15:44 Trump-Team's Top Advisor: 'Please report if something seems unusual to you'
Advisors from Donald Trump's campaign team caution caution. "We are reinforcing around-the-clock armed security presence with officers on site. Additional security checks are being conducted. Our top priority is ensuring the safety of all staff," quoted the "Washington Post" Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles from a joint memo. "We also urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election. If something seems unusual to you, please report it immediately to the leadership or the on-site security team," it continues.
15:24 Witnesses describe chaotic scenes at Trump assassination attempt
During Trump's campaign rally in Pennsylvania, shots were fired, causing chaos and panic. Witnesses speak of speculation about fireworks, the sound of gunshots, gunshots on the roof, and the moment Trump fell to the ground.
14:58 Leading Republican: "We need to tone down the rhetoric"The President of the US House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, is working to calm things down. "We need to tone down the rhetoric," he says on MSNBC. "We need to lower the temperature in this country."
14:30 Expert: "Trump assassination attempt is an opportunity for Biden"
14:03 Trump calls for unity"It's more important than ever that we come together," writes Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. He is already looking forward to speaking in Wisconsin "to our great country" this week. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Republican National Convention takes place from Monday to Thursday. Trump writes further, he is praying for the wounded, and holds the memory of the slain citizen "in our hearts." Trump had already called for unity in his inaugural address as US President in January 2017.
12:58 NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg shocked by assassination attemptNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked by the attack on Trump. "I am shocked by the attempted assassination of former President Trump," he writes on Twitter. He wishes him 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 the shooter's shots and the Secret Service's 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 took place, according to TMZ.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has denied the accusation that they had denied Trump additional security resources in the last months. "The allegation that a member of the former President's security team requested additional security resources that were denied by the Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security is absolutely false," said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In fact, the Secret Service had recently increased security measures.
A few hours after the attack on Trump, Republican Representative Michael Waltz stated that he had "reliable sources who have told me that there have been repeated requests for stronger intelligence protection for President Trump." Waltz provided no evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump swift recoveryBundespresident Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns the attack and expresses condolences to the family of the victim's family: "I condemn the attack 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 vitriol from campaigns and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured wish him a swift recovery. My deepest condolences go to the family of the victim of the attack."
10:32 Expert: "Trump produced that image directly, instinctively"Seconds after the shots were fired, Donald Trump emerges covered in blood and raises his fist at Secret Service agents. Political scientist Thomas Jaeger sees the "master of political marketing" at work here. It remains to be seen if Trump can continue to spin his "witch hunt" narrative.
10:10 Sharpshooter seems to have noticed the assassin just before the first shotsA post on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally in exactly the moment the shots are fired. Sharpshooters are deployed 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 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 Participant warned of the assassin before the attackBefore the shots were fired at Trump's campaign rally in Butler, participants noticed a man with a rifle on a roof near the venue. One of them, Greg Smith, told security personnel: "Hey man, there's a guy with a rifle on the roof," he later told the BBC. The response was: "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 shots."
09:15 Scholz condemns attack as abhorrentBundeskanzler Olaf Scholz reacts to the attempted attack on Trump on X: "The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is abhorrent. I wish him a swift recovery. My thoughts are also with those affected by the attack. Such acts of violence threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer captures image of possible projectile near TrumpDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times," apparently took a photo by chance at the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Donald Trump. The photo "could very well show the air displacement from a projectile," says Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, who spoke to the newspaper. In general, it's possible to photograph a flying bullet, Harrigan added. Mills used a Sony Digital camera at the Trump rally, which can take up to 30 images 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 suspect. He is 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. 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 measures in place at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It remains to be worked out how it was possible for a shooter to approach, despite these measures.
07:38 World leaders react in shockWorld leaders reacted in shock to the attack on former 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," writes von der Leyen. 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 strongly condemns this act of political violence," the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres states. "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 no place in the world. Never should violence prevail." Zelensky also wishes Trump a quick recovery.
Already on Saturday evening (local time), Biden stated that he was grateful that Trump was safe and in good health. In the US, there is "no place for this kind of violence."
07:21 Open questions to the Secret ServiceFBI agent Kevin Rojek, speaking at a press conference, finds it "surprising" that the shooter was able to fire multiple shots. In response to a question about security measures, he states that such questions must be answered by the Secret Service. Despite its name, the Secret Service is not a secret service, but rather (among other things) responsible for the security of US presidents and former US presidents.
Rojek states that the initial security assessments have been conducted and determines where the various security locations should be. They are also 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 showing Trump leaving an airport in New Jersey without assistance. His injured ear is not visible in the video. The Republicans have announced that the nominating convention will proceed 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 will stop all campaign ads as soon as possible.
06:50 Shooter fired from a rooftop near the rallyAnthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, says the suspected shooter fired "multiple shots at the stage" and was positioned "outside the event perimeter." This likely refers to a rooftop near the gathering.
06:39 Shooter is reportedly a 20-year-old man from PennsylvaniaThe person who shot Trump is a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, according to a source familiar with the investigation to the "Washington Post." The FBI officially states that they have not yet identified the shooter but are "close" to doing so. The shooter is deceased. 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 hospitalTrump was discharged from the hospital according to a report by Bloomberg News late Saturday evening (local time).
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination of Ex-President Trump at rallyFollowing the shooting at a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania, the FBI has classified the incident as an "attempted assassination" against former President Donald Trump. FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, stated, "This is an attempted assassination against our former President Donald Trump." Trump was injured in the ear from the gunfire, according to law enforcement reports. 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 about the status of the investigation.
03:58 Republicans plan to hold convention despite Trump attackThe US Republicans plan to hold the nominating convention in Milwaukee this week as scheduled, 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 set to gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old Trump as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Authorities: Shooter fired from an "elevated position"During the attack on the 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 injured, according to the Secret Service. Initially, it was reported that one of the injured was seriously hurt.
02:55 Trump: I was shot in the earThe former US President Donald Trump, in his own words, was shot in the ear during the attack at a campaign rally. "I was shot 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: Security escorts ex-President off stageThe former US President Donald Trump was escorted off the stage during a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania by security personnel after gunshots were heard. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
2 Sentences:
- Amidst the political tension leading up to the United States Presidency Election 2024, former President Donald Trump's call for unity after the assassination attempt on him is significant, highlighting the need for reconciliation within the political sphere.
- In response to the chaos and security concerns arising from the shooting incident, Democratic President Joe Biden has emphasized that there is no place for violence in political discourse, reiterating his stance on maintaining peace and order during elections.
