Topline
Former President Donald Trump was escorted off stage by Secret Service during an incident at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday that left him bloodied—and one rally attendee and the alleged shooter are both dead—though Trump’s campaign has said the former president is fine.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service … [+] agents as he leaves the stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Key Facts
The rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was interrupted by what were apparently gunshots sent Trump and members of the crowd ducking as the former president was surrounded and rushed off stage by several Secret Service agents.
Trump pumped his fist in the air multiple times while being escorted off stage before he was rushed into a vehicle.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Trump is safe following the incident and that an investigation is underway, adding in a follow up statement that one spectator was killed and two were critically injured.
Trump’s campaign said the former president is fine and “being checked out at a local medical facility.”
Trump said in a Truth Social post a bullet pierced his upper right ear and noted he knew something was wrong when “he heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.”
A Washington Post reporter posted on X—and The Associate Press confirmed—that the local district attorney says “Trump was grazed by gunfire but is safe” but that an “audience member was killed and the shooter is dead” and another person remains in serious condition.
The shooter was located outside the rally and killed by the Secret Service, according to the AP, which noted an AR-style rifle was recovered at the scene of the shooting by law enforcement.
An emergency room doctor attending the rally told a CBS News reporter he tried to save someone in the crowd who was shot in the head during the incident.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and said in a statement he is “grateful” to hear Trump is safe, adding, “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America.”
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, considered a possible Trump running mate, seemed to direct blame for the shooting at the Biden campaign, tweeting 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.”
Was It An Assassination Attempt On Trump?
It certainly appears so, as Goldinger told CNN the shooter was outside the rally and “several hundred yards away.” When asked if he believed it was an assassination attempt, President Biden said prior to Goldinger’s statement, “I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts, so I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make any more comments.” According to the Associated Press, top Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita hinted at some larger conspiracy by writing on X, “well of course they tried too keep him off the ballot , they tried to put him in jail and now you see this …,” but then deleted his post.
Crucial Quote
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Major Political Reactions To The Shooting Of Trump
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service … [+] agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
