Whatever one thinks of Donald Trump, it is appalling that a gunman was able to get close enough to launch an assassination attempt which left the former president fortunate to only be shot in the ear.
It seems almost certain that had he not moved his head - bedecked with a Make America Great Again baseball cap - as he delivered a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania his injuries would have been much worse, possibly fatal.
A Trump supporter was killed and two others were critically injured by the lone sniper, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, before he was shot dead by police.
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As a Secret Service detail attempted to bundle Trump off the stage, he pushed his by now bloodied head and shoulders above their protective ring, raised a clenched fist and shouted, “Fight”, to cheers from the crowd. It made for an extraordinary image.
The episode begs uncomfortable questions for the Secret Service. That a gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle was so easily able to get close to Trump seems to be an almost inexplicable lapse in security.
Eyewitnesses have also given accounts of spotting Crooks as he crawled to his rooftop shooting position with his rifle and bringing their suspicions to the attention of police. Conspiracy theories are bound to take flight, and it is essential that a thorough investigation of what went wrong is conducted before too many wild fantasies fill the skies.
Trump later said in a statement that it was “more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans”.
Unfortunately, any appeal for American unity rings hollow when it comes from Trump, who has done more than anyone to infect US political discourse with division and polarisation.
Some Trump supporters have already attempted to lay blame for the shooting on President Joe Biden, including comments reported last week about putting “Trump in a bullseye”.
It is evidence of the heightened emotion and rhetoric that surrounds contemporary US politics that a throwaway turn of phrase can be twisted into some sort of coded assassination instruction. It’s nonsense.
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Even before Saturday evening’s attempt on Trump’s life, the presidential race was entering another important week.
The Republican convention takes place from today in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It will officially anoint Trump as its candidate in the November general election, for which he will exploit events in Butler to his maximum, defiant advantage.
Meanwhile, President Biden’s cognitive abilities and durability continue to cause concern. Muddling presidents Zelensky and Putin last week was another worrying gaffe. It is more urgent than ever that the Democrats ensure that Mr Biden is able to honourably withdraw from the candidacy before their convention next month.
