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Misinformation spread after Trump rally shooting. Here are the facts

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Within minutes of the gunfire, the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump spawned a vast sea of claims — some outlandish, others contradictory — reflecting the frightening uncertainties of the moment as well as America’s fevered, polarized political climate.

The cloudburst of speculation and conjecture as Americans turned to the internet for news about the shooting is the latest sign of how social media has emerged as a dominant source of information — and misinformation — for many, and a contributor to the distrust and turbulence now driving American politics.

Mentions of Trump on social media soared up to 17 times the average daily amount in the hours after the shooting, according to PeakMetrics, a cyber firm that tracks online narratives. Many of those mentions were expressions of sympathy for Trump or calls for unity. But many others made unfounded, fantastical claims.

“We saw things like ‘The Chinese were behind it,’ or ‘ Antifa was behind it,’ or ‘the Biden administration did it.’ We also saw a claim that the RNC was behind it,’” said Paul Bartel, senior intelligence analyst at PeakMetrics. “Everyone is just speculating. No one really knows what’s going on. They go online to try to figure it out.”

Here’s a look at the claims that surfaced online following the shooting:

Trump 2024 flag is raised outside of Trump Tower, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Claims of an inside job or false flag are unsubstantiated

Many of the more specious claims that surfaced immediately after the shooting sought to blame Trump or his Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, for the attack.

Some voices on the left quickly proclaimed the shooting to be a false flag concocted by Trump, while some Trump supporters suggested the Secret Service intentionally failed to protect Trump on the White House’s orders.

The Secret Service on Sunday pushed back on claims circulating on social media that Trump’s campaign had asked for greater security before Saturday’s rally and was told no.

“This is absolutely false,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote Sunday on X. “In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”

Videos of the shooting were quickly dissected in partisan echo chambers and Trump supporters and detractors looked for evidence to support their beliefs. Videos showing Secret Service agents moving audience members away from Trump before the shooting were offered as evidence that it was an inside job. Images of Trump’s defiantly raised fist were used to make the opposite claim — that the whole event was staged by Trump.

“How did the USSS allow him to stop and pose for a photo opp if there was real danger??” wrote one user, using the abbreviation for the U.S. Secret Service.

Social media bots helped amplify the false claims on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, according to an analysis by the Israeli tech firm Cyabra, which found that a full 45% of the accounts using hashtags like #fakeassassination and #stagedshooting were inauthentic.

An image created using artificial intelligence — depicting a smiling Trump moments after the shooting — was also making the rounds, Cyabra found.

Moments like this are ‘cannon fodder’ for extremists

Conspiracy theories quickly emerged online that misidentified the suspected shooter, blamed other people without evidence and espoused hate speech, including virulent antisemitism.

“Moments like this are cannon fodder for extremists online, because typically they will react with great confidence to whatever has happened without any real evidence” said Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “People will fall into spirals and will advance their own ideologies and their own conclusions.”

Before authorities identified the suspect, photos of two different people circulated widely online falsely identifying them as the shooter.

In all the speculation and conjecture, others were trying to exploit the event financially. On X on Sunday morning, an account named Proud Patriots urged Trump supporters to purchase their assassination-attempt themed merchandise.

“First they jail him, now they try to end him,” reads the ad for the commemorative Trump Assassination Attempt Trading Card. “Stand Strong & Show Your Support!”

Republicans cast blame on Biden

After the shooting, some Republicans blamed Biden for the shooting, arguing sustained criticisms of Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”

Ware said that comment from Biden was “violent rhetoric” that is “raising the stakes,” especially when combined with Biden’s existential words about the election. But he said it was important not to make conclusions about the shooter’s motive until we know more information. Biden’s remarks were part of a broader approach to turn scrutiny on Trump, with no explicit call to violence.

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Trump’s own incendiary words have been criticized in the past for encouraging violence. His lies about the 2020 election and his call for supporters to “fight like hell” preceded the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which led to his second impeachment on charges of incitement of insurrection. Trump also mocked the hammer attack that left 80-year-old Paul Pelosi, the husband of the former House speaker, with a fractured skull.

Surveys find that Americans overwhelmingly reject violence as a way to settle political differences, but overheated rhetoric from candidates and social media can motivate a small minority of people to act, said Sean Westwood, a political scientist who directs the Polarization Research Lab at Dartmouth College.

Westwood said he worries that Saturday’s shooting could spur others to consider violence as a tactic.

“There is a real risk that this spirals,” he said. “Even if someone doesn’t personally support violence, if they think the other side does, and they witness an attempted political assassination, there is a real risk that this could lead to escalation.”

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What You Need to Know About TheTrump Assassination Attempt

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter is dead after injuring former U.S. President Donald Trump, killing one audience member and injuring another in the shooting.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter is dead after injuring former U.S. President Donald Trump, killing one audience member and injuring another in the shooting.
Photo: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images (Getty Images)

The shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pa. had news outlets and social media scrambling for answers Saturday afternoon, but after a night of memes and reporting, some details behind the incident have begun to materialize. Here’s what we know so far.

Can Donald Trump Serve As President From Prison?

AP News reports that former president was minutes into a speech when loud popping noises rang out from the crowd after 6:10 p.m. Trump reached for the right side of his face, before ducking under a swarm of Secret Service agents that surrounded to protect him. Voices from the stage shouted “shooter down” moments later. Trump then stood up with what appeared to be blood on his ear and his cheek, and triumphantly pumped his fist as the audience chanted “USA! USA!” in response. His security detail then rushed him to a nearby vehicle to leave the premises.

The FBI has since labeled the incident as an assassination attempt, and identified the suspect on Sunday morning as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pa. Secret Service agents shot and killed him seconds after he allegedly fired his shot from a nearby rooftop. AP News reports that the incident left one other rally attendee dead, and two critically wounded. The three victims haven’t been formally identified, but all were reportedly men.

Trump was rushed to a nearby medical facility, and his campaign said that he was injured, but that he was “fine.” He used his social media platform Truth Social to tell followers that he 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.”

President Joe Biden held an impromptu press conference to speak about the shooting. He said that he had been unable to successfully contact Trump, but that he’s been told that he’s safe and doing well.

According to Reuters, state records show alleged shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks as a registered Republican; this upcoming election would be his first time being old enough to vote in an election. At age 17 he reportedly made a $15 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for Democratic candidates. The FBI is still working to determine motive in the shooting.

Organizers said that the Republican National Convention, scheduled to begin in Milwaukee, Wis. on Monday, July 15, will continue as planned.

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‘Charmed’ Star Shannen Doherty Dies at 53 After Long Battle With Breast Cancer – Where Is The Buzz

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Actress Shannen Doherty, known for her roles in the teen dramas Beverly Hills, 90210, and Charmed, passed away Saturday, July 13th, at the age of 53. She had been battling breast cancer for many years.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty,” her publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease.”

Doherty was surrounded by loved ones, including her dog Bowie, at the time of her passing. The family has requested privacy as they grieve.

A Resilient Spirit

Doherty first received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 and openly shared her journey on social media. She underwent chemotherapy and achieved remission in 2017. However, the cancer returned in 2020.

Early Career and Breakthrough Roles

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty began acting as a child. Her early credits included television shows like Father Murphy and The Phoenix, as well as voice acting in the animated film The Secret of Nimh.

Her breakout role came in 1988 with the dark comedy Heathers, where she played Heather Duke, one of the film’s central antagonists.

Teen Queen on Beverly Hills, 90210

Doherty became a household name in 1990 with her starring role as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210. The show, a cultural phenomenon, followed the lives of teenagers in wealthy Beverly Hills.

Doherty departed the series after four seasons due to reported tension with castmates and personal struggles.

Charmed and Beyond

In 1998, Doherty found success again with Charmed, playing Prue Halliwell, one of the show’s lead witches. She left the series after three seasons.

Doherty continued to act throughout her career, appearing in films, television shows, and made-for-TV movies. She also revisited her Beverly Hills, 90210 roots by appearing in the show’s reboot.

A Life Shared

In 2023, Doherty launched a podcast, Let’s Be Clear, where she discussed her career, relationships, and her fight with cancer.

Shannen Doherty will be remembered for her talent, resilience, and candid approach to life’s challenges.


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Townsend and Siniakova win women’s doubles title at Wimbledon

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LONDON (AP) — After seeing longtime doubles partner Barbora Krejcikova win the Wimbledon singles title, Katerina Siniakova went out on Centre Court and added another Grand Slam trophy to her own collection.

Siniakova won her third women’s doubles title at Wimbledon after teaming up with Taylor Townsend to beat Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) on Saturday in a match that finished after 10:20 p.m. local time under floodlights.

“Amazing. I’m so proud of Barbora,” Siniakova said of her Czech countrywoman. “I’m just so happy that we could do it as well.”

Siniakova has won seven major doubles titles with Krejcikova and one with Coco Gauff at this year’s French Open. This was her first with Townsend, an American whose previous best Grand Slam result in doubles was two runner-up finishes at the 2022 U.S. Open — in a loss to Siniakova and Krejcikova — and 2023 French Open.

Townsend said it was Siniakova’s idea for the two of them to play together at Wimbledon.

Katerina Siniakova, left, of Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the United States react after winning the first set against Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand in the women’s doubles finalat the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

“I’m so glad Katerina slid into my DMs,” Townsend said.

A bit more than six hours after Krejcikova beat Jasmine Paolini in the women’s singles final, the fourth-seeded Siniakova and Townsend converted their first match point when Routliffe double-faulted.

Siniakova and Townsend failed to convert any of their seven break points in the second set but raced to 5-0 in the tiebreaker.

It was the third match of the day on Centre Court after the men’s doubles final.

Siniakova and Krejcikova won the Wimbledon doubles in 2022 and 2018.

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Angel Reese’s Double-Double Streak Ends – Where Is The Buzz

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While Angel Reese’s record-setting double-double streak came to a close at 15 games, the Chicago Sky rookie’s first year in the WNBA has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Dominating the Glass

Reese rewrote the WNBA record books, achieving the most consecutive double-doubles (15) and most consecutive games with 10+ rebounds (17). She’s also the only player in league history to record double-doubles in 10+ consecutive games within a single season.

Her rebounding prowess is undeniable. Reese entered the league as the 8th best rebounder, but has since rocketed to the top spot. She’s currently on pace to become the All-Time regular season rebounding leader, needing just 129 boards to solidify her place in history.

An All-Around Threat

Beyond the glass, Reese’s impact extends to all facets of the game. She joins an elite group of just three players ever to record consecutive games with 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ steals. This season alone, she’s one of only three rookies on track to average a double-double.

A Bright Future

While the double-double streak may be over, Reese’s historic rookie campaign is far from finished. She’s established herself as a force to be reckoned with for years to come, leaving fans and analysts alike excited to see what the future holds for this young star.


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How Sabrina Greenlee, Mom of DeAndre Hopkin, Forgave Attacker

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July 20, 2002, was a day that changed Sabrina Greenlee’s life forever. It was the day she endured a terrifying acid attack that left her fighting for her life and ultimately took her sight. And it was a day that sent her on a journey that tested her strength and her faith.

Sabrina Greenlee and Her Story of Survival

Over two decades later, Greenlee is sharing her story in a new memoir, “Grant Me Vision.” The Root sat down with Greenlee to talk about her experience and why she thought it was important to share her story with the world.

In “Grant Me Vision,” Greenlee paints a vivid picture of her young life growing up in South Carolina near the campus of Clemson University. She describes the place generations of her family called home as “amazing” and an important character in her life story.

“I felt it was super important to capture all of the generations who had been there and to spotlight the love and richness of the people who lived in our neighborhood,” she said.

Image for article titled In "Grant Me Vision," Sabrina Greenlee, Mom of DeAndre Hopkins, Explains Why She Forgave the Person Who Did The Unthinkable to Her

Photo: Courtesy of the subject

Greenlee, who was once a well-known exotic dancer, described her life as one filled with trips and parties with celebrities.

But all of that changed when a woman who was involved with her ex-boyfriend threw a mixture of bleach and lye on her face and body. Greenlee says she was left for dead in a gas station before being airlifted to a burn care center in Augusta, Georgia. She spent a month in a coma before she was reunited with her family.

The attack took a severe toll on Greenlee’s mental health. She writes candidly about the over three years she spent confined to her bedroom battling depression and thoughts of suicide. But she said it was her faith and her love for her four children – including her son, NFL star DeAndre Hopkins – that motivated her to push through her pain and gave her the will to live.

“I was taking pills to wake up, pills to go to sleep and all in between,” she said. “It was scary because I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I cried every day. But something in me said, ‘you better get it together because you’re going to lose these children either to the streets or to other people.’”

Sabrina Greenlee after the attack

Sabrina Greenlee after the attack
Photo: Courtesy of the subject

Greenlee says that although her life since the attack is completely different than the existence she had before, she hopes readers will be inspired by her story and understand the importance of forgiveness to her healing process.

“I would not be where I’m at today if I had not chosen to forgive. I prayed for [my attacker] when I couldn’t even pray for myself,” she said. “That was one of the best things I’ve ever done because now I live and walk in freedom. I refuse to let anyone else stop me and my family from winning.“

Sabrina and her family

Sabrina and her family
Photo: Courtesy of the subject

“I was living my best life before the attack. But one bad decision – attaching myself to the wrong people – changed my life in an instant,” Greenlee added. “It was a journey for me to get myself together for my children, but I was determined to do it.”

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Pastors see a wariness among Black men to talk abortion politics

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Phoenix pastor the Rev. Warren H. Stewart Sr. has had countless discussions this election season with fellow Black men on the economy, criminal justice, immigration and other issues dominating the political landscape in their battleground state of Arizona. But never abortion.

“They’re about justice. They’re about Donald Trump potentially reversing all of the gains achieved by the Civil Rights movement. They are not about abortion,” said Stewart.

It’s in stark contrast to what’s being said on the campaign trail, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are wooing voters who support abortion rights, while Trump and his surrogates pursue anti-abortion voters.

Although Black men traditionally back Democrats, one prevailing narrative is they are unenthusiastic about Biden, the presumptive party nominee. They make up close to 7% of the electorate, according to a Pew Research Center analysis, and this year, a few thousand votes in Arizona, Pennsylvania and other swing states could decide the race.

Democratic U.S. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina remains concerned that Trumps’ hyper masculine-campaign style is drawing those Black male voters who don’t feel represented in mainstream politics away from the Democratic Party. Clyburn is trying to counter that trend.

President Joe Biden, right, and pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton pray at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

After his dismal debate performance enflamed concerns about his age, Biden, 81, also is trying to shore up his loyal base. He recently appeared at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia and elsewhere in the state to quell lingering questions and rumors.

“I, honest to God, have never been more optimistic about America’s future if we stick together,” said Biden, addressing the congregation in a short speech that evoked Harris but did not mention abortion rights.

Among Black clergy, few are better positioned to assess Biden’s character and fitness than Bishop Reginald T. Jackson.

The 132nd Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Jackson, 70, was an advance man on Biden’s first campaign for U.S Senate in 1972, first getting an up-close view of the candidate’s shortcomings as a student at Delaware State University.

“All this stuttering? That ain’t nothing new,” Jackson said from his home in Atlanta.

Jackson said Biden’s recent flubs during the debate and subsequent news conferences shouldn’t stop him from touting his record of support for historically Black colleges and his administration’s advocacy for minority-owned small businesses.

“It’s almost as if the items the president has accomplished are being held like some sort of state secret,” Jackson said.

On abortion, Jackson believes the federal government shouldn’t meddle in a decision best left to a woman and her doctor, and says he is satisfied with the Biden campaign’s handling of the issue.

Over the past half-century, abortion has remained a fractious issue across Black Protestant churches, fraught with questions about sexuality and gender that their Christian community has struggled with historically.

In interviews, Black church leaders acknowledged that the church has not always been adept at talking about human sexuality, a characteristic they share with their mainstream Protestant counterparts. In “Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics,” author R. Marie Griffith, a humanities professor at Washington University in St. Louis, argues that the wariness to discuss sex — and contend with their deep-seated views on female sexuality specifically — is at the heart of many of the most divisive political issues.

One Black male pastor in particular, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, has been outspoken about his support for abortion access, especially during his 2022 re-election campaign.

But Warren Stewart, who leads First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, wishes Biden and Harris weren’t talking about abortion so much, even as he acknowledged the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe as a “political gift.” He believes abortion should be legal only in cases where the life of the individual giving birth is in danger.

Others disagree. The Rev. Leslie D. Callahan, the first woman to pastor Philadelphia’s historic St. Paul’s Baptist Church, said all men regardless of race need to decide what functions of their bodies they’d like controlled by the federal government. Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the US, according to the CDC’s 2022 report.

“Without bodily autonomy, what freedom do you really have?” she said.

She pointed out that Biden, who supports protecting access to abortion, isn’t being called to resign from the presidency — just the campaign.

“If he’s fit to govern, I don’t quite understand why he’s not fit to run,” Callahan said. “If you’re going to scrutinize Biden, let’s scrutinize his presidency and his policies. If you’re going to scrutinize fitness, then there needs to be consistent and equal scrutiny around the fitness of his opponent.”

A row of voting machines with American flags and the word "Vote" on them
(Adobe Stock Images)

As Trump tries to court Black voters, about 7 in 10 Black adults continue to have broadly negative views of him, according to an AP analysis of two consecutive polls conducted in June by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. However, that number is down 20 percentage points since early 2021.

Although the Trump campaign has said Black men may be more receptive to his message, Black men and women have similar views of him.

Black men’s opinion of Biden also isn’t overwhelmingly positive. The poll analysis found that about half of Black men have a somewhat or very favorable view of Biden — compared to about 7 in 10 Black women — and about 4 in 10 Black men see the president negatively.

The Rev. Otis Moss Jr., pastor emeritus of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, one of the largest and best-known Black churches in Ohio, is disturbed by Trump’s positions, saying the former president cares about preserving life before birth — but not after.

“The human rights of the woman, the female, should not be infringed upon by someone else’s political ideology,” Moss said.

Vice President Harris, a member of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, addressed religious beliefs during her March visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota — the first-ever toured by a sitting president or vice president.

“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling women what to do with their body,” Harris said.

“If she chooses, she will consult with her priest, her pastor, rabbi, her imam. But is that for the government to tell her what she can and cannot do with her own body?”

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Individualized pastoral care is better suited than blanket government policies for helping women and families work through hard and nuanced medical choices, including abortion, said Callahan. Many times, she said, people are deciding between two difficult alternatives — neither of which are optimal.

“The last thing that needs to be involved in that choice is some question about whether you’re going to be able to find a doctor who’ll be willing to risk whatever that risk is in order to help you get to physical, mental, and emotional health,” she said.

This election season Planned Parenthood’s advocacy and political organizations is working to engage, educate and mobilize Black men, among other demographic groups. Lead organizer Jamesa Bailey, director of Black campaigns for Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said that their internal data suggested that once informed about what’s at stake in the presidential election on the matter of abortion, they’re three times more likely to educate another voter — and are more likely to make a plan to vote.

Tying the issue of safe and legal access to abortion — Black Americans are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth, and well-documented research says states with the most restrictive barriers to abortion have the highest Black maternal mortality rates — to the Black maternal health crisis in America has proven “very powerful,” said Bailey, adding it could be why she saw a “significant uptick” in support from clergy and faith groups across the country.

Presenting themselves as faith leaders in their respective communities in close to two dozen states, she said, they sought with their presence to make a bold, new statement as a community: that their belief in God was not in conflict with their belief in the woman’s right to choose.

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20-Year-Old Thomas Matthew Crooks Identified as Shooter from Trump Rally – Where Is The Buzz

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The man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, according to The New York Post.

Sources familiar with the investigation reported that the Secret Service identified Crooks as the gunman who fired several shots at the former president from the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant. At a media briefing Saturday night, the FBI confirmed the shooter had been identified but did not release his name at that time.

Law enforcement confirmed that a sharpshooter killed the suspect, but the motive for the attack remains unknown. TMZ posted eyewitness video reportedly showing the gunman opening fire from his rooftop perch, and being killed seconds later.

The incident occurred while Trump was holding a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. As shots rang out, Trump grabbed at his ear and neck area before dropping below the lectern. Secret Service agents stormed the stage as more gunfire could be heard, urging attendees to get down as they screamed in panic.

The suspected shooter and one rally attendee were killed in the attack, according to law enforcement.

Trump posted on Truth Social roughly two-and-a-half hours after the shooting, thanking law enforcement, expressing his condolences for the attendee who was killed, and confirming he was shot in the ear. “It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead,” Trump posted. “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, and shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

President Biden spoke on camera from Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he is spending the weekend. In remarks that lasted two minutes, Biden said he’d tried to get in touch with Trump over the phone and hoped to speak with his political rival on Saturday night. “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick,” Biden said.

The investigation into the shooting continues as authorities work to determine the motive behind this violent act.


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Even When It Comes To Trump …Not Everything Is a Conspiracy

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It’s OK. You can admit it because we are all discussing it. Right after you heard those pops, not long after you saw the former president helped to his feet with blood running down his face and seconds after you saw the fist pump and the mouthed exhortation to ‘fight,’ it slipped into your mind: “This ain’t real. This is staged. He cooked this up…”

Trump, A Victim of “Reverse Racism”? You Gotta Be Kidding Me

I get the skepticism. We live in an age of deep fakes, when what we see isn’t always what’s real. And Donald Trump has most definitely popped Truth’s balloon and not found love.

Remember these whoppers? Barack Obama might have been born outside of the United States, and should never have been eligible to serve as president. Not true. Trump’s inaugural crowd was bigger than Obama’s. Not true. Trump would build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and Mexico would pay for it. Not true. Bleach might cure COVID. Not true. Crime is running rampant. Not true. The 2020 presidential election was stolen, and Trump actually won it. Not true. Trump didn’t have sex with that woman, Stormy Daniels…you get the point.

Trump’s tales are often as tall as the buildings with his name on them.

But this? A fake assassination attempt?

It would be outrageous, audacious and all kinds of dangerous.

We are a country steeped in political violence. A South Carolina pro-slavery zealot nearly beat an abolitionist in the U.S. Senate to death on the floor of the Senate in 1856. Four of our presidents have been assassinated. Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sen. Bobby Kennedy – all dead by an assassin’s bullet.

Don’t let anyone say this isn’t who we are. It IS who we are. It is who we have always been.

But we’ve also always tried NOT to be this way. Ever wonder why members of Congress address each other with such strained formality? “The congressman from Louisiana,”…or “my friend from New York…”

Well, how do you think Hakeem Jeffries would refer to Mike Johnson if there were no rules of decorum? How do you think Jasmine Crockett and Marjorie Taylor Greene might have gotten down a couple months ago after Taylor Greene made a comment about Crockett’s “fake eyelashes” in a congressional hearing?

It is precisely because we’re always one slight away from jacking up someone else that calls for violence and even an embrace of calls for violence are – or should have been – beyond the pale in politics.

It wasn’t cool or funny when Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise, a Republican, got shot at a congressional baseball game. It wasn’t meme-worthy when Paul Pelosi, husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, was bludgeoned with a hammer at their home in San Francisco.

Political violence is a thing in these United States. It is not beyond the pale – not at all – that some deranged nut decided to take a shot at Trump.

There can and will be debate about how this affects the race. There can and will be speculation about how Trump’s supporters and President Joe Biden respond to this.

But there can also be no debate that, in a country where guns are nearly as easy to get as bubblegum, some crazy person might well have decided to take a shot at the former president.

That’s not a hot take or a deep fake. But where to go from here? That’s a question in which we all have a stake.

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Trump shooting draws reactions from Black leaders, raises security concerns

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Political leaders quickly condemned what is being investigated as an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. 

President Joe Biden said, “There is no place for this type of violence in America,” and was “grateful” Donald Trump, who appeared to be shot or grazed on the ear, “is safe and doing well.” The presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee declared, “Everybody must condemn it.” The White House confirmed that President Biden spoke with his 2024 election opponent by phone on Saturday night.

Vice President Kamala Harris similarly said in a statement, “Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.”

TheGrio spoke with Independent presidential candidate Cornel West, who was in Las Vegas at the time of the incident for the Freedom Fest. He told theGrio, “I am a Christian. I am praying for the brother and his family.”

West added, “All of us need to renounce language and acts of violence, especially against Black people, especially against Palestinians, especially against Muslims, Jews and anybody else.”

Cornel West, Trump shot, theGrio.com
PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS – JANUARY 18: African-American scholar and Harvard University professor Cornel West gives an address at Prairie View A&M University on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Former President Barack Obama said that “although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.”

The shooting incident, which resulted in the death of the alleged shooter and a rally attendee, and the injury of two others, raises concerns about the security of presidential candidates and their associates.

A former top-ranking Secret Service official told theGrio that security at the White House would “absolutely” be “enhanced” in the wake of the shooting incident involving Trump in the city of Butler.

Armstrong Williams, a Republican strategist and close associate of former Trump administration official Ben Carson, told theGrio, “It is amazing he [the shooter] got that close to the perimeter.”

The Secret Service candidate protective detail is expected to step up security support for the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. However, as of Saturday evening, the Secret Service had not reached out to West to step up his security. The activist thought leader and presidential candidate told theGrio, “I will be alright. I have the Holy Ghost and some friends. You know what I mean?”

On Tuesday, President Biden will travel to Las Vegas for the NAACP National Convention. Leon W. Russell, the chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors, told theGrio, “We will have the full range of local police, Secret Service, and our internal security” for Biedn’s convention speech next week. 

Joe Biden, Trump shooting, theGrio.com
US President Joe Biden arrives to speak after his Republican opponent Donald Trump was injured following a shooting at an election rally in Pennsylvania, at the Rehoboth Beach Police Department, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, July 13, 2024. (Photo by SAMUEL CORUM / AFP) (Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images)

Many questions are swirling in the midst of the alleged Trump assassination attempt where a former Secret Service agent anonymously told theGrio, “The question [is] how did a gun get in that close to a protectee?” They added, “Someone will be fired!”

Like other former presidents, President Trump has a Secret Service protective detail. A second former Secret Service official who did not wish to be identified told theGrio that Trump has a Secret Service presence similar to President Biden’s. 

Typically, entering a space where a president, vice president, or presidential candidate is present is not easy. Security searches are in place, including the use of magnetometers. At the White House, the magnetometers are accompanied by other detection devices, including organic detectors for deadly compounds. 

A great concern swirls in the midst of this horrific moment as it is campaign season for both the Democratic and Republican parties. The Republican National Convention is being held in Milwaukee beginning on Monday, and the Democratic National Convention is slated for August in Chicago. Security is being stepped up in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.

The Biden administration announced on Saturday night that President Biden would return to the White House instead of travels on the campaign trail. In response to the shooting, his campaign said it would pause all “outbound communications” and is “working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible.”

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