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Former President Donald Trump said a bullet went through his ear after a gunshot was fired at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
One participant in the demonstration was killed and two others are in good condition, the secret service said. The suspected shooter is dead, a spokesman added.
Trump ran off the level and the rally ended shortly after. Footage from the scene showed blood on Trump’s face. The Secret Service had previously said Trump is “fine. “
This is what you want to know:
We’re wrapping up tonight’s live blog and plan to continue with updates on this evolving story.
The NPR Politics podcast episode summarizes how events unfolded at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Listen to it here.
And sing along on Weekend Edition Sunday to hear more from NPR’s political correspondents; sing at NPR. org or at your member station.
It’s unclear what the political ramifications of today’s shooting will be for the 2024 race, but in an email to supporters, the former president didn’t mince words.
“THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM DONALD TRUMP I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!”
Under the text is a link to the campaign’s website, with links to contribute or volunteer.
The post marks the first fundraising crusade since Trump was shot and killed at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It comes shortly after the Republican Party announced that the convention schedule would continue as planned.
The House Oversight Committee had opened an investigation into the shooting.
In an article about X, committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. , invited Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22.
This message was released shortly after United States House Speaker Mike Johnson promised a thorough investigation and declared, “Every other American deserves to know the truth. “
Johnson promised to call the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to testify as well.
Cheatle recently told ABC News’ This Week that political polarization is fueling the risky environment in the run-up to upcoming political conventions, but said there are no risks.
President Biden spoke with former President Trump this afternoon, with a White House official, following the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Biden returns to the White House tonight from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The president spoke with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy.
Biden and Vice President Harris won an update briefing. The list of other people involved in the briefing was:
Former President Trump was shot and killed during a crusade rally at the fairgrounds in Butler, a western Pennsylvania city about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh.
The rural region is known for its metals industry and is vital to Trump’s chances in November.
Load. . .
The city of Butler is also the county seat. Butler County is home to more than 193,000 people, according to 2020 census data.
“Butler County is Trump country,” U. S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, told news outlet TribLive. com.
Lew Irwin, a political science professor at Duquesne University, told the publication that Butler County is home to many suburban women, a key to deciding who wins in Pennsylvania: “Butler County checks a lot of boxes for a rally. ” of Trump,” he said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation had taken on the role of leading the investigation into the incident involving former President Trump.
“We will continue this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, along with our partners in the United States Secret Service and national and local law enforcement,” the FBI wrote in a statement.
The FBI says that with information related to the investigation, it is requested to call the organization’s information line, 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Former President Trump’s crusade and the Republican National Committee say the conference will continue in a few days as planned following the shooting of Trump on Saturday.
At the upcoming event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting Monday, Trump is expected to accept the Republican presidential nomination and nominate a running mate for vice president.
Trump “looks forward to joining all of you in Milwaukee as we continue our conference to nominate him as the 47th president of the United States,” he said. “As our party’s candidate, President Trump will continue to share his vision of making America great again. ”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Division and the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania are assisting the Secret Service , along with state laws. Field application in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“My attention is with the former president, the injured, and the family members of the bystander killed in this horrific attack,” Garland said in a statement released by the Justice Department.
“We will not tolerate any form of violence, and violence like this is an attack on our democracy,” he added. “The Department of Justice will leverage all available resources in this investigation. “
One participant in the demonstration was killed and two others were seriously injured, U. S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a press release.
This does not happen with the alleged shooter, whom the secret “neutralized” and who is also dead, Guglielmi confirmed.
Around 6:15 p. m. On Saturday, during Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, Guglielmi wrote in an X, “a suspected shooter fired several shots toward the level from an elevated position outside the rally site. “
Secrets are taking over the investigation, he added.
The United States Secret Service said one spectator was killed and two others were seriously injured when a “suspected gunman fired several shots into the level from an elevated position outside the rally venue. “
The Secret Service said it had “neutralized” the gunman, who is now dead.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger told CNN that the shooter “off the field, so to speak. “Frankly, I don’t know how I would have gotten to where I was.
Goldinger said there were still other people at the scene of the crime and called the scene “chaotic. “
“It’s crazy right now,” he added.
Goldinger said he had not obtained the identity of the shooter and was unsure if any information had been provided.
“Unfortunately, this could simply be the state of our current political situation, but we want to reflect on what has happened. “
We know that around 6:15 p. m. Around 1:00 p. m. ET, shots were fired at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president lost his level and is doing well.
Also:
Chaos erupted in Pennsylvania this afternoon when shots were fired at a crusade rally for former President Trump, killing the suspected shooter and at least one other patron, prosecutors in Butler County, Pennsylvania, say.
Witnesses to the shooting said they heard several gunshots in a row and saw the aftermath of the fatal incident.
One man, dressed in a bloodstained shirt, told a CBS Crusade reporter that he was an emergency room medic and obviously remembered trying to rescue the victim, who he said had been shot in the head.
Another guy told NBC that he was next to a guy who fatally shot. He said there was confusion within the crowd at first about whether it was fireworks or gunfire.
A woman who attended told an NBC associate that it was her adult son who first heard the gunshots and warned him to get off. Her son, she said, shook her hand, alerting her to how terrifying the stage had become.
A man outside the demonstration told the BBC he saw the suspected shooter on a roof holding a gun and tried to alert authorities but was eventually ignored. A few minutes later, he said, shots were fired.
The attack on Trump, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, is one of the most serious acts of political violence involving political figures in recent times.
Leah Rigueur, a historian at Johns Hopkins University, called the occasion “a moment with quick parallels to a broader culture of American political violence. “
Rigor said it is reminiscent of the shootings of Congressmen Gabby Giffords and Steve Scalise, the botched kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other events.
Rigueur sees the attack as part of a trend toward expanding threats over the past 15 years or so and called the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol a “warning of the willingness of ordinary Americans to turn to extremism in intensely intense political moments. “” »
Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential and Making of the Presidency historian, said it reminds her of the 1960s, a time of “racial tensions, economic challenges, unpopular wars, partisan divisions and sectoral realignments. “
Chervinsky expressed considerations about an “escalation of violent rhetoric among his followers” and a heightened sense of “persecution. “
Yale historian Joanne Freeman said there is still much to know about the attack, but said the violent rhetoric “helps normalize this type of act. “
Former President Donald Trump showed Truth Social that he shot “through the top of [his] right ear. “
“Without delay I knew that something was wrong, I heard a whistle, shots and without delay I felt the bullet tearing my skin. There was a lot of bleeding,” Trump added.
He also thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement before expressing his condolences to the families of the rally player he killed and that of a rally player who was injured.
Shortly after the former president made his statement public, the Secret Service showed in X that two rally attendees were seriously injured in the shooting.
“Such an act could take hold in our country,” Trump said, adding that this time nothing is known about the shooter.
A recent vote suggests that a growing number of Americans would likely consider political violence as an option, and at the same time, more and more Americans are concerned about that possibility.
A Public Religion Research Institute survey released in October 2023 found that support for political violence is developing, with 23% of respondents agreeing that “because things have gone so bad, true American patriots they would probably have to resort to violence to save” our country. This is an increase compared to 15% in 2021.
Republicans were more likely than Democrats to agree with this claim, and other people who believed Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen were even more likely to agree with this claim.
At the same time, a Pew Research Center poll this year found that most U. S. politicians (about 7 in 10) deserve to “avoid passionate or competitive language” because they may simply inspire violence.
Again, there is a partisan divide here; A majority of Americans in both parties voiced those concerns, but Democrats were much more likely to say politicians avoid heated conversations.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said he heard six to eight shots and saw a rally attendee beat him and appeared badly injured.
“I was in the front row, about 30 feet from President Trump when the shooting started. There was a girl who won a loose cannon. She gave the impression of being in pretty serious condition,” Miller told The Texas Newsroom.
The Associated Press reports that the suspected shooter and at least one other user are dead. Trump’s spokesman said he is doing well and is being tested at a local medical center.
Miller, a possible long-term Cabinet candidate if Trump is re-elected, said he suspected a small-caliber weapon had been used because of the sounds the shots made.
“At first, when it exploded, I thought of it as a balloon. The moment one exploded, I thought, well, maybe it’s firecrackers. And on the 3rd I heard a shot,” he said.
Miller said he saw the president attack. While most people took cover, he searched for the shooter but could not identify any in the chaos. Miller, a rancher, said he had never had such an experience before.
He wishes the best greetings to Trump and the attendees of the rally who were injured. “We’ll just keep them in our prayers,” he said.
Former President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. , said his father “will never stop fighting to save United States,” in an article in X.
He also told ABC News that his father was “in good spirits” after the shootings of the former president.
Trump’s youngest son, Eric, added in an article on
In a report on the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden said he was “grateful” to hear that Trump was safe and “doing well. “
After being informed of the incident, Biden said he was “praying for him and his family circle and for everyone who helped with the demonstration. “
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for bringing him to safety,” Biden said. “There is no standing for this type of violence in the United States. We will have to come together as one country to condemn it.
At an emergency press conference held in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Biden said he had tried to talk to Trump. He said he had heard Trump was doing well and denounced all the bureaucracy of violence in American politics.
Everyone, Biden said, “must condemn it. “
Biden said he had “heard some reports,” but “not the final reports” related to the shooting.
When asked by a reporter if what happened was an assassination attempt, Biden replied that he had “opinions” but not “facts. “
Biden said he expects to speak with Trump by phone tonight.
Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential candidates offered their prayers to the former president after the shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Sen. J. D. Vance, R-Ohio, shortlisted for Trump’s vice president, asked everyone to “join me in praying for our President Trump and for everyone present at this rally. “Vance also posted a photo of Trump raising his fist in the air as he escorted him off stage through the Secret Service.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who opposed Trump for the GOP presidential nomination but is now a staunch supporter, is also asking for prayer.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott also posted on social media a call to pray for everyone present at the event.
And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said “God, President Trump. “
And New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is also reportedly on Trump’s vice president short list, also up for prayer.
President Biden speaks. He plans to speak with former President Trump.
A Biden campaign spokesman said the campaign would halt all communication with the outside world for the time being to assess the situation. The Biden campaign is also cutting all of its classified ads for the time being as a sign of respect for Trump and his family, NPR’s Tamara Keith reported.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in an article on X: “An entire country will have to speak with one voice today to absolutely and unequivocally reject all political violence. »
Republicans across the country are expected to attend the party’s conference next week, which will culminate in former President Donald Trump’s formal nomination for the 2024 presidential election.
But after the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee has yet to determine whether circumstances will change.
Trump was scheduled to give a speech and settle for the nomination next Thursday. The GOP has yet to respond to NPR’s request for comment on the shooting, however, the party has reissued Trump’s campaign initial in which it thanked law enforcement and said the first president is “fine. “
There has been no more from the Trump campaign.
William Ralph Basham Jr. , former director of the US Secret Service, said the shots fired at the rally and so close to Trump were a failure by the security services.
“This has never happened,” he said. Basham said the Secret Service’s protocol is to ensure that certain preventative measures are taken to ensure the protection of former presidents.
Basham said today’s shooting, however, “was a breach at some point of security protocol. “
Basham said there would likely be a “thorough” investigation into what he described as a “security breach” and that he would try to “see precisely how this user and this weapon were delivered near the former president. “
In Associated Press video of former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the president’s speech was interrupted by the sound of gunshots.
After the first shots, Trump briefly raised his right hand to the right side of his head. He is then shown hiding a podium as more gunshots are heard. Secret Service agents rushed to form a human shield around the chastened Trump.
Dozens of spectators sitting behind the level also duck for cover and screams can be heard in the video.
After a jump in the AP video, Trump is lifted off the ground via the Secret Service. Blood is visible on his right cheek. Trump is heard saying, “Let me get my shoes” before the sound cuts out.
At that moment, Trump, still surrounded by agents, raises his right fist in the air and launches it to loud applause. He waves to the crowd as officials escort him off the stage, as the crowd chants “USA! UNITED STATES!”
Trump is last seen escorted in a black van. Before entering, Trump raises his fist one last time.
Pennsylvania State Police showed that “former President Donald Trump was shot at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. There are no updates on former President Donald Trump’s fitness at this time. “
In a separate statement, the Secret Service “the former president is safe. “
Pennsylvania State Police information shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. The investigation is ongoing, according to the publication.
It goes on to say that all additional data will be shared on the social media platform.
In audio received through NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben, a member of the rally addressed the press and blamed the media for the incident. “Hey, you! It’s your fault! Your fault,” the user can be heard saying.
The shots fired at former President Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania are shocking for many reasons, but especially because of the setting and aura of his events.
A Trump rally lasts all day, with his supporters lining up to see Trump speak. These are rowdy events that include hours of a playlist that includes Elton John, wrestling music, and Broadway show tunes.
NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben, who was present at today’s rally, called the vibe of Trump’s rallies “the feeling of an all-day gathering of joy combined with a mega-religious service, with Trumpism as the religion. ” Complaints can be collected, far from the warring parties, not to mention claims that Trump is lying and harming democracy.
This year, Trump’s speeches at rallies have taken on a darker tone regarding his future.
The suspected shooter is dead, as is at least one patron who attended Trump’s rally Saturday in Pennsylvania, Butler County Prosecutor Richard Goldinger told The Associated Press. NPR has still independently displayed this information.
Following news of former President Trump’s assassination at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, users of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, experienced outages, according to information tracked through Downdetector.
As news-focused traffic accelerated, user-reported outages surpassed 200, according to the website. About two-thirds of the issues were reported through App X users, of which about a third were from the website.
“Shooter” and “missed” buzzwords on the platform in the following minutes.
X owner Elon Musk contributed to the increase in traffic, posting the widely circulated video of the shooting’s aftermath that shows Trump punching the air, as well as a message of thanks to the Republican presidential front-runner.
“I completely agree with President Trump and hope for his speedy recovery,” Musk wrote.
Former President Donald Trump is safe and sound, according to a Secret Service report.
“One incident occurred on the night of July 13 during a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has protective measures in place and the former president is safe,” Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said at a press conference on X. , officially known as Twitter. ” This is now an active Secret Service investigation and more data will be analyzed as it becomes available. “
“Election officials, as analyzed by the Brennan Center for Justice public policy organization, have noticed higher turnover rates due to more threats against elected officials. These threats have a significant effect on the public that those officials also seek to serve. , according to the Brennan Center, in a separate investigation.
As NPR political correspondent Sue Davis tells host Scott Detrow, the prevalence of threats and violence “underscores a political truth for which Americans are in a position to accept in many ways. “
Former Congresswoman Gabthrough Giffords, herself a survivor of political violence, responded to what happened at Trump’s rally by saying, “Political violence is terrifying. I know that. “
“I bring to my center former President Trump and all those affected by today’s indefensible act of violence,” he said. “Political violence is not American and it is never, ever acceptable. “
Correction: One part of this story incorrectly referred to “election officials” as “elected officials. “
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley posted on the social media platform X that the incident “should horrify any and all freedom-loving Americans. “
“We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire circle of Trump’s family and all those who toast in prayer,” he said.
Sen. J. D. Vance, an Ohio Republican who was shortlisted for Trump’s vice president, also asked for prayers for Trump and rally attendees. He also posted a photo of Trump with his fist in the air as he is driven off-level through the Secret Service. .
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who ran for the Republican nomination and is shortlisted for vice president, asks for prayers; as does Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
South Dakota Senator Tim Scott also posted on social media a call for prayer for all those present at the event. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said “God protected President Trump. “
And New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is also reportedly on Trump’s short list for vice president, also asked for prayer. Several posted photographs on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, showing Trump with his fist in the air and what appears to be blood on his face.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N. Y. , and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y. , denounced the violence at the rally.
“Political violence of any kind is never acceptable,” Jeffries said in a social media post.
Schumer said in a statement that he was “horrified by what happened at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. “He repeated that “political violence has no place in our country. “
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also denounced the violence as a “peaceful demonstration. “
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement: “I thank God that former President Trump is safe and healthy. As more key points are brought to our attention regarding this horrific incident, let us pray that we all those present at the former president’s rally today leave unharmed.
Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called the violence “unacceptable. “
“I wish Donald Trump, and anyone who may have been injured, a speedy recovery,” he said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Former President Donald Trump ran off the level at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after obvious gunfire. The rally temporarily ended and Trump was chased from the level by the Secret Service.
It’s unclear exactly what happened; videos have been released showing blood near Trump’s ear and on the side of his face.
The former president “is safe”, according to the secret services.
The Trump Crusade has since released a report also confirming Trump’s condition.
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their swift action in this heinous act,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “He is doing well and lately he is being examined at a local medical center. More main points will follow. “
NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben, who was at the rally to cover up the event, said the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, began with Celine Dion’s music playing in the background. There was a hypothesis that Trump would announce his vice presidential candidate at this rally.
“As far as Trump rallies go,” Kurtzleben said, this occasion had “a pretty lively vibe until that happened. “
Kurtzleben told NPR’s Scott Detrow that once the pop noises started, he saw Trump and the duck.
Immediately after the blasts, the public went to reporters and said it was the media’s fault. He said other people have begun to leave, some still remain and are shocked.
Kurtzleben said the other people he spoke to told him, “We love her even more. “