23:50 No tightening of security measures at Republican Party conference
11:21 PM: Biden: Motive of Attacker Still Unclear
Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the Secret-Service agent responsible for security at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shares that security measures for the large event have not been intensified yet. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson does not support banning weapons in the external area of the event site, stating that it is protected by state laws. The Mega-Event is scheduled to officially declare Donald Trump as the Republican Party's presidential candidate this week. Trump is making efforts to avoid appearing weak after the attack: He announced plans to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the US state on Sunday afternoon (local time) for the convention.
10:21 PM: Unclear Motives Behind Trump Attack
US President Joe Biden spoke to journalists at the White House, stating, "We still have no information on the motive of the shooter." Biden urged the public not to speculate and to let law enforcement do their job.
10:13 PM: Financial Markets Anticipate "Landslide Victory" for Trump
Following the attempted attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, financial markets are adjusting their expectations. The bullet that hit Trump at a campaign rally is expected to increase his chances of winning the election, and thus, financial markets may be preparing for a significant shift, according to investors. "The election is likely to be a landslide. This reduces uncertainty," said Nick Ferres, Chief Investment Manager at Vantage Point Asset Management. Rong Ren Goh, Portfolio Manager at Eastspring Investments in Singapore, expects the dollar to continue its upward trend and investors to focus on a steeper yield curve for US Treasury bonds.
9:57 PM: Injured Visitors in Stable Condition
According to the Pennsylvania police, the two individuals who were severely injured in the attempted attack on Donald Trump are in stable condition. One man from the audience was killed during the shooting at a campaign event. The suspected shooter was shot and killed by security personnel. Trump and two attendees were also injured.
9:47 PM: FBI: Suspect Acted Alone, No Clear Ideology or Psychological Condition Identified
The FBI has issued a statement: The suspected shooter acted alone, and there are no further safety concerns, according to a US federal law enforcement representative. The incident is being classified as a domestic terror attack and an attempted assassination. The FBI is examining the social media accounts of the 20-year-old suspect who was killed. However, they have not yet identified any indications of an ideology or a psychological condition for the suspected attacker. The weapon was legally purchased, presumably by the suspect's father. Bomb experts have also secured a suspicious device in the suspect's car, which has been taken to the lab for further investigation.
9:32 PM: Starmer Speaks with Trump
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to government sources, has spoken with the injured former US President Trump. Starmer condemned the violence, expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and wished Trump and the other injured individuals a quick recovery, according to the British Press Association.
21:16 They will be waiting for this: Söder gives US Democrats "recommendation from outside"
"Violence is certainly not a means of resolution", says CSU chief Markus Söder and wishes Donald Trump a speedy recovery after the attack. He assesses the consequences for the presidential campaign and gives the Democrats a tip.
20:47 Trump to travel to Republican Party convention in Wisconsin soon
Just one day after the attack on him, former US President Donald Trump plans to travel to the Republican Party convention in the state of Wisconsin. The Republican presidential candidate announced on the online platform Truth Social that he would leave for Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon local time and not change his schedule.
20:39 Biden cancels trip to Texas
US President Joe Biden cancels a planned trip to Texas at short notice. The White House confirmed this. Biden had originally planned to travel to the southern state on Monday. After the shootings at Trump's rally in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday evening local time, Biden had already cut short a weekend stay in Delaware and returned to the government headquarters in Washington.
20:11 Biden announces heightened security measures for Republican Party convention
US President Joe Biden announces a speech to the nation and calls for unity. "We must stand together as a nation", Biden says at the White House and announces that he will address the American people in an official statement from the Oval Office on Monday evening (German night). For the Republican Party convention, which begins on Monday, Biden also announces increased security measures. He also announces that an independent investigation into the background of the attack will be conducted. In the morning, he and his deputy Kamala Harris were briefed by law enforcement and security agencies on the current investigation status.
20:07 Live on ntv: Biden speaks on Trump attack
US President Joe Biden speaks to the hour about the attempted assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump. Biden had already spoken a few hours after the attack and stated that "there is no place for this kind of violence in America". He then spoke on the phone with Trump. Biden was briefed on the status of the investigations by the heads of the FBI and the Secret Service, the security agency for presidents and former presidents, in the morning.
19:43 Firefighter threw himself in front of family and died "as a hero"
The man killed at a campaign rally for former US President Donald Trump in the state of Pennsylvania was a firefighter and family man. Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced this and said he had spoken to his wife and daughters. The man died "as a hero" and threw himself over his family to protect them when the shots rang out at the Trump rally. He was a "passionate supporter" of Trump. In addition to the man who died, two other spectators were injured. Shapiro said their condition was still critical.
19:13 Some Republicans hold Biden and Democrats accountable
Many Republicans in Congress offer prayers and support for former President Donald Trump in the hours following an attack on a campaign event in Butler. According to the "Washington Post", approximately 30 of them directly blame President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party, or journalists for the alleged instigation of the attack - despite Biden's clear condemnation of the act and his statement that "everyone must condemn political violence."
18:44 Former German US Ambassador: Imitators or Avengers more likely
The former German ambassador to the US, Wolfgang Ischinger, warns of the danger of a spiral of violence in the US election campaign. "Imitators - against Trump -, or Avengers - against Joe Biden - are more likely," he tells the "Tagesspiegel." This is all the more true because "multiple conspiracy theories will only further confuse the already uncertain American electorate." The Transatlantic Coordinator of the German government, Michael Link also fears further political polarization in the US. "This must not happen. It's important now to maintain calm and respect. President Joe Biden did this with his call to Donald Trump," says the FDP politician.
18:06 Trump supporters see conspiracy theories confirmed
The shots at Donald Trump could be decisive for the upcoming US presidency election, explains Frank Umbach. The security expert finds it "inexplicable" that there were no follow-up actions on the shooter's hints and praises the Democrats for "the right reaction."
17:37 "He will never stop fighting for the salvation of America" - Trump's children express themselves
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 saw 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, 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
According to information from the "Wall Street Journal," the Trump assassination attempt suspect also had explosives in his car. The car near the crime scene was reportedly secured by the authorities, according to the newspaper, citing unidentified sources. The weapon used in the crime was reportedly purchased by the father of the alleged suspect, according to the newspaper and ABC News. It is said to be an AR-15 type rifle. The AR-15 was developed in the 1950s, initially for the military. The AR-15 is the civilian version of this weapon. Different from the military version, this weapon does not have the capability of automatic fire. Skilled shooters can still shoot a large number of bullets in a short period of time.
16:59 Melania Trump speaks out
Following the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, Melania Trump has also spoken out. The slain security guard was a "Monster," who attempted to "extinguish Donald's passion, his laughter, his inventiveness, his love for music, and his enthusiasm," Melania Trump, the former First Lady of the USA, said at X. 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 thanked her husband's security personnel.
16:26 "You're not behind me, you're behind you" - Trump campaign launches fundraising appeal
According to Brad Bannon, a democratic strategist, the incident could be used by Trump. It fits the narrative of the former US President that the country is on the wrong track. "The attempted assassination generates sympathy for Trump," Bannon said. "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," said 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. "You're not behind me, you're behind you," the message read to voters.
16:08 Concerns before the party: Republicans working with 40 security agencies
Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley assures that efforts are being made to ensure security at the upcoming Republican Party in Milwaukee. We are working with 40 different security agencies, Whatley told Fox News, without specifying the details of the preparations.
15:44 Top advisors to Trump team: "Please report anything suspicious immediately"
Top advisors to Donald Trump's campaign team are urging caution. "We are augmenting our armed security presence 24/7 with on-site officers. 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, top advisors to the Trump campaign, from a joint memo. "We urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election. If anything suspicious occurs, please report it immediately to the leadership or the security team on site."
15:24 Witnesses describe chaotic scenes at Trump assassination attemptDuring Trump's campaign speech in Pennsylvania, shots were fired, causing chaos and panic. Witnesses speak of speculations about fireworks, the sound of gunshots, gunmen 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", 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 reconciliation"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 keeps the memory of the slain citizen "in our hearts". Trump had already called for unity in his inaugural speech 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", he writes on X. 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 assassin's shots and Secret Service shotsThe American gossip news site TMZ shows a video in which it appears that both the assassin'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, as TMZ reports.
11:40 Secret Service denies Republican accusationThe Secret Service has rejected the accusation that they denied Trump additional security resources 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 had recently increased security measures.
Few hours after the assassination attempt on Trump, Republican Congressman Michael Waltz had said that he had "reliable sources" who told him that there had been repeated requests for stronger intelligence service protection for Trump. Waltz provided no evidence.
11:16 Steinmeier wishes Trump swift recoveryFederal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns the attack and expresses his condolences to 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 here. We all can contribute: Let us respect violence in political disputes! Let us push back hatred and incitement from campaigning and debates! Democracy tolerates sharp controversies - but violence destroys democracy. Donald J. Trump and the injured deserve a swift recovery. My deepest condolences go to the victim's family."
10:32 Expert: "Trump produced that image directly, instinctively"Seconds after the shots rang out, Donald Trump is seen rising from the crowd and punching 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 spinning his "witch hunt" narrative.
10:10 Sharpshooter seemed to have noticed the assassin just before the first shotsA video posted on X shows a sharpshooter at the Trump rally in exactly the 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 have been 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 in that moment. The shooter was soon thereafter shot.
09:23 Participant warned of the assassin before the attackBefore 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, alerted on-site security: "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 had not known what was going on. "I thought: Why is Trump still speaking, why didn't they get him off the stage? ... The next thing I heard were five gunshots."
09:15 Scholz condemns the attack as despicableChancellor Olaf Scholz speaks out on X about the attempted attack on Trump: "The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is despicable. I wish him a swift recovery. My thoughts are also with those affected by the attack. Such acts threaten democracy."
08:28 Photographer captures image of possible projectileDoug Mills, a photographer for the "New York Times", apparently took a photo by chance in the exact moment a bullet narrowly missed Donald Trump. Michael Harrigan, a retired FBI agent, told the newspaper that "the photo could very well show the air displacement caused by a projectile". In principle, 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 photos per second. The photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000 seconds.
08:00 Alleged Shooter Identified as RepublicanThe FBI has identified the suspected shooter. It is a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks. The 20-year-old victim 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 a registered 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" points out that Crooks was 17 years old at the time of the donation. He registered as a Republican Party member in September 2021 when he turned 18.
07:46 Expert: "Secret Service needs to answer some questions"Donald Trump, as the former President and candidate, is under the protection of the Secret Service. There are highest security precautions at all campaign events, as Obama's former campaign advisor Julius van de Laar reports. It is now necessary to find out how such an attacker could still attack.
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 writes on X, she is deeply shocked, wishes Trump a quick recovery, and expresses her condolences to the family of the innocent victim. "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 spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. "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 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 doing well. In the USA, 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 and finds it "surprising" that the shooter was able to fire several shots. In response to a question about security measures, he says that such questions must 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 responsible for securing the crime scene." A representative of the Secret Service is not present at the press conference. "Nobody was available", so Rojek.
07:04 Trump in New Jersey, apparently unharmedA Trump spokesperson posted a video, which shows 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 go ahead 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 will 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, stated that the shooter had "fired several shots at the stage" and was on "an elevated position" outside the event venue. This likely refers to a roof near the gathering.
06:39 Shooter is apparently 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 the 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 late Saturday evening (local time) according to a report by the news agency Bloomberg.
06:01 FBI confirms attempted assassination of Ex-President Trump at rallyFollowing the shootings at a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania, the FBI has classified the incident as an "attempted assassination" of former President Donald Trump. "This is an attempted assassination against our former President Donald Trump," FBI Agent Kevin Rojek in Butler, the location of the rally, said. 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 calls Trump after attackUS President Joe Biden personally called Trump after the attack, the White House announced without disclosing the contents of the conversation. On Sunday, Biden will be briefed by law enforcement agencies about the status of the investigation, it was further stated.
03:58 Republicans plan to hold Convention despite Trump attackThe US Republicans plan to hold the Nominating Convention in Milwaukee 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 expected 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 positionDuring the attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the 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, it was reported that one person was seriously injured.
02:55 Trump: I was hit by a bullet in the earThe former US President Donald Trump, according to his own statements, was injured by a bullet at a campaign event. "I was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump writes on his self-founded platform Truth Social.
00:33 Shots fired at Trump: Security guards escort ex-President off stageThe former US President Donald Trump was escorted off stage at a campaign event in the state of Pennsylvania by security personnel. Before that, shots were heard. In the images, Trump is seen with a bloody ear and raised fist.
The investigation into the motives of the attacker on US President Joe Biden's rival, Donald Trump, is ongoing. Despite this, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden have announced increased security measures for the upcoming US Presidential Election 2024 Republican Party convention, understanding the heightened political tensions. Despite the attempt on Trump's life, former US President Donald Trump is determined to travel to the Republican Party convention, underlining his resilience and commitment to his political campaign.
