18:08 'Trump-Camp sees conspiracy theories confirmed'
The shots at Donald Trump could be decisive for the upcoming Presidency election in the USA, explains Frank Umbach. The security expert finds it "inexplicable" that indications of the shooting were not followed up on and praises the Democrats for "the right reaction".
17:37 "He will never stop fighting for the salvation of America" - Trump's children speak out
The children of former President Donald Trump pay tribute to their father and thank the agents who protected him. "He will never stop fighting for the salvation of America", writes Donald Trump Jr. on Twitter along with a photo of his father with a bloodied face raising his fist. Eric Trump shares the same photo on Instagram with a similar message in capital letters. In an Instagram story, Tiffany Trump thanks God that her father is still alive. "Political violence is never the answer", she writes, thanking the law enforcement agencies and the Secret Service, and paying tribute to the victims. "As you have seen today, my father is a fighter, and he will continue to fight for you and the USA." Ivanka Trump, who previously announced that she would not participate in her father's presidential campaign this year, also thanks the bodyguards and writes: "I continue to pray for our country", and: "I love you, Dad, today and always."
17:15 The shooter also had explosives in his car
The alleged attacker is reported to have had explosives in his car, according to the "Wall Street Journal". The car was reportedly secured near the crime scene, reports the newspaper, citing unidentified sources. The weapon used for the attack was reportedly purchased by the father of the alleged attacker, according to the newspaper and ABC News further. It is said to be an AR-15 rifle. The rifle was developed in the 1950s, initially for the military. The rifle is externally almost identical to the M16 rifle, which the manufacturer Colt sold to the military. The AR-15 is the civilian version. Technically speaking, it is not possible to fire continuously with this weapon. Skilled shooters can, however, fire many shots in very short time.
16:59 Now Melania Trump speaks out
After the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, his wife Melania also speaks out. The slain guard was a "monster" who had tried to "extinguish Donald's passion, his laughter, his inventiveness, his love of music, and his enthusiasm", explains the former First Lady of the USA on Twitter. When she saw that a bullet had grazed her husband, she realized that her life and that of her son Barron were "on the brink of a devastating change". Melania Trump also thanks the personal security of her husband.
16:26 "They're not catching up to me, they're catching up to you" - Trump Campaign starts fundraising appeal
According to Brad Bannon, a democratic strategist, this incident could benefit Trump. It fits the narrative of the former US President that the country is on the wrong track. "The attempted attack generates sympathy for Trump," says Bannon. "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. "If the country wasn't a powder keg before, it is now," says Chip Felkel, a republican political analyst who is not a Trump supporter. Hours after the incident, Trump's campaign launched a fundraising appeal via text message to voters. "They're not catching up to me, they're catching up to you," reads the message to voters.
16:08 Concerns before the Convention: Republicans working with 40 law enforcement agencies
The chairman of the Republicans, Michael Whatley, assures that the agencies are working intensively to ensure security at the upcoming Republican Convention in Milwaukee. They are working with 40 different law enforcement agencies, as Whatley told Fox News.
15:44 Top Trump Advisor: "If something seems strange, please report it immediately"
Top advisors of Donald Trump's campaign team advise caution. "We have 24/7 armed security presence 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 Trump campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles from a joint memo. "We urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election. If something seems strange, please report it immediately to the leadership or a security team on site," it continues.
15:24 Witnesses describe chaotic scenes at Trump shooting
During Trump's campaign speech 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 Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, is working to calm things down. "We need to tone down the rhetoric," he said 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," writes Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. He looks forward to speaking in Wisconsin "to our great country" this week. The Republican Nomination Convention takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Monday to Thursday. Trump writes further, he is praying for the wounded and holding the memory of the deceased "in our hearts." Trump had already called for unity in his inaugural address as US President in January 2017.
12:58 Stoltenberg shocked over Trump assassination attemptNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is shocked over the assassination attempt 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 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 both the shooter's shots and the shots, which he was likely 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 allegationThe Secret Service has denied the allegation 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, which 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 had said that he had "very reliable sources" who told him that there had been repeated requests for a stronger intelligence service protection for Trump. Waltz did not provide any evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier expresses condolences to Trump's familyAlso 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 45. 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 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 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 is seen getting up, covered in blood, and raising his fist at Secret-Service agents. Political scientist Thomas Jaeger sees the "master of political marketing" at work here. It is now crucial 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 by the Secret Service to secure the area - which apparently did not work 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 bring him off the stage? ... The next thing were five shots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attackGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented on the attempt on Trump's life: "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 photo 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 added. Mills used a Sony digital camera at the Trump rally, which can take up to 30 photos 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.
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 must answer some questions"Donald Trump, as a former 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 now needs to be clarified how such a shooter was able to approach, despite these security measures.
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", she wrote. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reacted similarly. "My thoughts are with the 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 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 protective agent could 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 located," 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 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 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 Secret Service spokesperson, says that the suspect fired "multiple shots at the stage" and was located "on an elevated position outside the event perimeter." 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 "very 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 released from hospitalTrump was discharged from the hospital late Saturday evening (local time) according to a Bloomberg report.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination against Ex-President Trump at rally Following 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. "This was an attempted assassination against our former president Donald Trump," FBI agent Kevin Rojek of Butler, the location of the rally, stated. Trump was injured at the ear, according to law enforcement reports, and a bystander was killed, while two others were seriously injured.
04:41 Biden phones Trump after attack US President Joe Biden personally phoned Trump after the attack on his predecessor, the White House confirmed, without disclosing the contents of the conversation. Biden is scheduled to be briefed on the status of the investigations by law enforcement officials on Sunday, the statement added.
03:58 Republicans to hold convention despite Trump attack The US Republicans plan to hold their nomination 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 announcement. The Republicans are expected to gather in Milwaukee from Monday for their nomination convention to officially nominate Trump 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, 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 ear Former US President Donald Trump, in his own words, was injured in the ear during the attack at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. "I was hit by a bullet in the ear, which 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 from stage Former US President Donald Trump was escorted from the stage by security personnel during a campaign event in Pennsylvania after shots were fired. Photos show Trump with a bloody ear and raised fist.
- Despite the recent shooting incident, Joe Biden's campaign is seen benefiting from the sympathy generated towards Donald Trump, as suggested by democratic strategist Brad Bannon.
- After the attempted assassination, Joe Biden phoned Donald Trump to offer his condolences and support, according to a White House confirmation.
