Trump says ‘bullet pierced upper part of right ear’ in rally shooting; Biden says ‘everybody must condemn’ political violence

Guardian:


Trump says ‘bullet pierced upper part of right ear’ in rally shooting; Biden says ‘everybody must condemn’ political violence


Ex-president says bullet hit ear amid earlier reports he was hit by glass fragments; president says he hopes to speak to Trump soon

Trump rushed off stage bloodied after multiple gunshots heard at Pennsylvania rally – video

Chris Stein (now) and Fran Lawther (earlier)Sun 14 Jul 2024 11.50 AEST


10.49 AEST
Trump says he was hit by 'bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear'

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said he was hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear” when a gunman opened fire on his rally in Pennsylvania:



pic.twitter.com/nKvjerTl0g— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) July 14, 2024

“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country,” Trump wrote, noting that the suspected shooter is dead.

He then gave his version of what happened:


I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.

It has also been reported that Trump was hit by glass fragments.

Updated at 11.12 AEST


8m ago11.50 AEST
Trump will appear at Republican National Convention as planned, campaign says

Donald Trump still plans to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week, where he is scheduled to be formally renominated as president, his campaign and the Republican National Committee said.

“As was communicated earlier this evening, President Trump is doing well and grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their fast action,” Trump campaign senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita and Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley and co-chairman Lara Trump said.

“President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.”Share

25m ago11.33 AEST

Homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department was “taking every possible measure” to ensure the safety of Donald Trump, Joe Biden and their campaigns after the shooting at the ex-president’s rally today:



We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms and commend the Secret Service for their swift action today. We are engaged with President Biden, former President Trump, and their campaigns, and are taking every possible measure to ensure their safety and security.— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) July 14, 2024Share

41m ago11.17 AEST

In May, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans were concerned that political violence could occur following the 5 November presidential rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Here’s more about the survey:

Two out of three Americans say they are concerned that political violence could follow the 5 November election rematch between Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor and challenger, Donald Trump, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The survey of 3,934 US adults found widespread worries that the country could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump’s 2020 election defeat, when the then president’s false claim that his loss was the result of fraud prompted thousands of followers to storm the US Capitol.

Trump is once again laying the groundwork to contest the results should he lose to Biden a second time.

In an online poll, 68% of respondents – including 83% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans – said they agreed with a statement that they were concerned that extremists will resort to violence if they are unhappy with the election outcome.

Overall, 15% of respondents disagreed and 16% were unsure. In recent interviews, Trump has refused to commit to accepting the election results and at campaign rallies has portrayed Democrats as cheats.

Updated at 11.30 AEST
55m ago11.04 AEST
Shooter opened fire on Trump from rooftop with AR-style rifle - report

ABC News reports that the person who opened fired on Donald Trump’s rally, killing one and injuring two in what law enforcement officials reportedly believe was an assassination attempt, was perched on a rooftop and used an AR-style rifle:



The shooter at the Trump rally fired as many as 8 rounds from an AR style rifle while perched on a rooftop adjacent to the venue, law enforcement sources told ABC News. The shooter was 200-300 yards away at the time of the gunfire, the sources said.— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) July 14, 2024

Here’s more on that sort of weapon:Share

1h ago10.59 AEST
Republicans accuse Biden of instigating shooting at Trump rally

Some Republicans have accused Joe Biden of setting the stage for the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally, citing language he used against the ex-president on the campaign trail.

Here’s Ohio senator JD Vance, who is said to be a potential pick as Trump’s running mate:



Today is not just some isolated incident.

The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.

That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 14, 2024

And Georgia representative Mike Collins:



Joe Biden sent the orders. https://t.co/pOc0XLxCwg— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) July 13, 2024Share

Updated at 11.05 AEST
1h ago10.55 AEST

The Secret Service has confirmed that their officers killed the person who opened fire on Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania and that, in addition to the one attendee killed, two had been “critically injured”



Here is the latest information from our investigation. We are grateful to the Secret Service team and our law enforcement partners for their swift action. Our thoughts go out to the families affected by this tragedy. pic.twitter.com/E8FazqtUVZ— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) July 14, 2024Share