12:58 NATO-Secretary General Stoltenberg alarmed by assassination attempt
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked over the attempted attack on Trump. "I am shocked over the attempted assassination on the former president Trump", Stoltenberg writes on X. He wishes him a speedy recovery and is thinking of the victims. Political violence has no place in democracies. NATO allies are standing together to defend freedom and values.
12:13 Video shows seconds between shooter's shots and Secret Service shotsThe American gossip news site TMZ shows a video where both the shooter's shots and the shots, which he may have been killed by seconds later, can be heard. The attack caused panic among the bystanders. The recording was made from outside the area where the rally took place, as TMZ reports.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has denied the accusation that they had denied additional security resources to Trump in the last months. "The claim that a member of the former president's security team requested additional security resources that were denied by the Secret Service or the Home Security Ministry is absolutely false", said Secret-Service-Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. In fact, the Secret Service had recently increased security measures.
Few hours after the attack on Trump, republican representative Michael Waltz said he had "reliable sources" who said that there had been repeated requests for a stronger intelligence service protection for President Trump. Waltz did not provide any evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump a speedy recoveryAlso Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns the assassination attempt and expresses his condolences to the family of the victim: "I condemn the assassination attempt on the 45th US President, Donald J. Trump", Steinmeier writes in a statement. "Violence has no place in our democracy - not in America, not with us. We all can contribute: Let us respect violence in political disputes! Let us push back hatred and hate speech from election campaigns and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured I wish a speedy recovery. My deep condolences go to the family of the victim of the attack."
10:32 Expert: "Trump produced the image directly, instinctively"Seconds after the shots fall, Trump rises up, covered in blood, and raises his fist at Secret-Service agents. Political scientist Thomas Jaeger sees the "master of political marketing" at work here. What is crucial now is whether Trump can continue to spin his "witch hunt" narrative.
10:10 Sharpshooter seems to have noticed shooter just before first shotsA video posted on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally at the exact moment the shots are fired. Sharpshooters are deployed at such events by the Secret Service to secure the surroundings - which apparently did not go well in this case. The sharpshooter seems to be observing something or someone through his telescopic sight. He recoils, just before the shots can be heard, suggesting that he became aware of the shooter as a threat in that moment. Shortly thereafter, the shooter was shot.
09:23 A participant warned of the assassin before the attackA participant named Greg Smith noticed a man with a rifle on a roof near the venue before the shootings at Trump's rally in Butler. He told on-site security: "Hey man, there's a guy with a rifle on the roof", he later told the BBC. The response was: "Ha ha, what?", as if the security forces didn't know what was going on. "I thought: Why is Trump still speaking, why didn't they take him off the stage? ... The next thing were five shots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attackGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented on the attempted attack against Trump: "The attack on US Presidential candidate Donald Trump is abhorrent. I wish him a quick recovery. My thoughts are also with the people who were affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer takes picture of possible projectileNew York Times photographer Doug Mills apparently took a picture at the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper the photo "could very well show the air displacement from a bullet." In general, it's possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan said. Mills used a Sony digital camera at the Trump rally, which can take up to 30 pictures per second. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000 second.
08:00 Alleged shooter registered as a RepublicanThe FBI identified the alleged shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He is from the small town of Bethel Park in the US state of Pennsylvania, an hour south of Butler, where the Trump rally took place. Crooks is registered as a Republican. According to reports he donated $15 to a Democratic donation organization on the day of Biden's inauguration in January 2021 when he was 17 years old.
The "New York Post" notes that Crooks registered as a Republican member in September 2021 when he turned 18.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service needs to answer some questions"Donald Trump, as a former President and candidate, is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are highest security precautions at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It now needs to be clarified how it was possible that a shooter was able to attack, despite these precautions.
07:38 World leaders react in shockWorld leaders reacted in shock to the attack on the former President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, she was deeply shocked, wished Trump a quick recovery, and expressed her condolences to the family of the innocent victim. "Political violence has no place in a democracy", writes von der Leyen. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reacted similarly. "My thoughts are with former President Trump, the participants of the event, and all Americans."
United Nations also condemn Trump attack. "The Secretary-general strongly condemns this act of political violence," says UN-Secretary-General António Guterres' spokesperson. "He wishes President Trump a swift recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shares that he is "appalled" by the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and has no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a swift recovery.
Already on Saturday evening (local time), Biden had stated that he was grateful that Trump was safe and doing well. In the US, "there is no place for this kind of violence."
07:21 Open Questions to the Secret ServiceFBI agent Kevin Rojek says at a press conference that it was "surprising" that the shield bore several shots. In response to a question about security measures, he says that such questions should be answered by the Secret Service. Although the name suggests otherwise, the Secret Service is not an intelligence agency but (among other things) responsible for the security of US presidents and former US presidents.
"They conduct the initial security assessments and determine where the various security sites should be located," Rojek says. "And they are the ones responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service was not present at the press conference. "Nobody was available," Rojek says.
07:04 Trump in New Jersey, apparently in good healthA Trump spokesperson posts a video that shows Trump leaving an airport in New Jersey without assistance. His injured ear is not visible in the video. The Republicans have already announced that the nominating convention will take place as planned; the convention takes place from Monday to Thursday in Milwaukee. There, Trump will officially be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. US President Biden shared that the Democrats would stop all campaign ads as soon as possible.
06:50 Shooter fired from a roof near the rallyAnthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, says that the suspect fired "several shots at the stage" and was on "an elevated position" outside the event site. This would mean that a roof near the rally could be meant.
06:39 Shooter is reportedly a 20-year-old from PennsylvaniaThe person who shot Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, according to a source familiar with the investigation of the "Washington Post." Officially, the FBI states that they have not yet identified the shooter, but are "close" to doing so. The shooter is dead. According to the Pennsylvania police, it is too early to say whether it was a lone gunman. There is also no indication of "any further threat."
06:25 Media: Trump released from hospitalTrump was discharged from the hospital late on Saturday evening (local time) according to a Bloomberg report.
06:01 FBI Confirms Attempted Murder Against Ex-President Trump at RallyFollowing the shootings at a campaign event in the US state of Pennsylvania, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has classified the incident as an "attempted murder" against former President Donald Trump. FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, stated, "This was an attempt on our former President Donald Trump's life." Trump was injured at the ear, according to law enforcement reports, and a bystander was killed, while two others were severely wounded.
04:41 Biden Phones Trump After Attack
US President Joe Biden personally phoned Trump after the attack on his predecessor, according to the White House, without disclosing the contents of the conversation. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed at the White House on the progress of the investigations, it was further stated.
03:58 Republicans to Hold Convention Despite Trump AttackThe US Republicans plan to hold their nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as scheduled this week, despite the attack on their presidential candidate Donald Trump. The party and Trump's campaign team made this announcement in a joint statement. The Republicans will gather in Milwaukee starting Monday for their nominating convention to officially designate Trump as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Shooter Fired from Elevated PositionIn the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the alleged shooter opened fire from an "elevated position" outside the event venue. One bystander was killed, and two others were severely wounded, according to the Secret Service. Initially, there was talk of a seriously injured person.
02:55 Trump: I Was Shot in the EarFormer US President Donald Trump, according to his own account, was injured in the ear during the attack at a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania. "I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
00:33 Shots Fired at Trump: Secret Service Escorts Ex-President Off StageFormer US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage by security personnel during a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania after gunshots were fired. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloodied ear and raised fist.
In light of the attempted assassination on former U.S. President Donald Trump, current U.S. President Joe Biden expresses his concern and wishes for a swift recovery. "I'm saddened to hear about the attempted attack on my predecessor, Donald Trump," Biden says. "I'm glad to hear that he's doing well and hope for his full recovery soon."
The U.S. Presidential Election 2024 is approaching, and both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are considering running again. Despite the recent events, the politics surrounding the election remain heated. "With the 2024 election around the corner, the tensions between Biden and Trump are expected to rise significantly," a political analyst forecasts. "Regardless, it's crucial that political discourse remains civil and peaceful, free from any form of violence."
