Trump calls for unity after apparent assassination attempt

Donald Trump’s campaign says he is “fine” after what law-enforcement officials are treating as an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Officials said the man who opened fire was a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania.

In a social media post, Trump said he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”. The former president was quickly whisked from the stage by Secret Service agents, his ear covered in blood.

A prosecutor said the suspected gunman and at least one attendee are dead, and the Secret Service said two spectators were critically injured.

President Joe Biden and political leaders of all stripes condemned the attack. “There’s no place in America for this type of violence,” Biden said. “It’s sick. It’s sick.”

Two law-enforcement officials tell The Associated Press (AP) that investigators believe the weapon was bought by the father of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who’s been identified as the shooter, at least six months ago.

The officials said federal agents were still working to understand when and how Crooks obtained the gun, and gather additional information about him, as they worked to try to identify a possible motive. The investigation is focused on Crooks. The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

MEMO

In the memo obtained by The Associated Press, Trump’s senior campaign advisers thanked the Secret Service and all first responders for their efforts.

The memo also said staff in Washington and West Palm Beach, Florida, should stay away from the office as they assess those locations. The memo also says they’re enhancing the armed security presence on-site.

“Our highest priority is to keep all of you on this staff safe,” the memo says.

The memo also tells staff not to comment publicly on the apparent assassination attempt against Trump, and that dangerous rhetoric on social media won’t be tolerated.

Trump says he’ll still be speaking at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off today (Monday, July 15) in Milwaukee.

“I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” he said in his Sunday morning social media post.

In the post on his social media network, former President Donald Trump also thanked “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,” he said.

Trump also said, “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families”, and he said he’s praying “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,” he adds.

FBI NAMED SUSPECT

The FBI early Sunday named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the shooter in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The agency said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

The political leanings of Crooks were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on January 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in to office.

Former President Donald Trump’s private jet landed shortly after midnight Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Video posted by an aide showed him deplaning, flanked by US Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency’s counterassault team, an unusually visible show of force by his protective detail.

Trump planned to spend the night at his private golf club in nearby Bedminster, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden arrived at the White House early Sunday after cutting short a weekend trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

The White House said he would receive a briefing from Homeland Security and law-enforcement officials on the attempted assassination of Trump later in the morning.

The officials spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss details that had not yet been publicly released.

— Associated Press