‘Trump’s to lose!’ Top pollster makes bold White House prediction after ex-President’s assassination attempt

Trump is hoping to become just the second Commander-in-Chief to serve two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office.

Opinion polls suggest Trump is already ahead of Joe Biden in the popular vote.

The 45th President received a bump in support after Biden appeared to suffer in last month’s head-to-head debate in Atlanta.

In a lengthy social media post last night, Luntz said: “Saturday’s shooting in Pennsylvania will still have a huge impact Election Day.

“It will guarantee that every Trump supporter now will be a Trump voter in November. Trump's voters are energised, Biden's voters are demoralised.

“In recent months, President Trump has benefited from more passionate and engaged followers than the Biden campaign, but the shooting will turn that intensity gap into a chasm.

“That participation gap is worth at least one per cent to two per cent. And because the shooting happened in Pennsylvania, the impact will be most significant in Pennsylvania.

“Trump’s defiant pose, fist in the air as he was being led off the stage bleeding, will be the visual people remember at the polling booth when they think about Election 2024.

“It's hard to imagine either Biden or any of the potential Democratic candidates delivering full-throated crowd-pleasing attacks on the former President now, taking away most of their ability to play the Trump card by labeling him a “threat to democracy” when he just survived a real threat to democracy.

“The 2024 presidential election is now Trump’s to lose.”

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Pennsylvania, like a number of swing states, could prove vital to Trump if he hopes to return to the White House.

Trump won the Keystone State in 2016 by less than 50,000 votes.

Biden, who grew up in Scranton, reclaimed Pennsylvania by a margin of just over 60,000 ballots in 2020.

The arithmetic of the electoral college means both men will be gunning to win the state to give them the best chance of entering the White House.

The Rust Belt, which also includes Michigan and Wisconsin, was seen as Democrat country following Ronald Reagan’s stint in the White House.

However, following Trump’s victory in 2016, the three states have been hotly contested by America’s largest parties and will prove decisive in deciding who wins the race to 270 on November 5.

FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregator puts Trump 1.9 per cent ahead of Biden, with the margin during the 2020 cycle giving the 46th President a seven-point advantage.

Hillary Clinton opened up a four-point lead over the property-tycoon-turned-politician during the same stage of the 2016 race.

The assassination attempt on Saturday sparked concern in the US and beyond after lone gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fatally shot an audience member and seriously injured two spectators.

Trump sustained a wound to his ear during the shooting, with the ex-President defiantly raising his fist as blood was splattered across his face.

Crooks was “neutralised” by Secret Service agents after shots were fired at 6.13pm on Saturday.

In a statement released the following morning, Trump said: "Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.

"We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.

"Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.

"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.

"I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin."

Trump initially claimed a bullet pierced his ear, adding: "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin."

Responding to the incident, Biden said: "I'm grateful to hear that he's safe and doing well.

“I'm praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.

"Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.

“There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."

However, both men face some struggles ahead of polls opening on November 5.

Trump is facing a number of legal obstacles, particularly after he was convicted in his hushed money case in New York.

Biden is also having to bat off questions about his age following a number of blunders, including mixing up Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

However, Democrats have conceded Biden faces an even more difficult task since Saturday’s shooting.

A senior House Democrat told Axios: "We've all resigned ourselves to a second Trump presidency."

Despite momentum building behind Trump, failed assassination attempts do not completely seal up the 2024 White House race.

Ronald Reagan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt both won re-election after botched assassination attempts.

However, Gerald Ford lost the White House and Theodore Roosevelt failed to complete a remarkable political comeback.

Teddy Roosevelt, who like Trump stood afterfor President after leaving the White House.

Roosevelt failed to win in 1912 after his Bull Moose Party supplanted the Republicans but failed to overcome Woodrow Wilson on the Democratic ticket.

Elon Musk appeared to compare Trump with Roosevelt immediately after Saturday’s incident.

He said: "Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt."