16:26 'They are not behind me, they are behind you' - Trump campaign starts fundraising appeal
According to Brad Bannon, a democratic strategist, the incident involving Trump should be utilized. It fits Trump's narrative that the country is on the wrong track. "The attempted attack generates sympathy for Trump," Bannon says. "It also confirms the belief of his voters that something fundamental is wrong in this country." Trump's appearances at the four-day Republican nomination convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday, could be fueled by the attack. Hours after the incident, Trump's campaign launched a fundraising appeal via text message. "You're not with me, you're behind me," the message reads to voters.
16:08 Concerns before the Convention: Republicans working with 40 Security Agencies
The chairman of the Republicans, Michael Whatley, assures that the agencies are working intensely to ensure security at the upcoming convention in Milwaukee. They are working with 40 different security agencies, according to Whatley on Fox News.
15:44 Top Advisors from Trump Campaign: "If something seems strange, please report it immediately"
Top advisors from Donald Trump's campaign team advise caution. "We increase armed security presence 24/7 with officers on site. Additional security checks are being conducted. Our top priority is to ensure the safety of all staff," the "Washington Post" quotes Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles from a joint memo by Trump campaign advisors. "We urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election. If something seems strange, please report it immediately to the leadership or the on-site security team," it continues.
15:24 Witnesses describe chaotic scenes at Trump shooting
When shots were fired during Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, chaos and panic ensued. Witnesses speak of speculation about fireworks, the sound of gunshots, gunfire 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 Mike Johnson, is trying to calm things down. "We need to tone down the rhetoric," Johnson says on MSNBC. "We need to lower the temperature in this country."
14:30 Expert: Trump shooting is an opportunity for Biden
14:03 Trump calls for unity
"It's more important than ever that we come together," Trump writes 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 nomination convention takes place from Monday to Thursday. Trump continues, "I pray for the wounded, and we hold the memory of the fallen 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 attempt
Even NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked by the attack on Trump. "I am shocked by the attempted assassination of 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 stand together to defend freedom and values.
12:13 Video shows seconds between the shooter's shots and Secret Service's shotsThe American gossip news site TMZ shows a video in which both the shooter's gunshots and the Secret Service's shots are audible. The attack caused panic among the bystanders. The recording was made from outside the area where the rally took place, as TMZ writes.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican's allegationThe Secret Service refuted the allegation that they had denied additional security resources to Trump in the last few 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.
A few hours after the attack on Trump, Republican Representative Michael Waltz stated that he had "reliable sources" who said that there had been repeated requests for stronger intelligence protection for President Trump. Waltz did not provide any evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier expresses condolences to Trump and his familyFederal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased: "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 hate speech from election campaigns and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured person deserve a speedy recovery. My deepest condolences go to the family of the victim of the attack."
10:32 Expert: "Trump produced that image directly and instinctively"Seconds after the gunshots, Trump is seen standing up, covered in blood and raising his fist at Secret Service agents. Political scientist Thomas Jäger sees the "master of political marketing" at work here. What's 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 gunshots ring out. 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 gunshots 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 personnel: "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 I heard were five gunshots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attackGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz comments 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 that can take up to 30 pictures per second at the Trump rally. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000th of a 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 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 fundraising 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"As a former President and candidate, Trump is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are strict security measures in place at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It remains to be seen how the shooter was able to approach Trump despite these precautions.
07:38 World leaders react with shockLeaders and governments around the world reacted with shock to the attack on the 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 his thoughts with the former President Trump, the rally attendees, 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 quick 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 quick 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 speaks at a press conference, finding 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 should be answered by the Secret Service. Despite the name, the Secret Service is not a secret service, 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 locations should be," Rojek says. "And they are the ones responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service is 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 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, states that the suspect fired "multiple shots at the stage" and was located 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 say whether 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 late on Saturday evening (local time) according to a Bloomberg report.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination against Ex-President Trump at rallyAfter 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 assassination" against former President Donald Trump. FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, confirmed that "it was an attempted assassination against our former President Donald Trump." Trump was injured in the ear by the gunshots, according to law enforcement reports. A bystander was killed and two others were severely injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after attack
US President Joe Biden personally phoned the Republican. The White House confirmed the call without disclosing the contents. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed at the White House by law enforcement agencies about the status 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 clear in a joint statement. The Republicans will gather in Milwaukee from Monday to officially nominate the 78-year-old as their presidential candidate.
03:54 Shooter fired from "elevated position"In 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 person had been seriously injured.
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 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 event in Pennsylvania after gunshots were fired. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
The attacks on Trump could be used as ammunition by his campaign for the US Presidential Election 2024, as suggested by political strategist Brad Bannon. Despite the efforts of 40 different security agencies to ensure safety at the Republican nomination convention, there have been concerns about potential threats to Donald Trump's safety.
In light of the recent incidents, including the shootings at Trump's rallies, top advisors from Trump's campaign have urged extreme caution and vigilance, encourages their supporters to report any suspicious activities to the leadership or on-site security team.
