Throughout history, certain photographs, such as Nick Ut's "Napalm Girl", have etched themselves forever into the public psyche. A recent photograph of Donald Trump is poised to join this club.
ADVERTISEMENTBlood streaks his face. The American flag looms in the background. His fist raised in defiance.
The photograph of Donald Trump taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci in the aftermath of an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on 14 July is gathering iconic status.
To coin a phrase, the photo is "one for the history books", a defining symbol of an era plagued by political crisis, violence and upheaval in America. While there is no shortage of video footage of the horrific incident, it is this single image that will be etched into our collective memory. A reminder of the timeless power of photography.
“Without question, Evan’s photo will become the definitive photo from the (assassination) attempt,” said Patrick Witty, a former photo editor at TIME, the New York Times and National Geographic.
2021 Pulitzer Prize winner Vucci was one of four photographers stationed between the stage and audience. Covering a political rally is a routine assignment the Washington-based journalist has done hundreds of times; left unspoken is the duty to be in position if history unfolds in real time as it did on Saturday.
When he heard popping sounds, Vucci, who has covered combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he knew instantly it was gunfire. He rushed to the right hand side of the stage in front of Trump, but his view of the former president was quickly blocked by Secret Service agents. He sensed that the agents would try to hustle Trump offstage and into a vehicle from the other side, so he darted over there.
From that position, he said, “everything kind of opened up for me."
Trump's attempts to rise to his feet and pump his fist gave Vucci a clear view of the ex-president. He said the blue sky and flag in the background were an important part of the composition. “I think that kind of told the story of where we are right now,” he said.
Content creator David Altzier notes on X how the image is perfectly balanced to the eye. "The level of compositional mastery comes from over two decades of experience in the field and a sharpness that only comes from thousands and thousands of "reps"", he writes.
Many online have also compared Vucci's image to Joe Rosenthal’s historic photo of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima in World War II.
The image captured by Vucci signifies a pivotal moment in American politics. It is likely to greatly influence the trajectory of Trump's campaign and his presidential race to the White House.
The fallout from the attempt on Trump's life and his response could deliver a substantial blow to the Democrats. There are already widespread doubts over Joe Biden's ability to secure victory for the party, stemming from concerns about his perceived capabilities and age. These issues have become significant points of contention, particularly following his car crash performance in the recent presidential debate.
It's not hard to imagine the flag-draped image being seen in Trump campaign advertisements or paraphernalia, much like his mugshot from his Georgia arrest quickly did.
Similar to Nick Ut's "Napalm Girl" photograph taken in 1972 during the Vietnam War, which significantly shifted public opinion and galvanised anti-war movements around the world, images from the Trump attack are likely to intensify the enthusiasm of Republican voters and potentially sway undecided voters.
Several high profile figures in the entertainment world, including Elon Musk and rapper 50 Cent, have already shared their reactions to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, with some claiming that the "election is over".
ADVERTISEMENTVucci has said that how the image is used in the public discourse is not for him to worry about. “The way I look at it is, I was present and I did my job,” said Vucci. “I kept my head and I told the story.”
Reflecting on the potential impact of the image, one X user juxtaposed Vucci's photo side by side with an image from Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, suggesting that the photographer, much like the inventor of the atomic bomb, might eventually feel that his work has escaped his control.
There was other impressive work by photographers at the scene. Getty's Anna Moneymaker, for example, caught an extraordinarily intimate image of Trump on the floor of the stage, taken peephole-style through the legs of a Secret Service agent shielding him. Meanwhile, Doug Mills of The New York Times froze the split-second when a bullet appeared to streak past Trump.
While the exact political consequences of this dramatic event remain unclear, one thing is certain: in a world dominated by moving images, still photography remains incredibly powerful and impactful.
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