"Perhaps if his near death experience created a sudden and profound change in him , he tossed his ego and became more compassionate I could understand the overall public changing their perspective, but he's just a worse asshole now than before."

Yeah, that. The other day, I was talking to a neighbor who started regurgitating a "prophecy" that her "spiritual teacher" was promoting -- that this assassination attempt was God trying to teach TFG to humble himself before God. And God saved TFG by making him flinch a bit to the side and avoid a fatal hit. A miracle!!

I heard her out and then said, Flinching is a reflex, anyone would flinch if something came flying at them. It's no more a miracle then blinking when the wind blows dust in your eyes. As for any divine lessons -- He's never before admitted he was wrong; why should this make any difference? What's more -- where was God when the firefighter was killed?

She fell silent momentarily, then extemporized on what-about-isms and bizarre conspiracy theories.

That's all they got. Unfortunately, that may be enough.