United States: An attempted assassination at a campaign rally on Saturday has left Donald Trump with a gunshot wound to the ear, an incident likely to dramatically impact this year’s US presidential race and provoke significant scrutiny over the security measures in place for the Republican candidate.
Immediately following the attack, Trump’s security detail enveloped him, swiftly guiding him to safety. Emerging moments later with blood streaking his face, Trump raised a defiant fist and mouthed “Fight! Fight! Fight!” to the crowd, as reported by Reuters.
The Trump campaign announced that he was “doing well,” with the only injury being a wound on his upper right ear.
By early Sunday, the FBI had identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved” in the assassination attempt. Crooks, a registered Republican, was shot dead by Secret Service agents after he fired from a rooftop approximately 140 meters from the stage where Trump was speaking. An AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle was found near his body.
The attack claimed the life of one rally attendee and critically injured two others, according to the Secret Service. Officials have yet to determine a motive for the shooting.
As per Reuters, Trump, 78, had just begun his speech when gunfire erupted. He instinctively grabbed his right ear, examined his bloodied hand, and then dropped to his knees before being shielded by agents. He reappeared about a minute later, missing his signature red “Make America Great Again” hat, and gestured defiantly before being whisked away in a black SUV.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump later posted on his Truth Social platform, describing the incident that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, roughly 30 miles north of Pittsburgh. “There was significant bleeding.”
Trump was escorted from Butler by Secret Service and later arrived at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.
This assassination attempt marks the first such incident involving a US president or major party candidate since the 1981 attempt on Republican President Ronald Reagan. The attack has raised immediate questions about potential security lapses by the Secret Service, which provides lifelong protection for former presidents like Trump. The FBI has taken the lead in the investigation.
The shooting, occurring less than four months before the November 5 election, poses significant implications for the upcoming contest between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden, with most polls indicating a tight race.
Market analysts suggest that the attack and Trump’s resilient response might boost his chances of reclaiming the presidency, with increased trades betting on his victory expected in the coming week. Trump is scheduled to receive the Republican nomination at the party’s national convention in Milwaukee starting Monday, as per Reuters.
Ron Moose, a supporter at the rally, recounted hearing four shots and seeing the crowd and Trump duck in quick succession. “The Secret Service reacted instantly, protecting him,” Moose said.
The BBC interviewed an unidentified man who claimed to have seen an armed individual crawling on a nearby roof, attempting to alert security.
The Secret Service stated that the shots originated from outside the secured area. FBI officials, at a late Saturday briefing, expressed surprise that the suspect managed to fire multiple shots. The Secret Service did not have a representative present at the briefing.
In response to the attack, the Republican-led Oversight Committee in the US House of Representatives has summoned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing scheduled for July 22. “Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt on President Trump,” the panel declared on social media.
Trump supporters have criticized the Secret Service’s handling of the situation. Conservative activist Jack Posobiec questioned on social media site X, “How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee?”
