AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Donald Trump’s odds of being reelected president in November surged on Saturday night in the betting markets following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
Trump was rushed off the stage and appeared to be bleeding from his ear after a gunman opened fire on the former president. The Butler County district attorney later confirmed that both the shooter and an audience member were killed, while another rallygoer was in critical condition.
As Trump was being rushed off the stage, the former president raised his fist in the air in defiance as the crowd chanted “USA! USA! USA!” Elon Musk immediately endorsed Trump for president as observers quickly turned to politics amid the tragic events.
PredictIt.Org showed Trump’s odds of becoming president jumped up a full 6 cents in the betting market making him a 66 cent on the dollar bet. Biden, meanwhile, was doing to being a 21 cent on the dollar proposition. USA Today covered the relevance of betting markets in U.S. elections over the weekend, writing:
Bettors have had a strong track record of picking the President, only losing twice since the 1800’s.
The betting market, which bookmakers can’t legally take action on in the US, shifted to the right after the debate between Biden and Trump, according to Lee Phelps, a spokesperson for UK betting house William Hill.
“Trump and Biden have traded outright favouritism in the market for several months now, but June’s debate seems to be the heaviest blow dealt by either, so far, with Trump pulling away to 4/7 from 4/5 for a return to the White House later this year,” Phelps said in an email to USA TODAY.
MyBookie.com also saw Trump surge, jumping to “-260 favorite for next president.”
Trump opens back as -260 favorite for next president https://t.co/5jN1CJTftt
— MyBookie – Bet With The Best (@MyBookie) July 13, 2024
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