the cards for later this year, it’s worth remembering the first one in 1867 – marred by violence, division and an escaped assassination attempt.
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Catherine Speck, University of Adelaide
Brent Harris’ retrospective exhibition Surrender and Catch traces his art over four decades. It is a visual and linguistic treat.
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Books + Ideas
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Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University
Black Witness asks us all hard questions about why we don’t pay more attention to the violence and neglect many Indigenous people suffer.
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Business + Economy
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Anthony Forsyth, RMIT University
New allegations of corruption and misconduct in parts of the CFMEU have raised the question of whether unions are being properly regulated.
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