The assassination attempt on former U.S. President Trump has shocked the entire country and the world, changing the political atmosphere of the upcoming Republican National Convention scheduled from July 15 to 18. Trump narrowly escaped the assassination attempt on July 13, a perilous moment that could potentially serve as a pivotal turning point for the 2024 U.S. election.
As the FBI, Secret Service, and Trump’s campaign team try to uncover what happened and why, a plethora of false information has been spreading on social media. Key questions surrounding the assassination attempt still need further clarification, and the incident itself will undoubtedly have some impact on the 2024 election.
On July 14, the FBI confirmed that the attempted assassin of Trump was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb near Pittsburgh. Bethel Park is an upper-middle-class suburb, about an hour’s drive from Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump’s rally took place on July 13.
The New York Times reported that Crooks worked as a dietary aide at the Pleasant Ridge Manor nursing home in Bethel Park and had no criminal record.
According to the Associated Press, the Secret Service is investigating how Crooks managed to carry an AR-style rifle to attempt to shoot the former President from a high position at such close range, marking a catastrophic failure for the agency.
Analysis of over a dozen videos, photos from the Trump rally, and satellite images by the AP revealed that Crooks remarkably climbed onto the roof, very close to the stage where Trump was speaking. He wore a gray T-shirt with a black American flag on his right arm.
Crooks fired from the rooftop, less than 150 meters away from where Trump was speaking – a distance where a trained shooter could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, U.S. Army recruits must be able to hit a human-sized silhouette at 150 meters to use the M16 rifle in subsequent basic training. Crooks used an AR-style rifle, a civilian version of the military M16.
During Trump’s speech in Butler, less than 10 minutes in, a series of shots were heard when, in a split second, a bullet narrowly missed grazing the upper edge of his right ear. Many believe the bullet was millimeters away from posing a fatal danger to Trump.
After touching his right ear and quickly ducking down, Trump’s Secret Service agents rushed to protect him as danger loomed. After the ordeal, Trump stood up again with blood traces on his right ear and cheek, waving his fist at the crowd, shouting “fight.” Upon seeing Trump unharmed, the crowd erupted into cheers.
An AP photographer captured the moment when Trump punched the air with the U.S. flag fluttering behind him, becoming a widely circulated and historically significant photograph.
Crooks was shot dead on the spot by a Secret Service sniper shortly after the unsuccessful assassination attempt. Explosive materials, including improvised explosive devices, were found in Crooks’ car parked near the rally site. Additionally, bomb-making materials were discovered in his home.
The FBI is investigating Crooks’ personal information and motives for the assassination attempt. Investigators are looking into Crooks’ posts on Discord, a popular social media application for sharing information and interacting with others.
Registered as a Republican, Crooks appeared to harbor discontent toward Trump. Public records show he donated $15 to the “Progressive Vote Project,” a group allied with the Democratic Party. Crooks’ parents are believed to be registered Democrats.
Several former senior Secret Service agents told the AP that Crooks should not have been allowed near the building, let alone on the rooftop, urging the agency to determine how this oversight occurred. They believe this error may have been due to negligence of Secret Service officials or flaws in the event’s security plan.
Stephen Colo, a retired Secret Service assistant director with 27 years of experience, expressed the need for a thorough examination of the security plan and interviews with many personnel from top to lower-ranking positions to pinpoint the errors.
Timothy McCarthy, a former Secret Service agent retired in 1994, emphasized the importance of a deep investigation into the incident, asserting that the assailant should not have occupied such a favorable shooting position.
McCarthy, at 75, asked, “How did that person get up on that building?”
James Comer, a Republican congressman from Kentucky and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, reached out to the Secret Service for a briefing and requested Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to attend a questioning hearing.
Comer stated in a release, “All forms of political violence are un-American and unacceptable. There are many questions that Americans need answers to.”
Richie Torres, a Democratic congressman from New York, urged an inquiry into the “security failure” at the rally.
Torres stated, “The federal government must continually learn from security failures to prevent repeating them, especially when these failures impact the nation.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland asserted that the Justice Department would utilize all available resources for the investigation.
Garland said in a statement, “My heart is with the former president, the injured, and the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific attack. We will not tolerate any form of violence, as such acts are an attack on our democracy.”
The Republican National Convention slated to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15 to 18, was initially not expected to cause much upheaval. The convention was expected to officially nominate former President Trump as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidency. The main uncertainty surrounding the RNC was how and when Trump would announce his choice for vice presidential running mate.
However, following Trump’s injury from the assassination attempt, there may be changes in the atmosphere and content at the convention. Trump has indicated that he has rewritten his closing speech for the RNC’s final day, with a focus on uniting the nation.
In an interview with the Washington Observer, Trump stated, “My speech to be delivered on Thursday (July 18) will be very exciting.”
Reportedly, Trump added, “This would have been one of the most incredible speeches if this (assassination attempt) hadn’t happened. Honestly, this will now be a completely different speech.”
Initially geared towards energizing his voter base by criticizing President Biden’s policies, Trump’s revised speech will now highlight the assassination attempt at the Butler rally that disrupted the event.
He stated, “This is an opportunity to unite the entire country, even the whole world. This speech will be very different from two days ago.”
Congresswoman Nancy Mace, scheduled to give a speech at the convention on Wednesday night, mentioned during an interview with NewsNation that an overall message of unity should prevail. She emphasized conveying a message of unity not only for the Republican Party but also for the entire nation to heal in the coming weeks and months.
In the aftermath of the recent failed assassination attempt, Republicans have rallied even further around Trump. Reince Priebus, the chairman of the convention organizing committee, stated on ABC that Trump’s resolute attitude brought to Milwaukee will further inspire those in attendance.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the convention on Sunday. RNC officials stated that the convention would proceed as planned with approximately 2,400 Republican delegates expected to participate, given the extensive planning over the past year and a half.
In a statement on the 14th, Trump said, “I cannot allow the ‘assassin’ or potential assassin to force a change in the RNC schedule or anything else.”
Enhanced security measures are anticipated for the convention. Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin, a Democrat, requested banning firearms within the convention’s “soft perimeter” and urged other officials to take extra measures to protect attendees.
Evers posted on X platform, stating, “We cannot be a country that accepts any form of political violence – this is not the essence of who we are as Americans.”
Under the slogan “Make America Great Again,” each day of this year’s RNC convention will have a different theme: Monday (15th) will focus on the economy, Tuesday (16th) on security and crime, Wednesday (17th) on military strength and border security, and Thursday (18th) will broadly address Trump’s second-term plans.
The debut appearance of Trump’s chosen running mate will undoubtedly attract significant attention at the convention. Although initially expected to be revealed on Wednesday, the Vice Presidential pick, JD Vance, a Federal Senator from Ohio, was already announced by Trump on Monday. Vance is set to deliver a speech as the Vice Presidential candidate.
Shortly after the failed assassination attempt on Trump, despite persisting animosity and anger between the two parties, some political leaders from both sides acknowledge the need for cooling tensions as the campaign enters its final months.
Biden’s campaign team pulled down digital ads targeting Trump from broadcasting and halted Biden’s campaign events and official travel plans. Vice President Kamala Harris postponed a campaign event in West Palm Beach, Florida, – Trump’s stronghold – where she planned to discuss abortion rights. The event was announced hours before Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (13th).
Additionally, Biden canceled a trip to Texas planned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. Biden is now set to have an interview with NBC on Monday (15th) at the White House before heading to Las Vegas for a campaign stop on Tuesday (16th).
Biden’s campaign officials told Politico that following Monday’s interview, Biden and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will “contrast” Biden’s campaign schedule with Trump’s and the Republicans’ this week.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, during a Sunday interview with NBC, expressed reluctance to place blame for the unsuccessful assassination attempt solely on Democrats, acknowledging that some Democratic attacks on Trump’s speeches may have influenced voter sentiments and behavior.
Graham stated, “We are frustrated with how President Trump has been treated. But I’m very grateful he’s alive today.”
“Today, we should be grateful that our former President, a political candidate, survived an assassination attempt. Let’s strive to do better here. I don’t want to go down that (path of mutual hatred).”