Shock and Horror: Trump Escapes Murder Attempt During US Campaign Speech
The incident occurred on a Saturday evening at 18.08 hours local time (00.08 hours MESZ). Trump was starting his campaign speech in the small town of Butler when several shots were fired. Trump took cover behind his podium and was then shielded by security personnel. Screams could be heard from the crowd, and people were seen throwing themselves to the ground.
Trump was surrounded by his security team again and stood up, with blood visible around his right ear. According to the police, apart from the alleged shooter, a bystander was reportedly killed, and two others were seriously injured.
As Trump was escorted to his car from the stage with loud "USA" chants from his supporters, he raised his fist defiantly. The Secret Service, responsible for protecting current and former US Presidents, later confirmed that Trump was safe. Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung stated that Trump was fine. The 78-year-old was reportedly examined in a local medical facility.
Later on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that a bullet had "penetrated the upper part of my right ear." "It's incredible that such an incident can occur in our country." Later, Trump was seen exiting his plane without assistance, as shown in a video released by his press team.
According to NBC and CBS, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the alleged perpetrator as the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service reported that the attacker had fired "multiple shots from an elevated position outside the event venue." The assailant was then "neutralized." Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the shooter before the attack and alerted the authorities. The police stated that they had responded to "a series of reports of suspicious activities."
In a video published by TMZ, a man armed with a rifle is seen lying on a roof. The video does not show the man shooting, but several quick, successive gunshots and screams can be heard.
The attempted assassination of Trump caused shock in the US and internationally. US President Biden called the act "despicable." In the US, there is "no place for this kind of violence." According to the White House, Biden phoned Trump after the shooting and returned to Washington early from his home state of Delaware.
The former democratic US President Barack Obama wrote on X, urging Americans to "use this moment to hold ourselves accountable and demand respect in our politics."
World leaders also reacted with shock to the shooting attack. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) called the attack "reprehensible." German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for political restraint. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy all condemned any form of violence in politics and warned of a threat to democracy.
Moscow, however, called on the US government to "review their policy of inciting hatred" and used the attack to criticize Washington's military support for Ukraine.
The gathering in Butler was Trump's last campaign event before the Republican Party convention, which begins on Monday and where Trump is to be officially nominated as the party's Presidential candidate. Trump, according to his campaign team, intends to participate despite his injury.
The shots may further escalate tensions in the deeply divided country before the Presidential election on November 5th. US Senator J.D. Vance, who was rumored to be Trump's Vice Presidential candidate, pointed directly at Trump's rivals, Biden. "The central premise of Biden's campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs," Vance wrote on X and added: "This rhetoric directly led to the attempted assassination of President Trump."
- During his US campaign speech in Butler, a shocking incident occurred when Joe Biden's opponent, Donald Trump, was involved in a violent incident.
- Despite the chaos, Trump was able to make his way to his car with the support of his security team, much to the delight of his supporters who chanted "USA" loudly.
- As the news of the shooting spread, US President Joe Biden expressed his shock and condemned the act as "despicable."
- In the aftermath of the incident, political leaders from around the world, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, condemned any form of violence in politics.
- Trump's opponent, Joe Biden, was also rumored to be a target of election campaign rhetoric, with US Senator J.D. Vance directly blaming Biden's rhetoric for the attempt on Trump's life.
- The incident in Butler took place just days before the Republican Party convention, where Trump was set to be officially nominated as the party's Presidential candidate.
- The shooting incident has raised alarm and horror among the American public, with many expressing concerns about the state of political discourse in the United States of America.
