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Shooter killed, 1 spectator dead
Biden calls to 'lower the temperature' in politics
Former US president Donald Trump announced Monday that he has chosen Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social as delegates were formally voting to name him the GOP presidential nominee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the four-day Republican National Convention started on Monday.
"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of vice-president of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump wrote.
In the post, Trump pointed to Vance's potential appeal to voters in the Midwest.
"J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond", Trump wrote in his post.
Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania helped propel US President Joe Biden to victory in 2020.
Vance, who will turn 40 (Trump is 78, Biden 81) in August, was once a strong critic of Trump. In 2016, he suggested Trump could be "America's Hitler''.
But as he began his 2022 Senate run, Vance deleted critical comments about Trump, said he was wrong, and credited Trump for the work he did in office as president. Trump then endorsed him in the Republican US Senate primary in Ohio.
Vance has been one of Trump's most vocal supporters, appearing outside the New York City courthouse during Trump's criminal trial this year and on cable TV.
Biden posted a fundraising appeal on social media about the Vance selection, saying that the Ohio senator "talks a big game about working people" but wants to raise taxes on the middle class while cutting them for the rich. "Protect democracy. Defeat Trump-Vance," it says.
The convention started just two days after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was struck by a bullet in the ear, and one attendee died after being shot by the gunman, who was killed by Secret Service snipers.
There were widespread calls for unity from Republicans and Democrats after the assassination attempt.
Two hours after shots were fired during the rally, Vance wrote on X that he believed the Biden campaign's rhetoric directly contributed to the shooting attempt.
"Today is not just some isolated incident," Vance wrote. "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that president Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to president Trump's attempted assassination."
Vance is an investor, venture capitalist and best-selling author of his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, in which he chronicled growing up in a family beset by drug addiction and poverty.
Vance was born in Middleton, Ohio. He served in the US Marine Corps for four years, including a six-month deployment to Iraq, before studying political science and philosophy at Ohio State University and going on to graduate from Yale Law School. He went on to work at a large corporate law firm and then as a principal at an investment firm in San Francisco.
Vance and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, have three children. His wife is the daughter of Indian immigrants and grew up in the San Francisco area. They met as students at Yale Law School and got married in 2014, one year after they graduated. She also has a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge.
She was a corporate litigator at a San Francisco law firm and has clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was an appeals court judge.
J.D. Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022 after defeating former Democratic representative Tim Ryan for an open seat in Ohio.
Vance has opposed US aid to Ukraine and opposes abortion, saying the government should find ways to encourage people to have children.
Vance changed how he discussed abortion after Ohio and other states voted in favor of abortion access last year. In a December CNN interview, he said Republicans must "accept that people do not want blanket abortion bans". He recently said that he supports access to the abortion drug mifepristone.
In the Senate, Vance has pushed both bipartisan and conservative legislation. He introduced a rail safety bill with Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, Ohio's senior senator, after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Vance also worked with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on legislation to hold executives accountable for failed banks.
Vance's other bills reflect conservative views. He introduced legislation to ban gender-affirming care for minors and a bill to eliminate government diversity programs.
Before the V-P announcement, Trump learned that a judge had thrown out a federal classified documents case filed against him by special counsel Jack Smith.
A federal judge in Florida dismissed the case, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.
Hours later, Smith's office said it would appeal the order.
Agencies contributed to this story.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday that a gunman — one of whose volley of shots hit former US president Donald Trump in the ear — never should have reached his rooftop position.
"We are speaking of a failure," Mayorkas told CNN. "We are going to analyze through an independent review how that occurred, why it occurred, and make recommendations and findings to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Mayorkas said that he still has "full confidence" in Secret Service's leadership.
The top of Trump's right ear was torn by a bullet in the shooting at a rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which one of his supporters was killed and two others wounded before Secret Service agents shot dead the 20-year-old suspect, Thomas Crooks.
Trump had turned his head slightly clockwise to look at a chart just before the bullet struck, which likely saved his life.
At the rally, police had received a report of a suspicious man pacing near magnetometers. Witnesses pointed and shouted at an armed man on a nearby roof.
When a Butler Township police officer climbed up to the roof to investigate, the gunman turned and pointed his rifle at him. But the officer did not — or could not — fire a single shot.
Investigators are trying to determine how an armed man with no military background managed to reach high ground and get the jump on Secret Service agents.
At least a dozen police officers and sheriff's deputies were assisting the Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police with rally security.
The Butler Township officer was hoisted by another officer so he could grab the edge of the roof, local officials said.
The officer dropped back down to safety when the gunman turned and pointed his rifle at him, according to Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe.
Slupe, who did not witness the encounter, said the officer could not have wielded his own gun under the circumstances.
"I think all law enforcement on site did everything that they could, especially the local law enforcement," Slupe told The Associated Press on Monday. "I hope they're not made a scapegoat, because they did their job to the best of their abilities."
Butler Township Manager Tom Knights said the officer lost his grip and was not retreating when he fell 8 feet to the ground.
"He was literally dangling from the edge of a building and took the defensive position he needed to at that time. He couldn't hold himself up," Knights said.
The officer, who was not identified, severely injured an ankle in the fall, Knights said.
A former fire chief, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed in the shooting. A GoFundMe campaign for the man's family has raised more than $1 million.
A law enforcement official told AP on condition of anonymity that investigators believe Crooks purchased 50 rounds of ammunition on the day of the shooting.
Authorities said they believe the gunman's AR-style rifle was purchased by his father.
Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said investigators do not yet know if Crooks took the gun without his father's permission.
The FBI believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone.
The roof where Crooks lay was less than 150 meters (164 yards) from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. That is a distance at which US Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle.
The FBI said on Monday it had gained access to Crooks' phone as it searched for a motive.
"FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices," the bureau said in a statement. "The search of the subject's residence and vehicle are complete."
The AR-style 556 rifle used by the shooter was legally purchased by his father and officials said there was no indication that the suspect suffered from any mental health issues.
They added that a preliminary review of Crooks' calls and texts did not shed any light on his motive.
In the aftermath of the shooting, President Joe Biden directed the Secret Service to protect independent presidential Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mayorkas said Monday.
Kennedy's campaign has been urging the president to provide him with the protection for months and has sent multiple requests.
Kennedy's uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, were both assassinated less than five years apart in the 1960s.
On Monday, Trump urged the government to provide the Secret Service detail to Kennedy, who had repeatedly been denied the protection.
"Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Thank you, President Biden, for extending me Secret Service protection," Kennedy said in a statement.
In October, a man was arrested after trespassing twice in one day at Kennedy's Los Angeles home, and a month earlier, an armed man accused of impersonating a federal officer was taken into custody outside a Kennedy campaign event.
Kennedy also thanked his private security firm, Gavin de Becker & Associates, "for keeping me safe for the past 15 months of my presidential campaign".
Though Kennedy is a long shot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency, his campaign events have drawn large crowds people interested in his message.
Amid calls for a toning down of political rhetoric in the US, Biden said in an interview Monday that it was "a mistake" to say that he wanted to put Trump back in "a bullseye", but also stood by his depictions that the former president is "a threat to democracy".
"How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?" Biden said to NBC's Lester Holt in an excerpt from the interview.
"Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?" he said.
"He talks about there'll be a blood bath if he loses," Biden said. Trump has maintained that he was referring to the economy.
Just last week, Biden faced intense scrutiny and calls for him to step aside as the Democratic candidate from within his own party. The pressure began following Biden's listless performance in a debate against Trump on June 27.
But Biden has dismissed the uproar and has vociferously maintained that he would continue as the candidate. Saturday's shooting has refocused media coverage.
Ai Heping in New York and agencies contributed to this story.
WASHINGTON - In a prime time address Sunday night, US President Joe Biden said that the political rhetoric in this country has gotten "very heated", and "it's time to cool it down".
Biden made the remarks from the White House Oval Office after Saturday's attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left one spectator dead and two critically injured.
"There is no place in America for this kind of violence -- for any violence ... We can't allow this violence to be normalized," Biden said.
Noting that the stakes in this election were "enormously high", Biden said "we must never descend into violence" no matter "how strong our convictions" were.
In a brief remark earlier in the day, Biden said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading the shooting investigation, which is still "in its early stages".
"We don't yet have any information about the motive of the shooter. We know who he is," said Biden. He also urged Americans not to make any assumption about the motives or affiliations of the shooter.
Biden also noted that he has directed an independent review of the national security at Saturday's Trump rally to assess exactly what happened. The US Secret Service is facing scrutiny after a 20-year-old man, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, armed with an AR-style rifle was able to get close enough to shoot and injure the former president.
Trump, who was shot in the right ear, arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon, where he is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate later this week.
"Based on yesterday's terrible events, I was going to delay my trip to Wisconsin, and the Republican National Convention, by two days, but have just decided that I cannot allow a 'shooter,' or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else. Therefore, I will be leaving for Milwaukee, as scheduled," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Earlier in the day, Trump urged Americans in another post to stand united and not allow evil to win.
Crooks was a registered Republican but had also given 15 US dollars to a progressive group on Biden's Inauguration Day, more than three years ago, The New York Times reported.
The New York Times said that the shooting came at a time when the United States was so polarized that 47 percent of Americans considered a second civil war likely or very likely in their lifetime.
A day after former US president Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally, there was much commentary as to whether the Secret Service had provided adequate security.
The sniper, identified as Thomas Crooks, 20, fired rounds from a semiautomatic AR-15-style weapon as he was perched on a rooftop in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump said one bullet pierced his right ear. Another shot killed a spectator at the rally on Saturday.
Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, a Pittsburgh suburb, was killed by Secret Service snipers who were positioned on another rooftop, but not before he managed to fire several rounds.
A local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer, The Associated Press reported. The officer retreated down a ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump. That is when the Secret Service counter-snipers shot him, said officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The officials also said that bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks' vehicle and at his home.
Questions arose as to how Crooks was able to go unnoticed by security as he scaled a building 150 yards (137 meters) away. A couple of eyewitnesses told reporters that they saw Crooks atop the building and yelled repeatedly for law enforcement to respond.
The building where Crooks was is home to AGR International, a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump's rally was held.
"We're not looking at any skyscrapers here," said Robert E. McDonald, a lecturer at the University of New Haven who spent 20 years in the Secret Service," to The New York Times. "They should be able to see that."
Former Secret Service director Julia Pierson told USA Today: "I think 1,000 yards is the sniper capability that we have a concern about for the president. So anything that's within that range, that is a professional, makeable shot," she said.
"When you think about it, it's a football field and a half … and that is a makeable shot by an individual. And obviously an inch would have made a difference in this case and Trump wouldn't be with us," Pierson said.
Asked at a news conference whether law enforcement did not know the shooter was on the roof until he began firing, Kevin Rojek, the agent in charge of the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, responded that "that is our assessment at this time".
"It is surprising" that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before the Secret Service killed him, Rojek added.
The FBI has taken the lead role in the investigation, the bureau said on X on Saturday. On Sunday, the FBI said the shooter likely acted alone.
A former Secret Service agent told Business Insider that countersnipers should have provided "360-degree coverage".
"I don't know how many they had, but they usually always look for 360-degree coverage," former agent Anthony Cangelosi said.
Bill Pickle, a former deputy assistant Secret Service director, told The Wall Street Journal that how the agency communicated with local law enforcement and used technology such as drones will be investigated.
"The reality is there's just no excuse for the Secret Service to be unable to provide sufficient resources to cover an open rooftop 100 yards away from the site," he said. "And there's no way he should've got those shots off."
A Secret Service spokesman said on X on Sunday that reports that a member of Trump's team had requested additional security was "untrue".
"There's an untrue assertion that a member of the former President's team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo," spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote.
Authorities identified the rally attendee who was shot and killed as Corey Comperatore, 50, a former volunteer fire chief, of Sarver, Pennsylvania. Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters that Comperatore was fatally shot when he dived on top of his family to protect them from the hail of bullets.
Two other attendees were critically wounded.
Trump is due to receive his party's formal nomination at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday. He spent Saturday night at his golf club residence in Bedminster, New Jersey.
"I was going to delay my trip to Wisconsin, and The Republican National Convention, by two days, but have just decided that I cannot allow a 'shooter,' or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else. Therefore, I will be leaving for Milwaukee, as scheduled," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site on Sunday. Trump arrived in Milwaukee around 7 pm EDT Sunday.
"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," he wrote of the shooting. "Much bleeding took place."
In a statement Sunday, former first lady Melania Trump said that when she saw her husband wounded, "I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change," referring to their son.
Crooks was a registered Republican, according to state voter records, and had made a $15 donation to a Democratic political action committee at the age of 17 on Jan 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in.
In the third time that Biden addressed the shooting, the president said from the Oval Office on Sunday night that it was time to "lower the temperature" in American politics.
"All of us now face a time of testing as the election approaches," he said.
In brief remarks earlier Sunday, Biden called the shooting "contrary to everything we stand for us as a nation, everything".
"We cannot, we must not, go down this road in America," he said.
Biden, who is running against Trump in a rematch of 2020, said the two men had a "short but good" conversation Saturday night.
He said Trump has been provided "every resource" for his security. The president added that he is directing a review of security at the rally and for the Republican convention.
Whether Saturday's shooting will eventually lower the political temperature in the US ahead of the Nov 5 presidential election remains to be seen.
Many Republicans quickly blamed the violence on Biden and his allies, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying "it's time to put Trump in the bullseye".
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department oversees the Secret Service, said officials were engaged with the Biden and Trump campaigns and "taking every possible measure to ensure their safety and security".
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in a statement on Saturday that he has "already contacted the Secret Service for a briefing and am also calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear for a hearing."
Saturday's shooting has increased calls for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to receive Secret Service protection. Kennedy, whose father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968, and uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963, has said he has been paying for his own private security at a high cost.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday that he encourages Biden to "immediately provide" Secret Service protection for Kennedy.
Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, wrote on X on Sunday: "Congressman Mike Lawler (a New York Republican) and I are putting aside partisan differences to make a bipartisan push for enhanced Secret Service Protection for President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr. We plan to introduce bipartisan legislation in the wake of the attempted assassination."
Agencies contributed to this story.
Former US president Donald Trump was injured in a shooting during a campaign rally on Saturday, an attack that will likely reshape this year's US presidential race while US citizens fear rising political violence.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat who is running against Republican candidate Trump, was briefed about the incident and he spoke to Trump several hours after the shooting, the White House said.
"There's no place in America for this type of violence," the president said in public remarks. "It's sick. It's sick."
World leaders expressed shock over the wounding of Trump.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "deeply shocked" by the attack.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May, condemned the shooting in a Facebook post.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote on X that the shooting of Trump "is a stark reminder of the dangers of political extremism and intolerance".
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said: "We must stand firm against any form of violence."
The attack heightened long-standing worries that political violence could erupt during the presidential campaign and after the election.
The concerns in part reflect the electorate's polarization, with the country appearing bitterly divided into two camps with divergent political and social visions.
"This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in this country and should be unanimously and forcefully condemned," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media.
US citizens fear rising political violence, recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show, with two out of three respondents to a May survey saying they worried violence could follow the election.
Some of Trump's Republican allies said they believed the attack was politically motivated.
"For weeks Democrat leaders have been fueling ludicrous hysteria that Donald Trump winning reelection would be the end of democracy in America," said US Representative Steve Scalise, the No 2 House Republican, who survived a politically motivated shooting in 2017.
"Clearly we've seen far-left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past. This incendiary rhetoric must stop."
The incident occurred two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will be nominated as the GOP presidential candidate.
Now an already intense US presidential election campaign appears to be greatly affected, with the focus likely to shift to security for candidates.
'Polarized' country
Ian Bremmer, president and founder of GZERO Media, noted that the incident is a "very grave "turn of events in a country that is very deeply polarized.
"This is the worst sort of event that can happen in that environment, and I deeply worry that it presages much more political violence and social instability to come," Bremmer, also president and founder of GZERO Media's parent company, Eurasia Group, said in a video comment.
The attack was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot at in 1981.
It drew attention to concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized US less than four months before the presidential election.
The perils of campaigning took on a new urgency after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in California in 1968, and again in 1972 when Arthur Bremer shot and seriously injured George Wallace.
That led to increased protection of candidates, even as the threats persisted, notably against Jesse Jackson in 1988 and Barack Obama in 2008.
Agencies contributed to this story.
Former United States president Donald Trump survived a shooting, in which he reportedly was grazed by a bullet, shortly after the start of his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening.
In the moments after the shooting, Trump was swarmed and shielded by Secret Service agents. Trump's campaign later said he was "doing well" and appeared to have suffered no major injury.
China is following the incident, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to Trump, the ministry said in a statement.
Early on Sunday, the FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the "subject involved" in what it termed an assassination attempt.
Earlier, the Secret Service said in a statement that the shooter was dead, one person attending the rally was killed and two other spectators were injured.
Law enforcement officials told reporters they had not yet identified the motive for the attack.
Around 6:15 pm local time, Trump reflexively reached for his right ear after several popping sounds, as Secret Service agents yelled "Get down! Get down!"
Trump, 78, quickly ducked and was swarmed by security agents, according to a widely circulated video that was taken close to the front of the stage.
Trump could be heard yelling "Fight! Fight! Fight" to the crowd in the immediate aftermath, and said, "Let me get my shoes."
Trump issued a statement on his social media platform Truth Social late on Saturday, thanking law enforcement and expressing condolences to the families of the person who was killed at the rally and the injured.
The attack apparently came from a sniper positioned on a building a few hundred yards from Trump — outside the security cordon, according to law enforcement sources cited by the New York Post.
"President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
The attack was the first shooting targeting a US president or major party candidate since the 1981 attempted assassination of Republican president Ronald Reagan, Reuters reported.
The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov 5 election, in which Trump, a Republican, is expected to face an election rematch with President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Mo Jingxi in Beijing and agencies contributed to this story.
WASHINGTON -- Former US President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, on early Sunday urged Americans to stand united and not allow "evil to win," just hours after surviving a suspected assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
"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," Trump said.
At around 6:12 pm (2212 GMT) on Saturday, Trump was rushed off the stage at the rally by several law enforcement agents after what sounded like gunshots rang out through the crowd.
"A suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue," said the US Secret Service in a statement following the incident, adding that agents "neutralized the shooter who is now deceased."
The statement also said that one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.
Trump said in a post that he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear." A statement from his campaign has confirmed the former president is "fine."
The shooting is being investigated as attempted assassination by the FBI, which identified the suspect as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of nearby Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
The gun recovered at the scene was legally purchased by his father, and the suspected shooter had explosive devices in his car, according to US media reports on Sunday morning.
President Joe Biden, in a rare reference to his rival as "Donald," said in a brief remark Saturday night that such action is "sick," and "we cannot allow for this to be happening."
When asked by a reporter about his opinion, Biden said, "I want to make sure we have all facts before I make some comment."
China is following the shooting incident at?the?campaign rally of former US president Donald Trump, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to Trump, the statement added.
NEW YORK -- Despite being injured in a shooting at a rally in Butler in the US state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, former US President Donald Trump's campaign said he will attend the Republican National Convention next week as scheduled.
In a joint statement, Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee said the former president "is doing well" and "looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention."
The Republican National Convention will convene in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15-18, during which Trump is expected to be officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the Nov. 5 election.
Gunshots were fired at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday evening when Trump was delivering a speech.
Screams were heard from the crowd and Trump was seen with blood on the side of his head and his ear, video footage showed. He was quickly escorted into a vehicle before his motorcade left the venue.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he was shot with a bullet "that pierced the upper part of my right ear."
"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," he said.
"Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening," he added.
Trump noted that one person was killed at the rally, and another badly injured, adding that he wanted to extend condolences to their families.
In a statement on X, the US Secret Service said that during Trump's rally in Butler, a suspected shooter fired "multiple shots" toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.
Secret Service agents "neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased," and the former president "is safe," the statement said, adding that one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.
"The incident is currently under investigation," the statement added.
The shooting incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination, law enforcement officials said.
US President Joe Biden condemned the shooting on Saturday.
"There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it," he said on X.
In remarks released by the White House, Biden said he had been thoroughly briefed on the incident.
"I have tried to get a hold of Donald. He's with his doctors ... he's doing well," Biden said.
Biden spoke with Trump in the wake of the shooting incident, according to the White House.
Biden, who was returning to the White House from Delaware to monitor the situation, said there is no place in the country for this kind of violence.
"We cannot allow this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this ... Everybody must condemn it," Biden said.
WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the "subject involved" in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Former US president Donald Trump was seen walking off his plane unaided hours after surviving an assassination bid, in a video posted by his deputy communications director on social media early Sunday.
Trump, in a navy suit and white shirt without a tie, can be seen descending a staircase from his plane as an armed agent stands guard, in the video posted by Margo Martin on X. His right ear, which was injured in the attempt, cannot be seen in the footage.
The New York Times reported that he was in New Jersey, where he will spend the night.
AFP
WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into "an assassination attempt" against former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, authorities said.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of FBI Pittsburgh field office, said the FBI was not prepared to identify the shooter and did not have a motive for the incident that left one person dead and two injured.
"This evening, we had what we are calling an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. It's still an active crime scene," Rojek said during a press conference.
There is no existing threat after the shooting, the FBI official said.
Reuters
Former US President Donald Trump was reported to be “fine” on Saturday night (local time) following an assassination attempt that resulted in a bullet wound to his ear. The gunman opened fire during a scorching campaign rally in Pennsylvania and was subsequently killed by Secret Service agents.
The extreme and rare event reflects in a politically polarized society like the United States, dissatisfaction with the current election and its elderly candidates is rampant among voters. Both candidates represent starkly different policy directions, exacerbating the divide. Issues like immigration and LGBTQ rights evoke strong emotions and divergent values, leading some individuals to extreme measures. This incident is a manifestation of the US’ political fracture, vividly displayed through this assassination attempt.
The two candidates are now openly clashing, creating a tumultuous environment. In this backdrop, I foresee this incident on Trump sparking a new storm as election day approaches. This incident could significantly boost Trump’s chances of winning. It shifts the narrative from his legal troubles and moral shortcomings, making him a national hero targeted for assassination. This is reminiscent of the Chen Shui-bian shooting incident in Taiwan during the island’s leadership election campaign in 2004, where a single bullet transformed public perception. Trump’s previous controversies are overshadowed, and he is now seen as a martyr, with increased public sympathy.
The fallout from this event will create immense pressure on US President Joe Biden, who now faces dual pressures – reduced space to criticize Trump and increasing pressure from within his party to withdraw from the race. Prominent figures like Nancy Pelosi have already hinted at his possible withdrawal. The attack has amplified these pressures, making it harder for Biden to campaign effectively.
Internationally, this incident projects an image of instability within the US, eroding confidence in US governance. The fact that a president candidate is targeted for assassination suggests severe domestic turmoil, diminishing US’ standing on the global stage. Although this has not yet triggered a chain reaction, it signals significant internal strife, leading to a decline in international confidence in US leadership.
The author is director of the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University.
The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.
Former US president Donald Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt when he was grazed by a bullet shortly after the start of his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening.
The suspected sniper and a person attending the rally were killed. Two other spectators were reportedly critically injured. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt, a source told Reuters.
Around 6:15 pm EDT, Trump reflexively reached for his right ear after several popping sounds as Secret Service agents yelled "Get down! Get down!", according to a widely circulated video, which was taken close to the front of the stage.
Trump, 78, ducked about two seconds later and was swarmed by security.
Agents piled atop Trump to shield him with their bodies as other agents took up positions on stage to search for the threat.
Trump then eventually stood up and defiantly pumped his fist, bleeding from the top of his right ear. Blood streaks also could be seen across the right side of his face.
Trump could be heard yelling "Fight! Fight! Fight" to the crowd in the immediate aftermath and said, "Let me get my shoes."
He was rushed into his limousine by more than a dozen agents shortly afterward and taken to a medical facility.
Trump issued a statement on Truth Social late Saturday, thanking law enforcement and offering sympathy for the person killed at the rally and the one who was injured.
He added: "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong and that I heard a whizzing sound of shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening."
The attack apparently came from a sniper positioned on a building hundreds of yards from the former president — outside the security cordon, according to law enforcement sources, the New York Post reported.
The shooter was engaged by members of the Secret Service counterassault team and killed, according to two officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation publication, The Associated Press reported.
"Shooter is down," could be heard on the video.
The heavily armed tactical team travels everywhere with the president and major party nominees and is meant to confront any active threats while other agents focus on safeguarding and evacuating the protectee.
"President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act," said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung in a statement. "He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow."
The Associated Press, in a bulletin at 7:24 pm EDT, reported "JUST IN: Shooter dead and rally attendee killed at Trump event in Pennsylvania, Butler County district attorney tells AP."
"Quite frankly I don't know how he (the shooter) would have gotten to the location where he was, but he was outside the grounds and I think that's something that we're going to have to figure out — how he got there," District Attorney Richard Goldinger told CNN.
A man who said he and his friends were attending a party outside the rally told the BBC in a video on X they had noticed "a guy … bear crawling up the roof of the building beside us. … We're pointing at the guy crawling up the roof. … You can clearly see him with a rifle. … We're like, "Hey, man. There's a guy on the roof with a rifle," he said they told police.
"Hey right here on the roof, we can see him from right here … he's crawling. … I'm thinking why is Trump still speaking. Why have they not pulled him off the stage? I'm standing there pointing at him (the sniper) for two or three minutes, and the Secret Service is looking at us from the top of the barn. … Next thing you know, five shots rang out. … Secret Service blew his head off."
The city of Butler is located about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania is considered a crucial state for the presidential election in November.
The incident occurred two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will be nominated as the GOP presidential candidate.
Donald Trump Jr. issued a statement saying, "I just spoke to my father on the phone and he is in great spirits. He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him."
"Look, there's no place in America for this kind of violence," President Joe Biden said in a nationally televised statement from Delaware. "It's sick. It's sick. It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening."
Biden said he had hoped to speak to "Donald" on Saturday night.
Former president Barack Obama said in a statement: "There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don't yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn't seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery."
In a statement, former president George W. Bush said: "Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response."
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement on X that he had been briefed on the situation and Pennsylvania state police were on hand at the rally site.
"Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States," he said.
Now an already intense US presidential election campaign appears to be greatly affected again, with the focus likely to shift to security for candidates.
Ian Bremmer, president and founder of GZERO Media, noted that the incident is a "very grave" turn of events in a country that is very deeply polarized.
"This is the worst sort of event that can happen in that environment, and I deeply worry that it presages much more political violence and social instability to come," Bremmer, also President and Founder of GZERO Media's parent company, Eurasia Group,said in a video comment.
Most of the campaign news lately has been centered on whether Biden, 81, will keep the Democratic nomination following his halting performance in a debate with Trump on June 27 and notable verbal flubs in a subsequent interview and press conference that have led for calls by numerous Democratic politicians and partisan celebrities for him to step aside.
Trump is facing sentencing in New York after a campaign fraud trial. The sentencing, which was pushed back to September from July following a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, could be affected by the court's decision.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Saturday, "The American people deserve to know the truth" about the shooting.
"We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP," Johnson said.
The White House said Biden spoke with Trump on Saturday evening. The president, who will return to the White House from Delaware earlier than planned, will convene a briefing with homeland security and law enforcement officials at the White House on Sunday morning, the AP reported.
Agencies contributed to this story.
WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man as the suspected shooter at the Trump rally on Saturday, a CNN reporter posted on X citing sources.
The FBI is not releasing the name of the suspected shooter yet, CNN reported. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report.
Reuters
The shooting incident targeting former US president Donald Trump on Saturday local time has now been officially classified as an assassination attempt. There have been multiple instances in US history of shootings or assassination attempts targeting US presidents, presidential candidates, or other political figures. Four sitting presidents in US history were assassinated while in office, and two sitting presidents survived assassination attempts during their terms. This indicates the presence of certain violent elements in US politics.
The attempt on Trump once again highlights the rampant and unresolved issue of gun violence in the United States. The occurrence of such a heinous act at a political gathering involving a former president, where one would expect a certain level of security measures, underscores the severity of the gun violence problem in that country. Furthermore, it illustrates the extreme polarization of current political strife in the US. The ongoing partisan conflicts have escalated from mutually opposing veto politics to retaliatory politics involving attacks on opponents as a primary strategy. Moreover, this election involves a showdown between the incumbent president and a former president, essentially representing a clash of two Americas, further dividing US society and fueling the emergence of violent political acts.
The response from US President Joe Biden’s camp, denouncing political violence and saying President Biden is grateful Trump is safe, is relatively standard in the face of an unexpected event involving an opponent. Objectively, Trump’s attack is likely to provoke anger within the conservative wing of the Republican Party. If Biden were to continue with campaign activities as usual, it could potentially increase the risk of retaliation from the conservative camp, leading to further unexpected incidents. Hence, a temporary suspension is a prudent decision. Subjectively, continuing campaign activities would involve criticizing and attacking Trump as an opponent, which may not be appropriate at this moment. It could also provide ammunition for those seeking to incite extreme actions against Trump, making it a less manageable situation. Thus, a pause is advisable.
This suspension, in fact, will also benefit Biden personally. Since the first televised debate, Biden has faced criticism for his poor performance, with calls from within his party to withdraw from the race. He has also made several gaffes in public. Taking a break at this juncture can shift the focus, possibly easing tensions or reducing some pressure on him, ultimately working in his favor in the election.
As a former president and the likely Republican nominee for president again, the attack on Trump is a significant and noteworthy event that is bound to have some impact on the election trajectory. However, its impact may not necessarily be decisive, other than reinforcing existing trends. For instance, this incident will undoubtedly strengthen support for Trump among Republican voters, solidifying his nomination, although, even without this event, Trump was likely to secure the nomination. Similarly, this incident is likely to accelerate the return of conservative voters to the fold, with more people clearly expressing support for Trump, potentially stabilizing his slight lead over Biden in the polls, which would have been within the margin of error even without this incident. Therefore, this incident is seen as reinforcing current trends but may not necessarily having a critical impact on the overall outcome. With less than four months remaining until the election, the outcome remains uncertain.
The author is a professor on international studies at Renmin University of China. The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.
WASHINGTON - The Republican-led US House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Saturday invited US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22 following the shooting at the rally of former President Donald Trump.
"Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump," the panel said in a statement on social media.
Reuters
Former US president Donald Trump was injured by gunshot after the start of his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening. Join as China Daily reporter livestreams from outside the Trump Tower.
BUTLER, United States - A witness to Saturday's shooting at a Donald Trump rally told how a man next to him was shot dead during the apparent assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate.
"I heard several gunshots. The man beside me suffered a gun shot to the head, was instantly killed (and) fell to the bottom of the bleachers. Another woman looked like she got hit in the forearm or hand," the man, whose name was only given as Joseph, told NBC News.
He said it seemed the victim was "in the way of the shots between whoever was shooting the gun and the president."
Trump said he was hit in the ear but was not seriously injured by the gunman, who was killed after the incident. Two other spectators were critically injured, the Secret Service said.
AFP
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del — US President Joe Biden said Saturday that "everybody must condemn" the suspected assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
"We cannot allow this to be happening," Biden said. "The idea that there’s violence in America like this is just unheard of."
The Biden campaign said Saturday that it was pausing all messaging to supporters and working to pull down all of its television ads as quickly as possible in light of the shooting.
Agencies
