Former President Donald Trump stated last Saturday that despite the failed assassination attempt against him earlier this month in Pennsylvania, he will continue to hold outdoor rallies.
It appears that the former president is refuting reports citing anonymous sources that claimed the U.S. Secret Service had advised Trump’s campaign team to cancel outdoor rallies following the assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
The Secret Service has not issued a public statement regarding this matter.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to post, “I will continue to hold outdoor rallies, and the Secret Service has agreed to enhance security measures to ensure the safety of my events.”
He stated, “They (the Secret Service) have the capability to do so (enhance security). We will never allow anyone to obstruct or hinder freedom of speech or assembly.”
On July 13, shortly after Trump took the stage at the Butler rally, a gunman shot at him from a rooftop about 400 feet away, hitting his right ear. The gunman was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was shot dead on the spot. The assassination attempt resulted in one rally attendee’s death and injuries to two others.
On July 18, Trump accepted the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election at the GOP convention and delivered a one-hour speech with a bandage wrapped around his right ear.
The FBI confirmed last Friday that Trump’s right ear was indeed hit by a bullet. Just two days prior, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House of Representatives stating that it was likely bullet fragments that struck Trump’s ear, sparking controversy.
The FBI informed Epoch Times, “The bullet that struck former President Trump’s ear, whether a whole bullet or bullet fragments, was fired from the deceased suspect’s rifle.”
Following the shooting incident, the Secret Service and its former director, Kimberly Cheatle, faced criticism for their security work at the Butler rally. Despite initially resisting calls for her resignation, Cheatle ultimately stepped down last week after facing intense questioning from House members and a joint statement from high-ranking members of both the Republican and Democratic parties demanding her resignation.
In her resignation letter, Cheatle stated, “I take full responsibility for the security lapses. Considering the recent events, I have made the difficult decision to resign from the position of director.”
Last Saturday evening, Trump held an indoor rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with his running mate, Republican Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, also in attendance. Earlier that day, Trump also appeared at a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Following the assassination attempt, the House Committee on Homeland Security announced a comprehensive investigation into the incident. President Biden also stated hours after the shooting that he would instruct an independent review of the matter, while the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security posted a notice on its website indicating a review of the Butler rally shooting incident and security details.
At the St. Cloud rally, Trump defended a female Secret Service agent who rushed to assist him immediately after the shooting incident, a move that received criticism due to the agency’s employment of women in such roles.
Referring to the unnamed female agent, Trump said, “She was being attacked by fake news because she wasn’t tall enough. She was so brave at that time, she was protecting me, she wanted to take the bullet for me.”
“Every single one of them – none of them are slow. There was a woman on my right at the time (Secret Service agent), she was protecting me. A very good person – she fought to protect me. She was hit, she was criticized by fake news because she wasn’t tall enough.”