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Biden touts record in NBC interview – but the doubts won’t go away
In the shadow of the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, where Donald Trump officially became the party’s nominee, days after surviving an attempt on his life, Joe Biden was still confronting a question he thought he’d answered: will he be the Democratic nominee in November?“1,000%” the president said in an interview with Complex’s Chris “Speedy” Morman, which aired on Monday. So the president would remain the party’s standard-bearer, Morman asked? “Unless I get hit by a train, yeah,” Biden replied.The interview was recorded before a would-be assassin shot at Trump during a rally in western Pennsylvania on Saturday, bloodying his ear and killing one spectator. In the roughly 36 hours that followed, the presidential contest was suspended, as Biden returned to the White House to lead a nation rattled by the shocking act – the latest ugly episode in a rising tide of political violence.Biden condemned the attack as “sick”. He called Trump to check in on him and let him know he and the first lady were praying for him. Then, on Sunday, Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office, pleading with Americans in a heartfelt speech to “lower the temperature”.The moment played to Biden’s strengths – the healer-in-chief, offering himself once again, as he did four years ago, as a compassionate leader determined to overcome political tribalism. But on Monday, as Biden returned to a campaign trail transformed by the attack, he faced many of the same doubts and weaknesses that have dogged his re-election campaign since the start.“I’m old,” Biden conceded in an interview with NBC News’s Lester Holt, that took place and aired on Monday. “But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one. And number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good. I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in three and a half years. I’m willing to be judged on that.”Though the dramatic turn of events appeared to have momentarily quieted calls for Biden to step aside, Democrats still harbored deep reservations about their nominee’s viability. Since his disastrous debate performance against Trump last month, Biden, asked by Holt if he was ready to “get back on the horse, insisted he was already “on the horse,” having held nearly two dozen campaign events as well as an hour-long press conference at the conclusion of the Nato summit, where he held forth on foreign policy.But many of the verbal miscues and stumbles remain, only now they are scrutinized and amplified as observers search for evidence of decline. Yet the president has remained steadfast. Asked what he would do if he had another poor performance, the president insisted it wouldn’t happen again. And when pressed on who was helping him make the decision about whether to stay in the race, Biden replied: “Me.”The interview aired as prominent Republicans took the stage in Milwaukee, exuding a sense of confidence and resolve to win in November. The attempt on Trump’s life, and his preternatural instinct to raise a fist and shout “Fight!” to his supporters as Secret Service agents rushed him offstage, appeared to have unified and energized the Republican rank and file in attendance. Further exciting Republicans, Trump revealed his choice of running mate – the Ohio senator JD Vance – on Monday, hours after a judge he appointed during his presidency dismissed the classified documents case against him.In the evening, Trump made his first public appearance since Saturday’s attack, drawing thunderous applause when he arrived at the convention hall with a bandage on his ear. The former reality TV star-turned-president pumped his fist, as country singer Lee Greenwood sang God Bless the USA from the main stage.Polls show a close race – “essentially a toss-up” Biden said in his interview. But voters say they trust Trump more on the economy and immigration, two top issues. Biden holds the advantage on reproductives rights, and his campaign on Monday said it plans to make Vance’s support for abortion bans a central theme.Asked how the attempted assassination changed the race, the president told Holt: “I don’t know. And you don’t know either.”The president on Monday departed for Nevada, a battleground state he won in 2020, that appears to be slipping out of reach. There he will hold events in Las Vegas aimed at mobilize Black and Latino voters who are critical to his electoral coalition. On Tuesday he will deliver remarks at the 115th NAACP national convention, followed on Wednesday by remarks at the UnidosUS Annual Conference. He will also sit for two more national interviews with Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Univision radio.Biden has also faced heavy criticisms from Palestinian and Arab Americans who say his unyielding support for Israel enabled its 10-month war in Gaza, which has killed more than 37,000 people. His interview with Morman, recorded last week in Detroit, home to a large, diverse Arab American community, likely did little to address their concerns. In it, Biden claimed that he was “the guy that did more for the Palestinian community than anybody,” pointing to his administration’s efforts to secure more humanitarian aid into Gaza.Reassembling the diverse coalition that helped elect him in 2020 rests in part on reminding Americans why they voted Trump out of office in the first place.“I’m not the guy that said, ‘I want to be a dictator on day one.’ I’m not the guy who refused to accept the outcome of the election,” Biden told Holt, who pressed the president on whether he regretted casting Trump as “an existential threat” to American democracy in light of Saturday’s attack. Biden was again defiant, vowing not to shy away from delivering sharp critiques of his rival.“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when he says things like he says?” he said, referring to Trump. “Do you just not say something because it may incite somebody?”Biden has said the contest was a choice between two starkly different visions of America and its future. But many Democrats remain still torn over whether he is the best messenger to lay out that contrast.In his interview with Morman, the president attempted to do just that. After touting his own record of bipartisan accomplishments, he was asked to name one thing he thought Trump would succeed at should his opponent win a second term.“I’m not being facetious,” Biden said. “I can’t think of a single thing.” More
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JD Vance formally nominated as Trump’s vice-presidential candidate – live
The Republican national convention is now taking a break, after completing the first of two sessions it has planned today.The delegates will return at 5.45pm CT for what are expected to be more speeches by high-profile Republicans and party supporters.Here’s what has happened at the convention so far:
The Republican party formally nominated Donald Trump as their candidate for president.
Trump announced that Ohio senator JD Vance would be his running mate. Not long after, Vance appeared on the floor of the convention, and the GOP made him their vice-presidential nominee by acclamation.
Joe Biden said Vance was “a clone of Trump on the issues”. ABC News reports that Kamala Harris tried to call Vance, but couldn’t reach him, and left a voicemail.
Robert F Kennedy Jr met with Donald Trump in Milwaukee, Politico reports, as the former president sought his endorsement. Kennedy, an independent presidential candidate, is polling at around 9% nationally.
Donald Trump Jr told the Guardian he advised his father to pick JD Vance because he thought the senator would fight for him.
The Biden campaign characterized Vance as an enabler of Trump.
Joe Biden told NBC News in an interview airing Monday that it was a “mistake” to say he wanted to put a “bull’s-eye” on Republican nominee Donald Trump, which the US president had said prior to the assassination attempt on the former president on Saturday.But Biden also argued in the sit-down with the TV network that rhetoric coming from his election opponent was more incendiary, The Associated Press reports.
It was a mistake to use the word,” Biden told NBC anchor Lester Holt in a clip released by the network.
He said he wanted the “focus” to be on “what he’s saying.”Biden continued:
How do you talk about the threat to democracy which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?”
The president said he is not the one who engages in “that rhetoric,” referring to Trump’s past comments about a “bloodbath” if the Republican loses to Biden in November.The Republican national convention is now taking a break, after completing the first of two sessions it has planned today.The delegates will return at 5.45pm CT for what are expected to be more speeches by high-profile Republicans and party supporters.Here’s what has happened at the convention so far:The Republican party formally nominated Donald Trump as their candidate for president.
Trump announced that Ohio senator JD Vance would be his running mate. Not long after, Vance appeared on the floor of the convention, and the GOP made him their vice-presidential nominee by acclamation.
Joe Biden said Vance was “a clone of Trump on the issues”. ABC News reports that Kamala Harris tried to call Vance, but couldn’t reach him, and left a voicemail.
Robert F Kennedy Jr met with Donald Trump in Milwaukee, Politico reports, as the former president sought his endorsement. Kennedy, an independent presidential candidate, is polling at around 9% nationally.
Donald Trump Jr told the Guardian he advised his father to pick JD Vance because he thought the senator would fight for him.
The Biden campaign characterized Vance as an enabler of Trump.
In nominating JD Vance as their vice-presidential candidate at the convention, Republicans opted for a vote of acclamation, where those in favor said “aye”, and those opposed said “no”.The cries of “aye” were overwhelming. Maybe one person said “no”. And now Vance is Trump’s running mate.As he heads for campaign events in Las Vegas, Joe Biden was asked for his thoughts on JD Vance, the Ohio senator who is Donald Trump’s running mate.“A clone of Trump on the issues,” Biden replied. “I don’t see any difference.”By a vote of acclamation at the Republican national convention, the GOP has formally nominated JD Vance to be Donald Trump’s running mate in the November election.The crowd is breaking out into chants of “JD! JD! JD!” as Ohio lieutenant governor John Husted gives a speech nominating him as vice-president.“The vice presidency is an office of sacred trust. The man who accepts this nomination accepts with it the awesome responsibility to give wise counsel to the president, to represent America abroad, to preside over the Senate and to be ready to lead our nation at a moment’s notice. Such a man must have an America First attitude in his heart,” Husted said.“JD Vance is such a man!”ABC News reports that Kamala Harris called JD Vance following the announcement that has was Donald Trump’s running mate, but was not able to reach him:JD Vance is making his way through the packed convention floor, shaking hands with delegates while being trailed by camera operators.The Ohio senator just took a selfie with someone, and autographed a Trump campaign sign.We don’t yet know if he will speak now, or later during the four-day convention.JD Vance, the Ohio senator Donald Trump just chose as his running mate, has arrived on the floor of the Republican national convention.On the convention floor, a large group of delegates and reporters appears to be gathering around where the Ohio delegation is seated.That could be a sign that JD Vance, Donald Trump’s newly anointed running mate, is set to make an appearance.The Republican national convention appears to be in a holding pattern, and it’s not clear if this was planned.We’ve been listening to a live band play covers of rock-and-roll hits for the past half hour. Just before they started playing, House speaker Mike Johnson was onstage, and appeared to be about to introduce an attorney general, before he suddenly said his teleprompter was broken, and walked off stage.Democratic social media accounts quickly seized on the moment:About 45 minutes ago, convention attendees received a text message saying a “special guest” would soon appear at the convention. That person does not seem to have shown up yet.The chair of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime Harrison, said the selection of JD Vance as Donald Trump‘s running mate only raised the already high stakes of the presidential race.“JD Vance embodies MAGA – with an out-of-touch extreme agenda and plans to help Trump force his Project 2025 agenda on the American people,” Harrison said.“A Trump-Vance ticket would undermine our democracy, our freedoms, and our future. There is so much on the line, and it’s more important than ever that we reelect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris this November.”Donald Trump met today in Milwaukee with Robert F Kennedy Jr, and discussed the independent presidential candidate’s endorsement, Politico reports.If Kennedy were to drop out and endorse Trump, it could further scramble the race. Polls show Kennedy has about 9% support nationally.“Yes, Mr Kennedy met with President Trump today to discuss national unity, and he hopes to meet with leaders of the Democratic Party as well,” Kennedy campaign press secretary Stefanie Spear told Politico. “And no he is not dropping out of the race. He is the only pro-environment, pro-choice, anti-war candidate who beats Donald Trump in head-to-head polls.” More - in US Politics
Biden urges US to reject ‘extremism and fury’ after Trump assassination attempt
Joe Biden on Sunday forcefully condemned political violence and appealed to a nation still reeling from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to reject “extremism and fury”.In a primetime address from the Oval Office, Biden said Americans must strive for “national unity,” warning that the political rhetoric in the US had gotten “too heated” as passions rise in the final months before the November presidential election.“There is no place in America for this kind of violence – for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception,” the president said. “We can’t allow this violence to be normalized.”Biden’s plea for Americans to “cool it down” came as Trump said that he would use his speech at the Republican national convention to bring “the whole country, even the whole world, together.”“The speech will be a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner, adding that the reality of what had happened was “just setting in.”Biden ordered an independent review into how a gunman was able to get on to a roof overlooking a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, and fire multiple shots at the former president from an “elevated position” outside of the venue. The FBI warned on Sunday that online threats of political violence, already heightened, had spiked since the shooting.The attack, which is being investigated as an attempted assassination and a potential act of domestic terrorism, left Trump injured at the ear, but it killed a spectator, identified as a former fire chief, and critically injured two others.“We cannot, we must not go down this road in America,” Biden added, citing a rising tide of political violence that included the assault on the US Capitol, the attack on the husband of the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a kidnapping plot against Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan.Biden also praised Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old former fire chief who was killed as he dove to shield his wife and daughter. Comperatore, Biden said, was a “hero” and extended his “deepest condolences” to his family.Investigators were still searching for the motive of the 20-year-old suspect, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.More than 24 hours after the attack, the investigation into how Crooks managed to open fire, reportedly using a AR-15 bought legally by his father, at the rally remained fluid. Investigators have seized several of Crooks’s devices and are starting to piece together his communications before the event. Authorities said they had discovered potential explosive devices in Crooks’s car.Meanwhile, details have begun to emerge about the suspect, who was shot and killed by Secret Service counter-snipers.As a junior in high school, Crooks donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a political action committee aligned with the Democratic party, but eight months later he registered to vote as a member of the Republican party.Former classmates described the man as a smart, and quiet student. One former classmate told Reuters that Crooks had not shown a particular interest in politics in high school, and would rather would discuss computers and games.“He was super smart. That’s what really kind of threw me off was, this was, like, a really, really smart kid, like he excelled,” the classmate told Reuters. “Nothing crazy ever came up in any conversation.”Another young man who described himself as a former classmate of Crooks at Bethel Park high school spoke with reporters on Sunday, recalling how his ex-companion “was bullied almost every day” on campus.View image in fullscreenThe president, who was at church in Delaware during the time of the shooting, cut short his weekend and returned to Washington to confront the situation, arriving at the White House after midnight. He and Trump spoke late on Saturday.Biden spoke briefly from the White House earlier on Sunday, delivering a similar message from the Roosevelt room after receiving a briefing on the investigation in the Situation Room.In those comments, Biden asked the public not to “make assumptions” about the shooter’s motives or affiliations, as conspiracy theories and misinformation swirl online.The Republican national convention will begin on Monday in Milwaukee, where Trump is expected to receive a hero’s welcome by the party’s rank and file, rattled but defiant. Trump, who arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday evening, is not scheduled to address the convention until Thursday evening, after he is formally nominated as the party’s nominee.Speaking to the New York Post while en route to Milwaukee, Trump said he was “supposed to be dead”, adding: “The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle.”Biden’s remarks came at a fragile moment in the election, a re-match between the president and Trump already defined by exceptional tumult and deep political polarization.For weeks, the president has been fighting calls from elected officials in his own party to abandon his re-election campaign after a disastrous debate performance last month that underscored concerns about his age and fitness for office. The 81-year-old Biden has insisted he will not be pushed out as the party’s nominee, but has done little to quell the swirl of doubt that he is the best candidate to defeat Trump in November.Trump earlier this year became the first former president to be convicted of felonies, and faces several more legal challenges related to his role in the 6 January Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the results of a lost election. At least one Republican senator, Mike Lee of Utah, has called for the criminal cases against Trump to be dropped in light of the assassination attempt.In his remarks on Sunday evening, Biden was realistic about the challenge of heeding his words, accepting that national unity was “the most elusive of goals” in an America deeply divided into camps. Already, Republicans were blaming the violence on the president, arguing that Biden’s attempts to portray Trump as a threat to American democracy helped fuel a toxic political environment.Yet the attack has drawn condemnation from Republican and Democratic officials across the country as well as world leaders.“We need to turn the temperature down,” House speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday, in an interview on CNN.The president acknowledged that he and Trump offer drastically competing visions, and that their supporters diverged sharply. In Milwaukee, Republicans would offer sustained critiques of Biden’s record, the president said, while he planned to travel on Monday to Nevada, where he would rally supporters around his agenda. Because of the attack, he postponed a trip to Texas, where he was scheduled to speak at the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at the Lyndon B Johnson presidential library.“We debate and disagree. We compare and contrast the character of the candidates, the records, the issues, the agenda, the vision for America,” he said, arguing that the contest should be settled at the “ballot box” and “not with bullets”.After the attack on Saturday night, the Biden campaign reportedly moved to pull down its television ads “as quickly as possible” and pause all “outbound communications”.“Politics must never be a literal battlefield or, god forbid, a literal killing field,” Biden emphasized in his address on Sunday night. He urged Americans to “get out of our silos” and echo chambers where misinformation is rampant.“Remember: though we may disagree,” he said, “we are not enemies.” More
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Trump rally shooting: Biden says ‘there is no place in America for this kind of violence’; attendee who was killed is identified – latest updates
Donald Trump has published his second statement on Truth Social since the Pennsylvania shooting on Saturday. In it, the former Republican president said he looks forward to speaking from Wisconsin where the Republican national convention (RNC) will be held this week.Trump wrote:
Thank you to 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. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families.
We pray 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.
I truly love our country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our great nation this week from Wisconsin. DJT
The Republicans’ convention will take place from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, earmarked to be the main venue.Wisconsin is one of a handful of battleground states likely to determine this year’s presidential race. It was one of the so-called “blue wall” states that Democrats once relied on, but Trump narrowly won in 2016, paving the way for his victory. Biden flipped the state back in 2020, and both campaigns are targeting it heavily this year.It’s time to be “a little less partisan,” swing state Democratic congressman saysGreg Landsman, a Democratic congressman running in a competitive, Democratic-leaning district in Ohio, has released a long statement on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, calling for bipartisan cooperation and less partisanship in the days to come.“We need to lean on one another, and to show more grace and kindness. We need to talk about what we believe in and do so with the greatest amount of thoughtfulness and care,” he wrote, citing scripture and calling for a change in tone across the country.Just a few days ago, Landsman was making headlines for raising questions about whether Joe Biden should continue as the Democratic nominee for president, saying “it’s becoming increasingly likely that this may be just too high of a hill for him to climb” and that Biden needed to be able to make a clear case against Trump.It’s not yet fully clear how the Democratic congressional candidates’ views on Biden staying in the race will change as the country reacts to an attempted Trump assassination.In Fox News call, Trump reportedly praises Biden for check-in call, describes shootingIn what was described as a 15-minute phone call with Fox News’ Brett Baier, Donald Trump reportedly “praised president Biden for the phone call” he made to Trump and called it a “good conversation,” Baier said.The former president is en route to Milwaukee, Baier said.Trump told Baier that he had just turned his head to the side to look at an infographic on immigration statistics when he described feeling something like “the biggest mosquito of his lifetime” or “bumblebee that sort of feels like in his ear,” Baier said. Then Trump described looking at his hand and seeing blood, and going down.Trump said that when he his raised fist to the crowd, he had actually wanted to go back and say a few words to his supporters, but the secret service was hurrying him offstage.Rally shooting suspect’s family is cooperating with the investigation, FBI saysAn FBI official tells the Associated Press that the suspected shooter’s family is cooperating with federal investigators.Relatives of Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, have not returned multiple messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.The suspect’s father, Matthew Crooks, previously told CNN in a phone call late Saturday night that he was trying to understand “what the hell is going on” and would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking further.The FBI said it believes the AR-style rifle the Trump rally shooter used was legally purchased by the suspect’s father, the Associated Press reported previously, and that it was not clear how the suspect had obtained the weapon.“These are facts that we’ll flesh out as we conduct interviews,” Kevin Rojek, an FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office, told reporters, the Associated Press reported.Joe Biden offers condolences to family of Trump supporter killed at campaign rally “He was a father protecting his family from the bullets being fired,” Joe Biden wrote on his official presidential account, in a tribute to 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who attended the rally with his family.Read more about tributes to Comperatore, who has been described by family members as a “hero” who died shielding his daughters from gunfire.“What my precious girls had to witness is unforgivable,” his wife, Helen Comperatore, wrote on Facebook.Biden will travel to Las Vegas on Monday for NAACP civil rights addressThe White House has confirmed that Joe Biden will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada tomorrow.The NAACP, a more than century-old civil rights group that advocates for the rights of Black Americans, previously announced that Biden would serve as a keynote speaker for its 115th national convention.Attorney general calls attack on Trump “ an attack on our democracy itself”In a press call with reporters, attorney general Merrick Garland said he was “grateful that former President Trump is safe following yesterday’s horrific assassination attempt,” and said that “the violence that we saw yesterday is an attack on our democracy itself.”More details continue to emerge on the 20-year-old suspect in the rally shooting, Thomas Matthew Crooks, though what has been made public so far still leaves more questions than answers. Read the full story on what we know so far about the young suspect, who was a registered Republican, but had also made a $15 donation to the Progressive Turnout Project in 2021.The FBI says they believe the “AR-style rifle the Trump rally shooter used was legally purchased by the gunman’s father,” the Associated Press reports. “Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office, told reporters that authorities don’t yet know how the shooter gained access to the weapon, and whether he took it without his father’s knowledge.”
FBI officials “have not yet identified an ideology” for the suspect, “but they are combing through his social media feeds and the shooter’s weapons. So far, they have not found any threatening writing or social media posts,” the Associated Press reports. They currently believe he acted alone.
Discord, the online platform, told reporters that: “We have identified an account that appears to be linked to the suspect; it was rarely utilized and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident or discuss his political views,” the company said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The suspect also had no documentary history of mental health issues, the FBI said, according to the Washington Post.
The Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has said in statements to media outlets that the suspect was a dietary aide at the facility. “We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas Matthew Crooks performed his job without concern and his background check was clean,” the administrator told CNN.
A high school classmate of Crooks described him as “quiet,” “nice,” and good at math, the Washington Post reported. She said that while he did sometimes wear hunting or camouflage outfits to school, that was typical for the area, and that he was not one of the kids at the school who were perceived as violent.
The Guardian’s Ramon Antonio Vargas has previously reported that the suspect lived in “Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white, generally affluent suburb of Pittsburgh. Public records show he shared a home with parents who were licensed behavioral care counselors. Those same records contain no mention of any criminal or traffic citations – as well as any financial problems such as foreclosures.”Two classmates of shooting suspect tell ABC News he was rejected from rifle clubABC News is reporting that two former school classmates say the suspected shooter in the Trump campaign attack, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was rejected from his high school’s rifle club for not being a very good shot.Two students told ABC News that Crooks was a “bad shot”, with one adding that he wasn’t the right “fit”.“On the first day of preseason, he basically couldn’t even hit the target,” classmate Jameson Myers told ABC News.It’s worth noting that these comments were not immediately confirmed by the school rifle team’s coach, who declined to comment, and a spokesman for the school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment, ABC News reported.Pennsylvania state police release names of two men injured in Trump rally shootingThe names of two injured men who were shot in the Trump campaign rally attack were made public by state police. They are:57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, who is currently listed in stable condition.
74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He is also listed in stable condition.
Officials previously released the name of Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pennsylvania, who was shot and killed in the attack. The Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, called Comperatore a “hero” and said he was a former fire chief who “dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally” and was killed while protecting them.Associated Press: Local officer encountered gunman just before he shot towards Trump at rallyThis is Lois Beckett, picking up our live news coverage. Amid intense questions over security outside the rally, the Associated Press is reporting that two law enforcement sources say that a local police officer encountered the suspected shooter before he opened fire:
Not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the roof of a nearby building and warned local police, according to two law enforcement officials.
One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Thomas Matthew Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The Washington Post, citing an interview with the Butler county sheriff, Michael T Slupe, reports: “Just before the gunman opened fire, he faced a municipal police officer who wasn’t able to neutralize him.”Here’s a look at where things stand:Donald Trump will continue with his schedule and fly to Milwaukee, Wisconsin today, at 3.30pm ahead of the Republican national convention. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon, Trump wrote: “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.”
Joe Biden said that he had spoken with Donald Trump following the assassination attempt on the ex-president. “We had a short but good conversation. Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers. 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 that were being fired,” Biden added.
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence,” said Biden. The president is to address the nation tonight at 8pm from the Oval Office, the White House confirmed.
Joe Biden is rescheduling his trip to Texas following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, according to White House pool reports. The trip was originally planned for Monday 15 July. Biden was expected to deliver a keynote address at the Lyndon B Johnson library in Austin to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, said that the victim – Corey Comperatore, a 50-year old former fire chief – who was killed in yesterday’s Donald Trump rally shooting “died a hero”. “We lost a fellow Pennsylvanian last night. Corey Comperatore,” said Shapiro, adding: “Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. And most especially, Corey loved his family.”
Bomb-making materials were discovered in the home of the suspect involved in yesterday’s shooting, according to law enforcement officials speaking anonymously to the Associated Press. Bomb-making materials were also reportedly found in the suspect’s car near the rally site.
Mark Green, the Republican chairman of the House committee on homeland security, has issued a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, demanding the secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, turn over the security plans of yesterday’s event site. In the letter, Green wrote: “The seriousness of this security failure and chilling moment in our nation’s history cannot be understated.”
Melania Trump has issued a statement calling for political unity after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump yesterday in Butler, Pennsylvania. In her statement released on Sunday, she wrote: “America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one.” She went on to call the suspect a “monster” who saw her husband as an “inhuman political machine”.
Authorities handling security at the rally at the Butler Park Showgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, have dismissed claims that Donald Trump was denied a request for additional security. The US Secret Service has called the claim “absolutely false”.
The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, has said “we shouldn’t be targeting people” as he urged Americans to treat one another with dignity and respect in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. He said there has been no figure in modern American history – besides perhaps Abraham Lincoln – who has been so “vilified” by the media and the legal system as he says Trump has.
Donald Trump will continue with his schedule and fly to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, today at 3.30pm ahead of the Republican national convention.In a post on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon, Trump wrote:
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, at 3:30 P.M. TODAY. Thank you!
As the US comes to grips with Donald Trump’s assassination attempt, Jonathan Freedland and Sidney Blumenthal discuss what this tragedy means for the former president’s image with less than five months until the election:Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office at 8pm tonight, the White House confirms.Biden’s remarks will follow the assassination attempt on Donald Trump yesterday during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.In a brief address on Sunday afternoon from the Roosevelt Room, Biden condemned the attack, saying, “There is no place in America for this kind of violence.”“Mr Trump, as a former president and nominee of the Republican party, already received a heightened level of security and I’ve been consistent in my direction of the Secret Service to provide him with every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety,” Joe Biden said.“Second, I’ve directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for … the Republican national convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.“And third, I’ve directed an independent review of 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,” Biden said.“We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter. We know who he is. I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations,” said Joe Biden.“Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift, and the investigators will have every resource they need to get this done,” he added.“There is no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence,” said Joe Biden.“For that matter, an assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation, everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America, and we cannot allow this to happen. Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that,” he added.Joe Biden said that he had spoken with Donald Trump following the assassination attempt on the ex-president.“We had a short but good conversation. Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers. 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 that were being fired,” Biden added. More - in US Politics
Trump, Don Jr and Maga mania: your guide to the Republican convention
The Republican national convention begins on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Donald Trump expected to be officially nominated as the Republican party’s candidate for president during the four-day event.It marks a key point in the election calendar. The closely watched convention is a chance for Trump and Republicans to lay out their vision for the US, less than four months from November’s presidential election.Trump’s yet-to-be-announced vice-presidential candidate will also speak at the convention, making the case to voters for a second Trump presidency.What’s the point of all this?Officially, the main reason is for Republican party delegates to anoint Donald Trump as their party’s candidate for president.But the convention is much more than that. It’s a chance to rally supporters, to bring in donations, to get television airtime, and also a chance for Republicans to just have a good time.The convention starts on Monday and runs until Thursday night, which is when Trump is expected to take the stage, accept the nomination, and speak to the crowd and TV cameras.Where is the convention being held?At Fiserv Forum, in downtown Milwaukee. The sprawling arena, home to the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team, opened in 2018. According to Fiserv Forum’s own website, the building is “designed to reflect the heritage, history and personality of Milwaukee”.Fiserv was due to host the 2020 Democratic convention, but Covid-19 meant that event was drastically downsized and moved elsewhere. It’s no coincidence that both parties have sought to hold their flagship events here in recent years: Wisconsin is an important swing state that Biden won by just 20,000 votes four years ago, and it is expected to play a key role in November.How does nominating Trump work?About 2,500 delegates from 50 states and territories will cast their vote. Each state has a certain number of delegates based on its population, and Trump and his opponents won delegates through the Republican primaries. Trump needed 1,215 delegates to win, which he already has, but his nomination isn’t official until the delegates cast their vote at the convention.Who will be at the convention?About 50,000 people are expected to attend the convention across the four days. That includes the delegates, but also other supporters, elected officials and members of the media.Lara Trump, the ex-president’s daughter-in-law, has said “unlikely people” will speak at the convention, including celebrities. Given Trump has few celebrity backers – he has Kid Rock, Dennis Quaid and Dean Cain, a former actor who played Superman in the 1990s TV series Lois and Clark – it will be interesting to see who Lara Trump is talking about.We do know that Donald Trump Jr, who has become a popular figure among the far right, will speak on Wednesday night. Trump’s oldest son is scheduled to introduce Trump’s vice-presidential candidate. Ron DeSantis, who became embroiled in a bitter war against Trump after he ran against him for the nomination, will speak, as will Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor and one-time rising star who faced criticism after she wrote about shooting dead her family dog.Nikki Haley, who also challenged Trump for the nomination, has not been invited to attend.How can I follow it?The Guardian will have live coverage every day, as well as pieces on key issues and performances. C-Span, the non-profit political broadcast service, will broadcast live, and live feeds are also expected to be available on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. News channels will cover plenty of the events too.When should I tune in?Donald Trump will give his address on Thursday night. His son Donald Trump Jr will speak on Wednesday night. Trump’s oldest son is scheduled to introduce Trump’s vice-presidential candidate – that will probably be the first chance to hear them speak to a wide audience.Apart from nominating Trump, what else happens?Each day has a theme based on the ‘Make America great again’ slogan. Monday is “Make America wealthy once again”, Tuesday is “Make America safe once again”, Wednesday’s theme is about making America strong and Thursday’s comes full circle: Make America great once again”.There will be various speakers each day on the convention floor, and there are events elsewhere in Milwaukee. According to the convention calendar the European Union is holding a “Europe night” at the city’s Harley-Davidson museum, while the Heritage Foundation – which is behind Project 2025 – is hosting a “policy fest” on Monday. There are also film screenings, pro-gun workshops and plenty of drinks events.Can we expect any protests?Yes. There is a March on the convention organized for Monday, with about 100 activist groups expected to participate. Organizers say they aim to support immigrants’ rights and LGBTQ+ freedoms, and draw attention to the overturning of Roe v Wade. According to Wisconsin public radio that up to 5,000 people could take part in the march. More
- in US Politics
Trump rally shooting live: FBI names ‘subject involved’ after suspect shot dead in assassination attempt
Stephen Moore, a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign, has spoken to the BBC World Service programme “Weekend”. He is echoing concerns about the preparedness of the Security Service, who are the primary form of protection for former US presidents.Moore said:
It appeared from the video that he’d only been grazed by this bullet but what is so frightening to all of us is that if that bullet had been one inch further towards his head this would have been an assassination …
Certainly Trump needs more protection – there is a lot of inquiry now about whether the Secret Service was totally prepared.
The attack on Trump raised questions about how the Republican presidential candidate is protected on the campaign trail and what caused the apparent security lapses at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.At least one person interviewed by the BBC (see post at 01.36) said he had tried to alert police and the US Secret Service, to no avail, to an apparent sniper climbing on to a nearby roof outside the security perimeter of the rally venue.Both Spain’s prime minister and its king have offered Donald Trump and the US their support and best wishes.“I strongly condemn the attack on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania,” the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, wrote on X. “Violence and hatred have no place in a democracy. I send my best wishes for ex-President Trump’s recovery and to the rest of those who were injured. I also offer my deepest condolences to the family of the person who died.”In a letter, King Felipe said he was deeply struck by what had happened and wished Trump a speedy recovery, adding: “I would also like to express, to all the dear people of the USA, my strongest condemnation of any act of violence, especially when directed against democratic values.”Here is some more reaction from world leaders after the assassintion attempt on Donald Trump:Sweden’s pime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said: “Sweden condemns the terrible attack in Pennsylvania. My thoughts go out to those who have been affected and to their families. Sweden stands behind the United States and wishes Donald Trump a speedy recovery.”
The president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said: “We are following with concern the treacherous incident faced by former US President and presidential candidate Donald Trump, and affirm Egypt’s condemnation of the incident. I express my wishes for President Trump’s speedy recovery and for the US election campaign to continue in a peaceful and healthy environment, devoid of any appearances of terrorism, violence or hatred.”
South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, wrote on X: “I am appalled by the hideous act of political violence. I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery. The people of Korea stand in solidarity with the people of America.”
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she is following the news from Pennsylvania with “apprehension” and extended her best wishes for a “speedy recovery” to Trump.
Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof wrote on X: “Shocked by the attack on former President Donald Trump. Luckily he has gotten away only lightly wounded. Political violence is completely unacceptable.”
Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, said the attack was a “shocking” moment for the “whole free and democratic world”.
Thailand’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, wrote on X: “I am appalled to learn of the shooting incident during former President Trump’s rally. We are strongly concerned and do not tolerate such forms of violence. On behalf of the Thai people, I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are also with the injured and affected families.”
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said: “It is with great relief that we receive the news that former President Donald Trump is fine and well after the attempt to assassinate him. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Together with all democracy loving peoples around the world, we condemn all forms of political violence. The voice of the people must always remain supreme.”
Anthony Albanese says he is “relieved” that former US president Donald Trump is safe after a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, calling the incident an “inexcusable attack”, my colleague Josh Butler reports.The Australian prime minister said there was “no place for violence in the democratic process” as other politicians decried the assassination attempt four months out from the US presidential election (see earlier post at 04.47 to see how other world leaders have reacted to the attack).Drawing a link to protests outside politicians’ electorate offices in Australia regarding the Gaza war, Albanese said on Sunday:
These things can escalate, which is why they need to be called out unequivocally and opposed.
The Oversight Committee in the Republican-led US House of Representatives has summoned the US Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, to testify at a hearing scheduled for 22 July.“Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump,” the panel said in a statement on X, noting that Cheatle’s appearance is voluntary.The Secret Service has agreed to brief the House Oversight Committee about the attack, a spokesperson told The Hill.The assassination attempt on Trump was the first shooting of a US president or major party candidate since the 1981 attempted assassination of former Republican president Ronald Reagan, who was in the White House from 1981 to 1989.It raised immediate questions about security failures by the Secret Service, which provides former presidents, including Trump, with lifetime protection.Who was the suspected shooter?The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspect in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.State voter records show that Crooks was a registered Republican, Reuters reported.When Crooks was 17 he made a $15 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for left-leaning and Democratic politicians, Reuters wrote citing a 2021 Federal Election Commission filing.The donation was earmarked for the Progressive Turnout Project.Crooks graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School and received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has said “violence is never the answer to political differences in a democracy.”“I am sure this is one thing we can all agree on without any shadow of doubt,” he added.Here are the latest images from the US, as an investigation continues into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister who was injured in a shooting in May, has drawn a parallel between the incident targeting him and the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
Scripted like through a copybook. Political opponents of D. they are trying to shut Trump up and when they don’t work out, they piss the public off so much that some loser picks up a gun. And now we shall witness speeches about the need for reconciliation, appeasement and forgiveness.
China has expressed concern about the shooting, Reuters reported.“President Xi Jinping has expressed his condolences to former President Trump,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement. More
