14:03 Trump calls for reconciliation
It is more important than ever that we come together, writes Donald Trump on his platform "Truth Social." He is looking forward to speaking in Wisconsin "to our great country" this week. In Milwaukee in the US state of Wisconsin, the Republican nominating convention takes place from Monday to Thursday. Trump writes further, he is praying for the wounded and keeping the memory of the slain citizen "in our hearts." Trump called for unity in his inaugural address as US President in January 2017.
12:58 NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg shocked over assassination attemptNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked over the assassination attempt on Trump. "I am shocked by the attempted assassination of the former President Trump," Stoltenberg writes on X. He wishes him a speedy recovery and is with the victims in thought. Political violence has no place in democracies. The NATO allies stand 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 in which it appears that both the shots of the assassin and the shots that likely saved Trump's life can be heard. The attack caused panic among onlookers. The recording was made from outside the area where the rally was taking place, according to TMZ.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has denied the accusation that they have refused additional security resources for 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 Department is absolutely false," said Secret-Service-Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In fact, the Secret Service has recently increased security measures.
Few hours after the attack on Trump, Republican Congressman Michael Waltz said he had "reliable sources" who said that there had been repeated requests for stronger intelligence service protection for President Trump. Waltz provided no 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's death: "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 can all contribute: Let us respect violence in political disputes! Let us push back hatred and hate speech from election campaigns and debates! Democracy can tolerate sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured I wish a speedy recovery. My deepest 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 apparently noticed the assassin just before the first shots were firedA post on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally, in the exact moment when the shots were fired. Sharpshooters are used at such events by the Secret Service to secure the area - which in this case apparently did not go well. The sharpshooter seems to be observing something or someone through his scope. 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 assassiner was shot.
09:23 Participant warned others about the assassin before the attackParticipants at Trump's rally in Butler had noticed a man with a rifle on a roof nearby. One of them, Greg Smith, 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 did not know what was going on. "I thought: Why is Trump still speaking, why didn't they take him off the stage? ... The next thing I heard were five gunshots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attackGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz comments on the attempted assassination of Trump on X: "The attack on US Presidential candidate Donald Trump is despicable. 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 projectileDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times", apparently took a photo by chance in the moment when a bullet narrowly missed Trump. The photo "could very well show the air displacement caused by a projectile", says Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, speaking to the newspaper. In general, it is possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan added. 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 seconds.
08:00 Alleged shooter registered as a RepublicanThe FBI has identified the alleged shooter as a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks. The 20-year-old, who was killed during the shooting attempt, 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. Reports indicate he donated $15 to a Democratic donation organization on the day of Biden's inauguration in January 2021.
The "New York Post" points out that Crooks was only 17 years old at the time of the donation. He 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. At all campaign events, there are the highest security measures, 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 shocked by attack on TrumpState and government heads worldwide have reacted in shock to the attack on former President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes on X, expressing deep shock, wishing Trump a quick recovery, and expressing her condolences to the innocent victim's family. "Political violence has no place in a democracy", she writes. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expresses his thoughts with Trump, the participants of the event, and all Americans.
The United Nations condemns the attack on Trump. "The Secretary-General condemns this act of political violence in the strongest terms", explains the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. "He wishes President Trump a swift recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shares that he is "appalled" by the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelenskyy also wishes Trump a swift recovery.
Biden had already stated on Saturday evening (local time) 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 speaks at a press conference, finding it "surprising" that the protective detail could return fire. In response to a question about security measures, he states that such questions should be answered by the Secret Service. Although the name suggests otherwise, the Secret Service is not a secret service but is, 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 locations should be," Rojek says. "And they are responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service is not present at the press conference. "Nobody was available," Rojek explains.
07:04 Trump in New Jersey, apparently unharmedA 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 be officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. US President Biden stated that the Democrats would stop all campaign ads as soon as possible.
06:50 Shooter fired from a roof near the rallyAnthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, says the suspect fired "multiple shots towards the stage" and was on "an elevated position" outside the event venue. This suggests 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 Pennsylvania police, it is too early to determine if it was a lone gunman. There is also no indication of "any further threat".
06:25 Media: Trump discharged from hospital late SaturdayAccording to a report by Bloomberg News, former President Trump was discharged from the hospital late on a Saturday evening (local time).
06:01 FBI confirms attempted murder against Ex-President Trump at rallyFollowing shootings at a campaign event in the US state of Pennsylvania, the FBI has classified the incident as an "attempted murder" against former President Donald Trump. "This is an attempt against our former president Donald Trump," FBI agent Kevin Rojek said in Butler, the location of the rally. Trump was injured in the ear by the gunshots, according to law enforcement, and one bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after attackUS President Joe Biden personally phoned the Republican. The White House confirmed the call without disclosing the call's contents. On Sunday, Biden was to be briefed by law enforcement on the status of the investigation, 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 the joint statement. The Republicans are expected to gather in Milwaukee starting on Monday for their nominating convention to officially nominate Trump as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Shooter fired from elevated positionThe shooter in the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump fired from an elevated position outside the event venue, according to the Secret Service. One bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured. Initially, there had been reports of a seriously injured person.
02:55 Trump: I was hit by a bullet in the earFormer US President Donald Trump, in his own words, was injured in the ear by a bullet during the attack at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. "I was hit by a bullet that went through 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 from stageFormer US President Donald Trump was escorted from the stage by security personnel during a campaign event in Pennsylvania after shots were fired. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
After expressing his wish for unity and prayers for the wounded in his recent posts, Donald Trump's safety once again became a topic of concern as an assassination attempt was made on him during the United States Presidency Election 2024 campaign rally. Various world leaders, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, expressed their shock and concern over the incident.
