Trump rally witness is not surprised by assassination attempt, says Vietnam War veteran showed heroism
A Pennsylvania woman attended the rally held by former President Trump on Saturday with her husband and, initially, was uncertain if the pops she heard were directly related to a gun, as she assumed, because of the fun-loving atmosphere, that someone set off fireworks. “It was truly a lovely day and as we were sitting there, it really sounded like firecrackers,” Chris Konopka, 56, of McMurray, Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital over the phone. “There was no panic on my part because I immediately thought, ‘OK, who’s the idiot that did this because he’s ruining it for everybody?’” Konopka described the day as an incredibly hot one, but lively and full of “happy, pleasant and helpful” rally goers. “Nobody was drinking, chanting, screaming; none of it,” she said. TRUMP RALLY VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS COREY COMPERATORE, ‘HERO’ SHIELDED WIFE AND GIRLS FROM BULLETS Konopka, a first-time rally attendee, and her husband, small business owners near Bethel Park where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was from, were seated about 20 feet behind Trump and the stage. She said it wasn’t until the couple got home that they understood the gravity of the situation as iPhone service at Butler Farm Show Grounds was limited and only text messages from her mom were coming through. Trump was struck by a bullet on his ear. “I did not see the blood on his face,” Konopka said. “The bleachers to the right of us where the gentleman actually did get killed, I assumed, ‘Oh, that’s where the noise came from, they got the guy that was doing the fireworks,’ not knowing that guy had gotten shot.” She added that there was no stampede of attendees and bystanders remained calm as they filed out to their cars in an orderly fashion. “We were all just walking and being ushered out, everybody waited their turn to be ushered out,” she said. “That atmosphere, too, made me think ‘OK, I’m gonna sit back and not react right away.’ It all happened so quickly.” Among those in the crowd nearby was a young girl, who Konopka believed to be 10 years old, crying. “It was so said,” she said. DRAMATIC IMAGES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES APPARENT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Konopka said that, though she’d never been to a rally before, she was particularly alert as to the lack of protection as she walked into the outdoor venue. She described the security scene, including one metal detector, as “lax.” “I remember my husband saying, ‘You know, I don’t know about this,’” she said. “In my humble opinion, they made that very, very easy for that 20-year-old.” Though she said she’s unsure if some security personnel were undercover, she believes Trump is at too high of a risk to have such little protection. “It was kind of surreal but then again, I’m going to be honest, I was not surprised and I kind of thought it was coming,” Konopka said of an assassination attempt on Trump. “I just didn’t know I was going to have a front seat. We shouldn’t be surprised.” Konopka is most curious as to where the bullet that struck Trump is presently located. GOFUNDME ‘AUTHORIZED’ BY TRUMP FOR BUTLER, PA, VICTIMS EXCEEDS $2M; VIVEK RAMASWAMY DONATES $30K “It probably should have hit somebody two rows above me because a bullet doesn’t stop and there was nothing behind that podium to stop it besides more people,” she said. “Where is it?” She doesn’t believe that Crooks had enough access to weaponry and intelligence to act alone and Konopka says Americans aren’t asking enough questions. Konopka said she extends her condolences to the family of the man who lost his life, and though disheartened by the loss, she said she was especially taken aback by the heroism of one Vietnam War veteran in attendance. “Everyone was ducking,” she said. “He stood straight up and went straight to that podium without even thinking about it.” She added that it was a “pretty incredible” sight and gave her new hope for the future.
Swing district Dem calls out parties’ ‘dangerous lies’: ‘Democracy or authoritarianism’
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, penned a lengthy thread on X about the hyperbole in American politics, urging politicians to stop framing their opponents as “fascists.” The vulnerable Democrat congressman took to X to denounce the current path that he says the country is on, adding that leaders need to guide America down a different one. “We can start by dropping hyperbolic threats about the stakes of this election,” he wrote. “It should not be misleadingly portrayed as a struggle between democracy or authoritarianism or a battle against fascists or socialists bent on destroying America. These are dangerous lies.” SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND SECURITY FAILURE Former President Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday. Shots were fired around 6 p.m., just minutes after Trump took the stage. Blood could be seen on Trump’s right ear and face as Secret Service agents escorted him from the stage. Trump was treated for a wound on his ear at a local hospital before returning to his residence in New Jersey. Both the gunman and a rallygoer were killed. Others are injured and receiving care in the hospital. RNC’S SECRET SERVICE CLASH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AFTER DEADLY TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING Lawmakers quickly issued statements praying for Trump’s safety and that of attendees. “Following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, we must ask ourselves questions about the future of our country and what we want for ourselves and our children,” Golden wrote on X in a 10-part thread. GOP PRAYS FOR TRUMP AFTER SHOTS FIRED, FORMER PRESIDENT RUSHED OFF STAGE “In the pursuit of short-term political gain, they are eager to exaggerate our differences and cast their political opponents as diabolical caricatures bent on destroying the country,” he said in reference to those leading the country. Per the lawmaker, “The result is an overwhelming sense of fear & anxiety about the future of our country, where the normal and tested tools of democracy no longer seem adequate to protect the common good. In this light, a rise of politically motivated violence in America is sadly unsurprising.” TRUMP JR SAYS FATHER ‘IN GREAT SPIRITS’ AT HOSPITAL AFTER SHOTS FIRED DURING PA RALLY According to the Maine Democrat, it would be “disastrous” to continue this way. Instead, the hyperbole must be stopped, he said, condemning the framing of political opponents as fascists, authoritarians and socialists. The Democrat is fighting for re-election in a very competitive Maine district in the November election. Nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report rated his seat as a “Democrat Toss Up.”
“Get back up and go”: CenterPoint linemen take on a broken grid as Houstonians seethe
Beryl exposed how vulnerable the electric infrastructure is to failure, leaving residents angry and at risk.
Senate Homeland Security committee to investigate Trump assassination attempt and security failure
The Senate is opening an investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Trump and the security failures that led to it. Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., will lead the investigation after shots were fired on Saturday night at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving Trump bloodied with a wound on his right ear and a spectator dead. The committee has requested a member briefing as soon as possible, a Peters aide told Fox News Digital. RNC’S SECRET SERVICE CLASH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AFTER DEADLY TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING The chairman will be speaking on Sunday with Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Fox News Digital was told. Also on Sunday afternoon, committee staff will get their own briefing from DHS. According to the Peters aide, the investigation is expected to include a number of steps, including hearings. GOP PRAYS FOR TRUMP AFTER SHOTS FIRED, FORMER PRESIDENT RUSHED OFF STAGE News of the investigation comes after several lawmakers have called for the incident to be probed, including senators in both parties. On Saturday night, HSGAC member Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called for an immediate hearing, to take place before August, to demand answers from both DHS and the Secret Service on how the attempted assassination was able to occur and what steps are being taken to investigate it. TRUMP JR. SAYS FATHER ‘IN GREAT SPIRITS’ AT HOSPITAL AFTER SHOTS FIRED DURING PA RALLY “The assassination attempt on President Trump and murder of an innocent American demands immediate answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Secret Service. It is a miracle that President Trump is alive and well but absolutely inexcusable that the deranged would-be assassin had a direct line of sight to the former president and the leading candidate for President of the United States,” Scott said in a statement. He added that the HSGAC “has an oversight responsibility and an obligation to the American people to demand answers from DHS and the U.S. Secret Service on how this happened and what steps are being taken to investigate this assassination attempt and make sure it never happens again.” BIDEN BRIEFED ON TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING: ‘I’M PRAYING FOR HIM’ “Chairman Gary Peters must immediately hold a HSGAC hearing, before August 1st, with testimony from these agencies and deliver the answers that we as U.S. Senators and the American people demand and deserve from our government. The security of our Republic is being questioned and we as a nation need answers,” he added. Vulnerable Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester penned a letter to Peters on Sunday, requesting that a hearing be held to investigate the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. “As our nation grieves and looks to unite in the face of this violence, your committee can play an important role in getting answers to how this tragedy happened,” Tester wrote in the letter to both Peters and ranking member Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “I appreciate the brave men and women in law enforcement, including the U.S. Secret Service, that put their own lives at risk to protect former President Trump and attendees. They do important work every day, almost exclusively out of the eye of the public,” the senator wrote. “I trust that your committee will work with them to provide oversight, accountability and piece together information so we can better understand how this event took place and what steps need to be taken to ensure something similar does not happen again.”
Sanders condemns ‘radical rhetoric’ after Trump assassination attempt: ‘Politics should be kind of boring’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., condemned both political violence and “radical rhetoric” after the assassination attempt on former President Trump. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sanders said political violence was “un-American.” “I think everybody in this country, no matter what their political views, wishes former President Trump a rapid and speedy recovery, mourns the loss of innocent lives and those who are wounded, and understands that political violence of any kind or shape or form is unacceptable. It is un-American,” Sanders said. “And we’ve got to put an end to it. I think in this traumatic moment, it’s time for all of us to take a deep breath, remember what this is about and what political campaigns are about. And they’re about serious discussions of serious ideas as to how we address the serious problems facing this country. So let’s use this moment if there’s any silver lining in this tragedy. It’s to figure out how do we go forward peacefully, constructively and intelligently?” WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN HAD EXPLOSIVES IN CAR PARKED NEAR RALLY, BOMB MAKING MATERIALS AT HOME: SOURCES Sanders went on to condemn “radical rhetoric,” without specifying what that constituted. In the wake of the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear before Secret Service rushed him offstage, Republicans have criticized Democrats for their past rhetoric, deeming Trump an existential threat to democracy. A rally goer was killed, and two other men were critically wounded, authorities said. The Secret Service fatally shot the would-be Trump assassin, who reportedly fired from a rooftop some 130 yards away from the rally. RNC CHAIR MICHAEL WHATLEY SAYS ‘POLITICS IS SECONDARY’ AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “The bottom line is what we need as a nation, what a democracy is about is not radical rhetoric,” Sanders told host Kristen Welker. “What it is about is a serious discussion of where we are as a nation and how we go forward, forward. You know, and in a certain way, Kristen, politics should be kind of boring. You know, our health care system is dysfunctional. How do we fix it? Well, it’s kind of a boring discussion, but we need a health care system that guarantees health care to all people. We have massive income and wealth inequality. Well, maybe a boring discussion. Should three people own more wealth than the bottom half of American society? So I think what we have got to see is serious discussion of serious issues, and not this kind of harsh rhetoric that we have heard for the last number of years.” Sanders also reiterated support for Biden as the Democratic nominee despite back-to-back gaffes last week and his disastrous debate performance against Trump. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “President Biden is the strongest candidate the Democrats have,” Sanders said. “I think he has a very, very effective record that he can run on. We are finally lowering the cost of prescription drugs. We are rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. Finally, we’re beginning to deal with the existential threat of climate change. We’re trying to do our best to protect a woman’s rights to control her own body. A strong record.”
Biden reschedules visit to Austin after Trump assassination attempt
The president was planning to visit Texas on Monday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Biden vows Secret Service to provide Trump with ‘every resource’ to ensure ‘continued safety’
President Biden said Sunday that “an assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation,” after former President Trump narrowly survived an attempt at his life at his rally, while vowing to ensure the U.S. Secret Service provide him with “every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety.” Biden spoke from the Roosevelt Room at the White House Sunday afternoon. He is expected to address the nation Sunday night from the Oval Office. “Last night, I spoke with Donald Trump. I’m sincerely grateful that he’s doing well and recovering. We had a short but good conversation. Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers,” Biden said. “We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed. He was a father. He was protecting his family from. The bullets are being fired. He lost his life. God love him.” He added: “We’re also playing for the full recovery of those who were injured. And we’re grateful to the Secret Service agents and other law enforcement agencies who and individuals who risked their lives literally for our nation.” During his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, former President Trump was shot after multiple shots were fired towards the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. The bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. The former president was rushed from the stage by Secret Service. TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY The would-be assassin was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks One spectator was killed—Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pa. Comperatore was shot and killed, as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets. Authorities say two others were critically injured in the attack. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt. “As I said last night, there is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything. We stand for it as a nation. Everything,” Biden said. “It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America. And we cannot allow this to happen.” Biden said that “unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is important than that right now.” “Unity will debate and we’ll disagree. It’s not that’s not going to change, but it’s going to we’re going to not lose sight of who we are as Americans,” Biden said. Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed in the Situation Room by the Homeland Security team, “including the director of the FBI, the secretary of Homeland Security, the attorney general, the director of the Secret Service, my Homeland Security advisor, the National Security advisor. And we’re going to continue to be briefed.” Biden stressed that the FBI is leading the investigation, and said it is “still in its early stages.” “We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter. We know who he is,” Biden said, while adding: “I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motives or affiliations.” “Let the FBI do their job and their partner agencies do their job. I’m instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift, and the investigators will have every resource they need to get this done,” Biden said. Biden said that Trump, a former president and nominee of the Republican Party, “already received the heightened level of security.” “And I’ve been consistent in, in my direction of the Secret Service to provide him with every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety,” Biden said. Biden also said he has “directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.” Biden also said he is “directing an independent review of the national security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened, and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well.” The president said he will speak further Sunday night. “We must unite as one nation. We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are,” he said. LIVE UPDATES ON DEADLY SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY Biden’s speech Sunday came after he and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed in the White House Situation Room from homeland security and law enforcement officials. Biden called former President Trump after the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday night. The White House described that call as “good, short and respectful.” TRUMP CAMPAIGN, RNC TO ‘PROCEED WITH OUR CONVENTION’ IN AFTERMATH OF RALLY SHOOTING Biden, on Saturday night, condemned the shooting and called the assassination attempt of a former president and presidential candidate “sick.” The Biden campaign on Saturday night announced it would be pausing all outbound communications and pulling down their campaign ads targeting Trump. The campaign was in the middle of a $50 million ad blitz this month, with spots running in all of the key battleground states.
Nikki Haley to speak at Republican convention as GOP unites around Trump after assassination attempt
MILWAUKEE, WI – Former President Trump’s final rival in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race will speak at this week’s Republican convention, in what appears to be a move towards party unity in the wake of the unsuccessful assassination attempt against Trump. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, will now speak at the convention, a person familiar with the decision confirmed to Fox News on Sunday. As of last week, Haley wasn’t planning on attending the convention, which kicks off Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “She was not invited, and she’s fine with that,” Haley aide Chaney Denton said last week. “Trump deserves the convention he wants. She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.” HALEY URGES HER DELEGATES TO VOTE FOR TRUMP AT THE GOP CONVENTION But following Saturday’s shootings at a Trump rally in western Pennsylvania, where the former president was visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear, and where one spectator was killed and two critically injured, the GOP has rallied around their standard-bearer. Haley launched her presidential campaign in February of last year, becoming the first major candidate to challenge Trump, who had announced his candidacy three months earlier. She was the final rival to Trump, battling the former president in a contentious two-candidate showdown from the New Hampshire primary in late January through Super Tuesday in early March. AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE, HALEY SAYS WHO SHE’LL VOTE FOR IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Haley announced that she was suspending her White House campaign on March 6, the day after Trump swept 14 of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday. As she departed the race, Haley made it clear that she intended to keep speaking out. And Haley continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in Republican presidential primaries in the months after she dropped out. In late May, in her first public comments since announcing the end of her 2024 campaign, Haley said she would vote for Trump. Haley won a total of 97 delegates during the Republican presidential primaries. And last week, Haley released all of her delegates and urged them to support Trump. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
How Secret Service protocol has changed amid presidential assassination attempts through the years
On Saturday evening, July 13, 2024, Republican candidate former President Trump was shot and a bullet pierced his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service agents surrounded Trump following the assassination attempt and quickly escorted him from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds. Trump covered his ear and ducked after he was struck by a bullet on the side of the head. He had only been speaking for several minutes before the gunman, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, fired at him. MAJOR DEMOCRAT DEMANDS SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION FOR RFK, JR AFTER SUSPECTED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, “An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available.” The gunman was on top of a building within proximity of the event and the stage Trump stood on. Rally attendees have revealed to reporters that they notified local police of a gunman and tried to cause enough commotion to flag the Secret Service down. Many Americans are wondering about the details of the Secret Service’s protocol in the event of the assassination attempt. The law enforcement agency’s website reads: “Our protective mission dates back to 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley. Following the tragedy, the Secret Service was authorized to protect the President of the United States. In 1906, Congress passed legislation and funds for the Secret Service to provide presidential protection. Over the years, the number of our protectees and the scope of the protective mission has expanded in response to the evolving threat environment.” LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the executive order, President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, referred to as the Warren Commission, on Nov. 29, 1963. The summary of the order concludes that people everywhere are to receive “full and truthful knowledge” of assassinations and assassination attempts, according to the National Archives. The order prescribed modifications to Secret Service procedures and afforded future presidents the ability to be up close and personal with constituents, as JFK was, while also protecting the POTUS and the first family and anticipating possible threats. In addition to this, new inspection techniques were deployed for buildings along a motorcade route. Other government agencies are requested during presidential visits where agents are stationed. While there were no errors found within the U.S. Secret Service during the investigation of JFK’s assassination, it was concluded that the agency was understaffed and underfunded, according to the National Archives. Subsequently, more money was added to the budget, which resulted in heavily armored cars and motorcades. Additionally, the Secret Service is authorized to protect the first family, including the president, all immediate family members, the vice president, others in order of succession of the Oval Office, former presidents until the end of their lifetime, unless declined, their spouses and the children of former presidents up to age 16, among others. Because of this, Donald and Melania Trump are the only family members of the former president required to receive Secret Service personnel. On the official agency website, major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses are required protection within 120 days of an election. However, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is urging President Biden to provide independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. with a Secret Service detail immediately following the assassination attempt on Trump. Polis took to X to write, “I encourage [Biden] to immediately provide Secret Service protection for [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.].” Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley also requested Secret Service agents in February following “swatting” incidents at rally events. Presently, the Secret Service employs 3,200 special agents, 1,300 uniformed division officers and more than 2,000 other professionals, according to the official agency website.
Dem congressman says staff member no longer employed for ‘don’t miss next time’ post after Trump shooting
A staff member of Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson is “no longer” in the congressman’s employment after allegedly posting “don’t miss next time,” after the apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday evening. “I was made aware of a post made by a staff member and she is no longer in my employment,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement. The post, which has since been deleted, was allegedly posted by Thompson’s now-former field director Jacqueline Marsaw. The post read, “I don’t condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking.” Trump had just begun speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening when a gunman on a nearby roof outside the venue fired multiple shots toward the stage. LIVE UPDATES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDs SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS Trump was seen hitting the deck as Secret Service agents rushed the stage to surround the former president. Moments later, a bloodied Trump stood up and pumped his fist before the agents escorted him off the stage. At least one rally attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. The man killed was identified as 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore. EMOTIONAL GRAHAM DELIVERS MESSAGE OF ‘LOVE’ FOR TRUMP, SAYS US NEEDS ‘SOUL-SEARCHING’ There were multiple calls for Thompson to fire the staffer following the social media post. Marsaw joined Thompson’s staff in July 2023. She is a native of Natchez, Mississippi, and an alumna of Jackson State University. She served as secretary, vice president and president of her local NAACP and as the former field director for the National Action Network. Thompson chairs the Homeland Security Committee. As Trump was on trial in New York City, he introduced legislation to block Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to prison. Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.