14:30 Expert: 'Trump-Assassination is opportunity for Biden'
14:03 Trump calls for unity"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 Party nomination convention takes place from Monday to Thursday. Trump continues, expressing that he is praying for the wounded and keeping the memory of the slain citizen "in our hearts." He had already called for unity in his inauguration speech as US President in January 2017.
12:58 NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg shocked by 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 Trump a speedy recovery and is thinking of the victims. Political violence has no place in democracies. The 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 in which it appears that both the shooter's shots and the shots that likely saved Trump's life can be heard. The attack caused panic among the onlookers. The recording was made from outside the area where the rally was taking place, as TMZ reports.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has denied the accusation that they had 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-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 stronger intelligence service protection for President Trump. Waltz did not provide any evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump a speedy recoveryFederal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the assassination attempt and expressed 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 reject violence in political disputes! Let us push back hatred and incitement 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 directly, instinctively produced that image"Seconds after the shots were fired, Donald Trump is seen raising himself up and balling his fist at Secret-Service agents. Political analyst Thomas Jäger sees here the "Master of political marketing" at work. It is now crucial whether Trump can continue spinning his "Witch Hunt" narrative.
10:10 Sharpshooter seemed to have noticed the assailant just before the first shotsA video posted on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally in the exact moment the shots were fired. Sharpshooters are deployed at such events by the Secret Service to secure the area - 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 the shooter became aware of the danger in that moment. The assailant was soon shot.
09:23 Participant warned others about the assailant before the shootingBefore the shots were fired at Trump's campaign rally in Butler, participants had noticed a man with a rifle on a roof nearby. One of them, Greg Smith, told onlookers: "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 personnel 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 attackFederal Chancellor Olaf Scholz comments on the attempted attack on 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 affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer took picture of possible projectileDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times", apparently took a picture by chance in the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Donald Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper: "It could very well be the air displacement caused by a bullet." Generally, it is 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 seconds.
08:00 Alleged shooter registered as a RepublicanThe FBI has identified the alleged shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He is a 20-year-old man 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.
The "New York Post" notes that Crooks was 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 an ex-President and candidate, is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are highest security precautions in place at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It's now necessary to figure out how such an attack on a protective agent could have occurred.
07:38 World leaders express shockWorld leaders reacted in shock to the attack on Ex-President Trump. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes on X, she is deeply shocked, wishes Trump a quick recovery, and expresses 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 similar sentiments. "My thoughts are with former President Trump, the participants of the event, and all Americans."
The United Nations also condemns the attack on Trump. "The Secretary-General condemns this act of political violence in the strongest terms," explains the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson. "He wishes President Trump a swift recovery." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also shares, he is "appalled" by the news of the attack. "Such violence has no justification and no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a swift recovery.
On Saturday evening (local time), Biden 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, at a press conference, finds it "surprising" that the protective agent was able to fire several shots. In response to a question about security measures, he states that such questions must be answered by the Secret Service. Although the name suggests otherwise, the Secret Service is not a secret service, but rather responsible for the security of US Presidents and former US Presidents, among other things.
"They conduct the initial security assessments and determine where the various security locations should be," 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 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 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, states that the alleged shooter fired "multiple shots towards the stage" and was located "on an elevated position outside the event perimeter." This likely refers to a roof near the rally.
06:39 Apparent 20-Year-Old from Pennsylvania Opened Fire on TrumpA source close to the investigation told the "Washington Post" that the person who shot at Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania. The FBI officially stated that they have not identified the shooter yet but are "close" to doing so. The shooter is deceased. According to the Pennsylvania Police, it is too early to say if it was a lone gunman. However, there is no indication of "any further threat" at this time.
06:25 Media: Trump Released from HospitalAccording to a report by the news agency Bloomberg, Trump was discharged from the hospital late on Saturday evening (local time).
06:01 FBI Classifies Shooting at Trump Rally as Attempted MurderThe FBI has classified the incident at a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania as an "attempted murder" against former President Donald Trump. FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, stated, "This is an attempt to assassinate our former President Donald Trump." Trump was injured in the ear by the gunshots, according to law enforcement. One bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden Phones Trump after AttackUS President Joe Biden personally phoned Trump after the attack, according to the White House, without disclosing the contents of the conversation. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed by law enforcement agencies on the status of the investigation, the White House added.
03:58 Republicans to Hold Convention Despite Trump AttackThe US Republicans plan to hold their nomination convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week as planned, 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 are scheduled to gather in Milwaukee starting Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old 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 was talk 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 hit by a bullet in the ear during the attack at a campaign rally 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 Security Escorts Trump off Stage after Shots FiredFormer US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage by security personnel after shots were fired during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
In light of the ongoing investigation, Republican representative Michael Waltz has claimed that there were repeated requests for stronger intelligence service protection for President Trump in the lead-up to the incident. Despite these claims, the Secret Service has firmly denied refusing any additional security resources for Trump in recent months.
As the U.S. Presidential Election 2024 approaches, the attacks on former President Trump raise concerns about political unity and security. Joe Biden, a potential contender for the 2024 election, has condemned the use of violence in politics and expressed his hopes for Trump's quick recovery.
