Trump’s shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was perceived through the U. S. Secret Service. He was described as a “person of interest,” not yet a “threat,” after authorities saw him acting suspiciously and decided he possessed a rangefinder to play golf, according to Secret. Service spokesman: Anthony Guglielmi.
Family members of Corey Comperatore, a victim of the shooting at Trump’s rally, issued a statement calling his death “unthinkable. “
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Update incoming. . .
Coverage of this has ended.
Republican presidential candidate former US President Donald Trump adopts Corey Comperatore’s firefighter uniform while speaking on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Firefighter, father and husband Corey Comperatore died at Saturday’s protest. Trump observed a moment of silence during his speech Thursday night.
“Tragically, the shooter took the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore, and seriously injured two other wonderful warriors, David Dutch and James Copenhaver,” Trump said. “I spoke to all three families of those wonderful people – our love and prayers are with them and will be. ”
Trump had the Comperatore uniform on his level, honoring the uniform in front of spectators.
“Talking to the family, I told them, I said, well, I’m going to send them a lot of money, but I can’t make it up,” Trump said. “They all said the same thing. You’re right sir, we really appreciate what you’re doing, yet nothing can take your stand in Corey’s case and the other two, moreover, were very, very badly injured. “
Trump said the Netherlands and Copenhagen are “doing very well right now. “
“They’ll be fine. “
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Former U. S. President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. , United States, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
President Trump focused the first part of his acceptance speech on the final night of the Republican National Convention on acknowledging how fortunate he was for an assassination attempt last weekend at a rally in Pennsylvania.
“A lot of other people have asked me what happened, and so I’m going to tell you what happened,” Trump said Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee. “And I will never tell you a moment, because it is too painful to say. “
Trump recounted the occasions last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman, known as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire. Crooks’ shot pierced the former president’s right ear as he turned to look at one of his immigration charts displayed on a screen at the event.
“Blood was running everywhere, and yet in a way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump continued. “The amazing thing is that before the shot, if I hadn’t moved my head at the last moment, the assassin’s bullet would have hit the target perfectly and I wouldn’t be with you tonight.
“I’m supposed to be here tonight,” Trump said, before the Fiserv Forum crowd chanted “Yes, you will be. “
“I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God,” Trump said. “Looking at the news of the last few days, many other people say it’s a providential moment. “
“The crowd did it because they thought he was dead,” Trump said. “And there was a wonderful sadness. I could see it on their faces when I looked up. They didn’t know I was looking, they thought it was all over. When I could see it, I tried to do anything to let them know I was okay. I raised my right arm, I looked at the thousands and thousands of people waiting breathlessly and started shouting, “Fight, fight. “
Waltz was a guest on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Thursday night and said he spoke with officers a few hours ago and Sunday to get an idea of what they’re going through.
“Officials are angry. They’re frustrated. They continually asked for resources,” Waltz said. “Donald Trump is not your average former president, and he is not Jimmy Carter sitting in a nursing home. “
He then highlighted “other things” that are coming out.
“The shooter had 3 offshore crypto accounts, at the same time we have an Iranian plot,” Waltz said of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. “I think he’s becoming much deeper, much deeper. “
“We’re going to get to the end of this Monday,” Waltz said.
Former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property can be seen in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Authorities in Palm Beach, Florida, said they plan to close a major road leading to a beach near Mar-a-Lago starting Saturday to put in place protective measures.
The closure of South Ocean Boulevard will begin on July 20 and continue at least until the November general election, according to Palm Beach city officials.
South Ocean Boulevard will be closed between Woodbridge Road and the roundabout where South Ocean and Southern boulevards meet.
Trump’s top adviser, Alina Habba, joined “America Reports” on Thursday to talk about the department in the United States and an imaginable cure.
Habba’s comments come after the former president was nearly killed by a 20-year-old at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Trump is rushed from the scene after an assassination attempt, left, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. (Getty Images)
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. , said Thursday that U. S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was not in a position to meet with lawmakers on Wednesday, adding that “it didn’t go well. “
The senator told Cavuto that he would propose that the Secret Service review its security procedures to “really start keeping the president safe,” whether he’s in office or in the past.
The comments came after a man managed to climb onto a roof near a presidential rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he could clearly see Trump and nearly assassinated him on Saturday.
Lawmakers met with Cheatle on Wednesday, but according to Hawley, Shd did not inform them about what happened on Saturday.
“She was present at the call, but she barely gave any information. When he tried to answer one or two questions, it didn’t go well,” Hawley said. “I wasn’t well prepared. This will have to be done in public. “. At the end of the day, we want public hearings.
“They didn’t have enough staff. They did not take adequate precautions. They allowed this shooter to go up on the roof,” Hawley said. He was allowed to shoot. I mean, it’s outrageous. That the leadership be changed.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa (Al Drago/Bloomberg Getty Images/File)
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Thursday called on Pennsylvania’s local law enforcement government to provide security details, as well as audio and video recordings, similar to the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. last Saturday.
Grassley sent letters to Butler and Beaver counties, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, requesting information as he investigates what he calls a “catastrophic security breakdown” that took place at the July 13 demonstration.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. , speaks on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024 (Reuters/Mike Segar).
“Director Chelaille’s excuse for not giving us information about the assassination attempt on President Trump is that she didn’t direct it,” Blackburn said in a video she posted on X. “Well, we know she doesn’t direct it, but what We know What I now know is that he is running away from the idea of giving answers. And the most important thing is that there is an attack on President Trump. There are answers that other Americans deserve. We need them to give us the answers and to do so in the. opportune moment.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Blackburn said she was “appalled” when she was informed that the Secret Service knew of the risk Trump was taking before he took the stage.
“I have no confidence in Principal Acheille’s leadership and I think it would be the most productive thing for our country if she were to resign from her position,” Blackburn said.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Thomas Matthew Crooks will be graduating from Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania in 2022. (Obtained via Fox News Digital)
The Associated Press reported that two people familiar with the probe who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Thomas Matthew Crooks’ cell phone not only contained photos of Trump and Biden, but also Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Investigators are looking for clues to understand why criminals opened fire on Trump at Saturday’s rally.
The FBI is investigating the shooting, deeming it an imaginable act of domestic terrorism, but has yet to uncover a transparent ideological motive.
Former national security advisor Robert O’Brien (Eloisa Lopez/Pool/AFP Getty Images)
Robert O’Brien, a former national security adviser to the Trump administration, said the United States also dodged a bullet when a shooter came close to killing former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to reports.
O’Brien reportedly told the Deseret News in an interview Thursday morning that the Secret Service would be held accountable for the lack of agents at the presidential rally over the weekend.
O’Brien told the publication that he was not happy when he first learned that Trump almost killed him, though he also said he was not surprised.
“The left has demonized him a lot over the last six years,” O’Brien said. “If you’re a disturbed young user and you think you can be a hero for preventing Hitler and saving United States, that’s what this rhetoric leads you to.
“America dodged a bullet, only President Trump,” O’Brien added.
He also told the publication that if the bullet had discovered its target, it “would have torn the country apart,” making it “difficult, if possible, to put it back together. “
Former President Trump is seen raising his fist after being shot on Saturday (July 13) in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Rebecca Droke/AFP Getty Images)
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Moran said he spoke this week with the deputy executive director of the FBI’s homeland security branch, during which he got an update on the ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. , detailed a Secret Service briefing given to senators Wednesday about the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump, saying “virtually no information was provided. ”
“The director of the Secret Service stated that there had been mistakes and blunders,” he added, referring to Kimberly Cheatle.
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Former President Trump told the public at a personal event at the Republican National Convention this week that the “close” assassination attempt on his life replaced his own and made him “appreciate God even more. “
“It’s not a total failure, but it’s pretty terrible,” he added.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, said his meeting with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday night seemed more dramatic on video than on video. the era
Cramer was a guest on “The Story” with Martha MacCallum on Thursday when he asked what went through his brain when he saw a video of the encounter that circulated on social media.
“Well, first of all, it turns out to be more dramatic than we imagine at the moment, because at this moment we were just going out to fulfill some obligations and try to shed some light on a lot of the issues that are happening around the world. country and around the world by someone who has the answers but wouldn’t give them,” Cramer said. “This is the first time I’ve noticed those images. So after experiencing them, it didn’t seem so bad to me at the time.
Cramer was surprised that someone who is directly tasked with answering congressional questions would not reach out to RNC lawmakers, who asked, what he said, were “some of the most obvious questions” and straightforwards.
At one point, Cheatle even said they would move on to another room, which Cramer thought was what they were going to do, but she ran and fled from the lawmakers into a room with her security detail.
“This is a moment where, actually, the regaining of trust in the secret services . . . demands that they open up with information,” Cramer said.
James “Jim” Copenhaver, one of the two seriously injured in the assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday, said in his first speech after the incident that the weekend’s events were “tragic” and “completely unnecessary. “Training”
“The events that took place at the demonstration on Saturday, July 13, 2024 were tragic and absolutely unnecessary. No one deserves to be afraid to give explicit support to a candidate or attend an event,” Copenhagen said. “My unwavering support for President Trump will continue and I am pleased and courageous to help him on his path to becoming the 47th President of the United States of America. “
President Trump spoke with the Copenhagen family, and once there, Copenhagen wants to speak with the former president.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore is pictured with his daughters in an undated circle photograph of relatives. (Hélène Comperatore/Facebook)
Former President Trump wanted to attend the public viewing of the man he shot and killed Saturday at a crusade rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, but the Secret Service told him no.
Fox News showed that Trump had wanted to attend the public screening of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was shot by his family at a Trump rally on Saturday and eventually died.
But the Secret Service asked Trump not to attend the wake because of the inability to protect the densely forested domain nearby.
On Thursday, firefighters and a procession of police vehicles accompanied the coffin of Comperatore, 50.
A group of uniformed Army workers were seen securing a perimeter around Laube Hall in Freeport on Thursday morning, checking the roof and landscaping of the building ahead of a vigil for Comperatore.
Fox News’ CB Cotton and Christina Coulter contributed to this report.
President Biden (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Scott sent a letter to Biden, with a copy to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, FBI Director Christopher Wray and United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, saying that there was a lot of information circulating about Trump’s assassination attempt, adding that other people naturally believe the worst because of a lack of transparency.
“I am writing to urge you and your administration to take all mandatory steps to share updates with President Trump, Congress, and the American people, and answer questions about what happened in the past, who is responsible, and how we ensure this never happens. “Again,” the Florida senator wrote. Now is the time for absolute transparency and accountability. “
He asked the president to ask Wray, Cheatle and Mayorkas to hold a public news conference, sharing updates and answers to Americans’ questions.
“It is a miracle that President Trump is alive and well, but surely it is unforgivable that the alleged deranged killer has a direct line of sight to the former president and leading candidate for president of the United States,” Scott wrote. “It is imperative that the rest of Americans know that the United States government is answering questions and holding others accountable for what led to this surely preventable tragedy. »
Scott told Biden that he expects a quick reaction to a series of questions he has asked him and his administration.
FBI Director Christopher Wray (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The FBI has refused to attend a hearing with the House Homeland Security Committee next week on the events leading up to a shooting at a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that nearly claimed the life of former President Trump.
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green showed that the FBI had refused to attend next week’s hearing.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is expected to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 24.
Rep. Jim Jordan chairs the House Judiciary Committee. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg Getty Images)
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and members of the Judiciary Committee sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray saying they learned the Secret Service was understaffed at a rally of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, because the firm covered up a NATO case. in Washington, D. C.
Jordan posted a portion of the letter on Thursday X, dated July 18, 2024.
“The data provided to this committee raises serious questions about the thoroughness of security plans across local, state, and federal law enforcement in aid of President Trump’s crusade,” the letter says. “Law enforcement overlooked a series of vulnerabilities before and after Butler, Pennsylvania, which allowed an assassin to shoot a president, murder an aide, and seriously injure two others. This tragedy demands a full and transparent investigation.
After the incident, the Secret Service cleared the place and the FBI began its investigation.
The letter also highlights what has been received from the complainants on this issue.
A source told Fox News that former President Trump met with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in Milwaukee, home of the Republican National Convention, following last weekend’s shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday’s assembly was described as brief according to the source.
Cheatle faced calls for him to resign from office in the wake of Trump’s assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Alexis McAdams of Fox News contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: President Mike Johnson, R-La. , is questioning Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resolution to appear at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday night, as House Republican leaders push for accountability for those guilty of the security lapses that led to the assassination attempt. of former President Trump.
“I’m not sure what she’s doing here. Why would she be out there when they’re watching her so much?” Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview at the RNC in Milwaukee.
“I don’t understand his decision-making procedure and I don’t think he has the compatibility to lead at this critical time. “
The embattled Secret Service director found out Wednesday at the Republican National Committee, where she confronted several GOP senators who were so far unhappy with her answers about what happened last weekend.
Johnson, meanwhile, is the top senior official to call for Cheaille’s resignation following the deadly shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, last weekend.
Retired Secret Service agent Mike Matranga told “America’s Newsroom” on Thursday that the shooting at the Trump rally was a “catastrophic failure of communication. ”
“At the end of the day, we just have to say what this is, it’s a catastrophic communications failure,” Matranga added. “We’ve known this for decades: we rely too much on our local counterparts to make the paintings we’re unfinished. »
“This is a catastrophic failure; any other explanation beyond that is stupid,” Matranga concluded.
BUTLER, Pa. — The Trump rally shooter suffered from “major depressive disorder” before nearly killing the former president, FBI Director Chris Wray reportedly told Congress.
Crooks appears to have a good relationship with his parents, who are advisors but not part of his life, according to the Times.
Wray revealed investigators’ findings at Wednesday’s congressional hearing, where he said the FBI conducted two hundred interviews and reviewed 14,000 photographs on Crooks’ phone.
Despite the voluminous investigation, there is still no definitive reason for Saturday’s killing in Butler, Pennsylvania, Wray told lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday.
Former President Trump reacts after being shot in Pennsylvania on Saturday. (AP/Gene J. Puskar)
Lackawanna County commissioners announced they had “indefinitely suspended network relations officer Rick Notari” for “an off-base comment he made on social media following Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. ”
Lackawanna County is in northeastern Pennsylvania and includes the city of Scranton.
The Scranton Times-Tribune in which Notari wrote
Former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore is shown with his daughters in an undated circle of family photo. (Hélène Comperatore/Facebook)
The family of Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old volunteer firefighter who was shot and killed over the weekend at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, posted Thursday that his death was “unthinkable. ”
“Our family finds comfort and peace through the heartfelt messages of encouragement from others around the world, through the support of our church and community, and most importantly through the strength of God. We thank the countless people who have prayed for us this coming week. We deeply appreciate your kindness,” he continues.
“We ask for your continued prayers and privacy as we grieve and come to terms with the reality of Corey’s unthinkable passing,” they added.
Two FBI investigators scan the roof of AGR International Inc. , the building adjacent to the Butler fairgrounds, from where suspected shooter Matthew Thomas Crooks shot former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
However, it is not clear where he hid it. When the officials saw him on the roof, he was already holding it.
“We went from the golf rangefinder to the AR-15, and now we have to fill the gap,” he told Fox News.
Rangefinders were not banned at rallies at the time, but the government is reviewing the list of prohibited items.
He only became an official risk when he was discovered with a gun.
Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear before Congress as part of the investigation into the Trump rally shooting, saying the DHS ) and the Secret Service “provided no assurances regarding his appearance. ” ” as reasoning.
Cheatle has since agreed to comply with the subpoena, the committee reported Wednesday night.
An aerial view of Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Bloomberg reports that documents obtained from the Secret Service reveal that agents responded to dozens of threats against former President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.
But the report says it does not appear that any of the other people who entered Mar-a-Lago posed an immediate risk to Trump and that many were charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest, while others were sent to facilities premises of intellectual aptitude.
In one case, in 2018, an 18-year-old student showed up at Mar-a-Lago while Trump was there and was allowed through a Secret Service checkpoint after a screening.
One document said the individual “was in the assets for approximately 10 minutes and posted several Snapchat videos, one of which was titled ‘Stealthy into the Trump Club is like taking candy from a baby. ‘
The student was then questioned and told officials he was “looking to explore and was curious” before being “dismissed,” the document continues.
But the individual was eventually charged with entering or staying in a limited building or lot, Bloomberg reports.
“He believed that President Trump was holding his money hostage so that he could collect a percentage of his profits and insisted that President Trump be executed through the executive branch for his actions,” the document adds.
CNN’s Van Jones said the differences between former President Trump and President Biden couldn’t be starker after Biden’s COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Biden’s diagnosis showed a clear sign of weakness for the former president who recently survived an assassination attempt, according to Obama’s former adviser.
“A lot of other people need Biden to stay. Many of those other people point out that the base still likes Joe Biden, but not everyone agrees. But today is a terrible day. If you take a step back and look at this: strength rather than weakness. A bullet couldn’t stop Trump, a virus just prevented Biden,” Jones said.
Thomas Matthew Crooks is pictured atop a construction site in Butler, Pennsylvania, following the killing of Trump’s rally on Saturday, July 13 (obtained via Fox News Digital).
Trump’s shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was perceived through the US Secret Service as a “person of interest,” not yet a “threat,” after authorities saw him acting suspiciously and They decided he had a golf rangefinder, according to Secret. Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
The criminals only recognized the risk when they “recovered the weapon” and went up to the roof, according to Guglielmi, who added that a risk requires “a different protocol and action plan than that of a user of interest. ”
Guglielmi maintains that it wasn’t until Crooks retrieved his gun and climbed onto the roof that he considered a threat.
The criminals then shot former President Trump and took him out via a Secret Service sniper.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
This symbol shows Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Barrasso confronting Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. (@VoteMarsha/X)
Fox News has learned that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle went to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to identify a “complimentary bond” with the Secret Service following the assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania.
After being chased by senators, who told him they owed “answers” to others and the president, Cheatle finally told them that “this is not the place. ”
In addition, Fox News learned that Cheatle participated in a Senate convention in which FBI Director Christopher Wray briefed lawmakers on the investigation into Saturday’s shooting, though she did not show up as a participant.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. , observe the Republican National Convention, Wednesday, July 17. (AP/Paul Sancya)
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. , told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” on Thursday that he was willing to ask President Biden to fire Kimberly Cheatle, director of the United States Secret Service.
“We almost lost the life of a former president. And there has to be accountability. And it starts from the top. It’s ridiculous,” Johnson added.
So far, Cheatle has resisted calls from lawmakers to resign from office.
Fox News’ Scott McDonald contributed to this report.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. , and FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo, on “Mornings with Maria” Thursday, said lawmakers are “really going to get to the bottom of this” when it comes to the Secret Service’s handling of the murder of Trump on Saturday. . attempt.
The video Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, confronting Cheatle in Milwaukee. Sens. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, and Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, were also involved.
“Obstructions,” Barrasso can be heard yelling at Cheatle as he moves the conference center.
“They tried to get answers from him,” Donalds said Thursday.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
The 20-year-old loner who attempted to assassinate former President Trump on Saturday had an account on the encrypted app Discord, a sign that he has anonymous interactions with real-world relationships, experts told Fox News Digital.
“It was rarely used, it has not been used for months and we have not uncovered evidence that he used it to plan this incident, announce violence or speak out about his political views,” the spokesperson said. “Discord strongly condemns all bureaucracy of violence, adding political violence, and we will continue to coordinate strongly with law enforcement. “
Jim Clemente, a retired FBI agent and habit research expert, said the Discord network is popular with gamers and that Crooks’ use is not a surprise.
“It’s encrypted, which ensures a certain point of privacy and anonymity,” he said. “So someone who might feel disenfranchised, a loner who feels intimidated, those kinds of people, it’s not unusual for them to spend more time online interacting with others other than the genuine globals because their reporting with the genuine globals is so negative. “
A former SWAT commander took issue with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s “audacity,” blaming the “slanted roof” for not placing snipers at the building where Thomas Crooks opened fire during Saturday’s rally for former President Trump.
He added that there were obviously more favorable locations for snipers to spot the spot in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks killed one man and wounded three others, in addition to Trump.
“This specific building has a sloped roof at its highest point,” Cheatle said in an interview with ABC News. “And so, you know, there is one protection thing that would be considered here, and that is that we wouldn’t need to put Someone on a sloping roof. . . The resolution was made to secure the construction from the inside. “
“She had the audacity to say there was a challenge with the pitched roof when her men were already on a pitched roof,” he said, referring to published photographs of other Secret Service snipers perched on nearby pitched rooftops.
Petrino also said he was speechless due to the obvious lack of drone surveillance at the rally and wondered why snipers had not been stationed near a water tower that “would have had an advantageous position from all rooftops,” which can be seen in aerial photographs.
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — A former classmate of long-term killer Thomas Matthew Crooks said the 20-year-old shooter remained silent with a small organization of friends, stressing that she would never have attributed his movements to Trump’s rally.
D’Angelo painted a portrait of Crooks’ personality, interests, and beliefs at school.
“I had a small group of friends,” D’Angelo said. “He wasn’t a loner, but he wasn’t the best kid in the class either. “
The 20-year-old’s political leanings have been a hot topic, with others pointing to his Republican voter registration and others pointing to his $15 donation for a crusade to a progressive political action committee.
“We had a course on American politics. It lasted six months last year,” he said. “And he expressed any of his political opinions. “
Bill Stanton, who has worked at the box for four decades, criticized Chealle’s claim that officials were not occupying a nearby roof used by gunman Thomas Crooks because it was tilted.
The would-be assassin climbed onto the roof of the building and fired several bullets that wounded Trump and killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore. Two others were seriously injured.
Stanton said Trump was inches from certain death and that Cheatle would have been the only one to blame.
“God forbid, that 2. 5 cm bullet to the right killed our former president,” he said. “Was it the excuse she was going to give, that the roof was too steep and that she still had work?”
Dr. Houman Hemmati, speaking on “Fox News Live,” said that former President Trump “has narrowly avoided injuring the facial nerve, a nerve that runs from the ear and innervates the facial muscles. “adding the mouth and eyelids and where the cheeks are.
Hemmati said courage is “involved in smiling and just staying on your back. ”
“It looks like he’s missing a piece of his ear, so he’s probably covering it right now,” Hemmati also said, describing Trump’s wounds after firing on Saturday at a crusade rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “It will require reconstructive surgery, but I think in President Trump’s case, it will be more commonly cosmetic. “
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — A local Republican volunteer who helped organize and then attended former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last weekend, said he and activists raised considerations the night before about the site’s security.
Zach Scherer, a volunteer firefighter from Chicora, a short distance northeast of the Butler Farm Show, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he was also the third Trump on the bands at the time the former president was wounded and fellow firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed. .
“Friday night, I’ll remember the day before. An organization of us had volunteered for Trump’s crusade to organize the rally, which included setting up barricades, staging, and other things we had to make sure made this occasion a success,” said Scherer.
“And all of our security considerations that we raised on Friday night have been strictly ignored and none of our security-related questions or considerations have been reacted to in this matter,” he added.
Scherer said he has volunteered for at least 20 other Trump rallies and that logistical or security issues are reported to party officials or authorities and rectified when the occasion begins.
“We have noticed the replacement in place on the day of the rally. And [Butler] was the first one where I didn’t see any replacements between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, when we got there at 7:30 [AM]. “
This June 3, 2022, still symbol from a video provided through Bethel Park School District shows student Thomas Matthew Crooks at the start of the 2022 school year at Bethel Park High School in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. (Bethel Park School District AP)
Fox News says US senators in an all-member briefing on Wednesday, July 17, said former President Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, had written a threatening message on a gaming platform before his shooting.
When researchers tested the laptop, they discovered some studies in July about: Trump, Biden, when the Democratic National Committee conference takes place, and Trump’s July 13 rally.
Investigators discovered no evidence of any ideology on the laptop, which the FBI considers notable, and no one in interviews reported that Crooks discussed politics.
The senators discovered that the suspect had two cell phones. The older phone recovered at the scene with a remote transmitter. A secondary mobile phone discovered in the house contained only 27 contacts. The FBI is tracking and questioning those people.
Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News Channel’s senior White House correspondent, contributed to this report.
Former President Trump was shot and killed on Saturday, July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP/Gene J. Puskar)
“Continuity of operations is a critical incident of the utmost importance and United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no plans to resign. “She deeply respects members of Congress and is firmly committed to transparency by leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the company with the lessons learned in those vital internal and external reviews,” said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and John Barrasso of Wyoming confronted Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday to ask the director questions about the direction of the agency.
Blackburn said Cheatle would not answer his questions and told Republican senators that this was not the time or place. Blackburn also tweeted that Cheatle evaded senators when they questioned him at the convention.
“This after I participated in a conference call today where the queue was cut,” Blackburn said. “But I have a message for her: She can run but she can’t hide because other Americans need to know how the murder was carried out. ” “The attack against former President Donald Trump was carried out. “
The live show starts here.