The man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at his golf course in Florida was found guilty on Tuesday.
FT. PIERCE, FL – The man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump in Florida has been found guilty. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reacted after a jury found Ryan Routh attempted to kill Trump at his Palm Beach golf course during the presidential campaign last year.
“Great day for everybody in America. It’s a great day for President Trump,” Blanche told NBC News.
Routh reportedly appeared to try to stab himself in the neck after the verdict was read in the courtroom. He was found guilty of attempted assassination, assaulting a federal officer, and felon in possession of a firearm. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Routh is an evil man that had an evil intention and he thanked the Justice Department for its work.
Ryan Routh guilty in Trump assassination attempt, tries to stab himself after verdict
A Florida jury on Tuesday found Ryan Routh guilty of an assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Routh represented himself in the trial. He was found guilty of all five charges, which included attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.
Routh was arrested in September 2024 at Mr. Trump’s golf course. A Secret Service agent testified last week that he spotted Routh before the then-presidential candidate came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.
After the verdict was read, Routh apparently tried to harm himself, possibly using a pen that was on his desk, to stab himself in the neck. His daughter cried out during the incident and U.S. marshals eventually tackled him.
It was the second assassination attempt against Mr. Trump in 2024, after shots were fired in a separate incident at a Pennsylvania rally. A bullet grazed Mr. Trump’s ear in that incident.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the guilty verdict against Routh “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence,” and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the verdict sends “a clear message” that an “attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen.”
A federal district judge will determine his sentence. He faces life in prison.
In a nearly hourlong closing argument on Tuesday, Routh said that there was no intent to kill because the trigger was never pulled, the gun was never fired and that no one was hurt, so “no crime.”
“I wanted to kill, my actions within the community and toward my co-workers and family should show my obvious non-violence and gentleness,” Routh said. Speaking about himself in the third person, he said the shooting was never going to happen because it was “never in his heart.”
But prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Mr. Trump, who was then running for president. Prosecutors also alleged in court filings that Routh attempted to acquire an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot down Mr. Trump’s plane.
The witnesses were brothers Samuel and Lazaro Plata, both of whom once worked for Routh’s roofing company in North Carolina. They took the stand on the afternoon of Sept. 17.
Routh faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and firearms violations in the wake of the Sep. 15, 2024, incident at Trump International Golf Club near West Palm Beach. If convicted of the first charge, Routh, 59, could be sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case by Sept. 19. At that time, Routh, who is representing himself, can present his case before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
Brothers who once worked for Ryan Routh take witness stand
The Plata siblings, both witnesses for the prosecution, testified that Routh left a box containing multiple items, including bullet cartridges, pipes and four cellular phones, behind Lazaro Plata’s home in April 2024.
The box also reportedly included a 12-page letter in which Routh predicted that his assassination attempt would fail and in which he extended an offer of $150,000 to the person who could complete the act.
The letter prompted a debate between Routh and government prosecutors, who sought to display a few sentences that specifically referenced the attempted assassination of Trump.
Routh argued that he should be able to mention a reference in the letter to “shredding” Trump’s plane, arguing it would add context to the substance of the letter and stating the letter contained no references to a golf course.
Cannon rejected Routh’s arguments and allowed the prosecutors to show the unredacted portion of the letter. Speaking through Spanish translators, the Plata brothers told jurors that Routh used to be their boss and said that at one point they considered him to be a friend.
Lazaro Plata stated Routh left the box behind his home in Greensboro, North Carolina, with the item remaining untouched until news broke about the failed assassination attempt against Trump.
During his cross-examination, Routh focused on questions pertaining to his character, asking the Platas whether they had ever seen him donate time, or offer a job to someone in need, to which Plaza replied that he had..
“Have I ever gotten mad?” he asked Samuel Plata.
“Not with me,” Plata said.
In follow-up questioning from prosecutors, Lazaro Plata testified that Routh owed money to several people who worked for him.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
NASSAU COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) — Nassau County officials shared new details about the tight security measures being taken for Donald Trump’s first rally since the second apparent assassination attempt on the former president.
The event is expected to begin at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Officials say local law enforcement is working with the federal agencies, including the Secret Service, to keep the former president, attendees and residents in the nearby communities safe.
They say that includes a small army of specialized units and first responders.
“Every inch of that property in that perimeter and the perimeter is as large as we need to make it, we will make sure that it is safe and it will be swept, we will have aviation over top during arrival and during the time of the event and we will also have our K-9 dogs out in the wooded areas,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.
Officials say the only entrance into the coliseum will be on Hempstead Turnpike and only people with a ticket will be allowed in the parking lot.
The area around the parking lot has been designated a no-fly zone.
As for how many people will actually get inside the coliseum, about 16,000 out of 60,000 tickets were reportedly issued online by the Trump campaign.
John Hubbard has two of them.
“A friend of mine went to one in Virginia, and the line was around the block hours prior,” Hubbard said.
For those who can’t get into the rally, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said there will be big screen TV’s set up in the parking lot and on the plaza. He says there will also be food trucks and port-o-potties.
The county executive also explained that while Trump pays for the production inside, taxpayers foot the bill for an entire day’s worth of security outside, and county Democrats were not happy.
“It’s not a 2-3-hour debate, this is a full day of outside events,” said Nassau County Legislative Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton. “I can’t even imagine what the total cost is going to be.”
Blakeman said they don’t put a price tag on “protecting presidential candidates, and foreign dignitaries, and the general public. That’s something we budget for.”
The following items are not allowed to be brought to the rally:
Drones, aerosols, alcohol, appliances, backpacks or roller bags, no bag larger than 12 x 14 x 5 and it must be clear, balloons, balls, poles, sticks, banners, signs, placards, chairs, coolers, e-cigarettes, firearms, glass, thermal containers, airhorns, whistles and bullhorns.
Doors open at 3 p.m., but parking lots open at 8 a.m.
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The suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump may have been lurking near the Republican presidential nominee’s West Palm Beach golf course for nearly 12 hours before a Secret Service agent spotted him, according to a criminal complaint.
Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was detained by Florida authorities in relation to the incident. Authorities are now probing for more details on the would-be shooter.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Routh’s cellphone dated tracked him near the tree line of Trump International Golf Club as early as 1:59 a.m. on Sunday.
Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, has had his first appearance in federal court.
As Trump was playing a round of golf that afternoon, a Secret Service special agent walking the perimeter of the golf course spotted what appeared to be a rifle poking out of the tree line. The agent then fired in the direction of the rifle and saw Routh fleeing the area and entering his Nissan vehicle, according to the complaint.
In the area of the tree line where the suspect was seen, agents found a digital camera, two bags, including a backpack, and a loaded SKS-style 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope, according to the complaint. The serial number on the rifle “was obliterated and unreadable to the naked eye,” the complaint states.
Agents also found a black bag containing food, according to the complaint.
Photo of Routh following his detention by authorities in Florida.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office
The latest details of the incident emerged as Routh appeared in West Palm Beach federal court on Monday morning. Prosecutors said he is charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh did not enter a plea to the charges, and was ordered to return to court on Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment has been scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh entered the courtroom wearing a T-shirt. He was seen smiling and nodding as he spoke to federal public defender Kristy R. Militello, who has been assigned to represent him.
When a judge asked Routh a series of questions to determine if he qualified for a public defender, Roth said he earns a monthly income of around $3,000, owns two trucks in Hawaii that are worth approximately $1,000 each, owns no real estate and has “zero” savings. He also informed the court that he has a 25-year-old son.
Trump thanks Secret Service
“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.”
“THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” he wrote.
Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.
The former president is expected to meet Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr., sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump, who was shot in the ear, also met with the former director, Kimberly Cheatle, at the time for a briefing.
On Sunday afternoon, Secret Service agents accompanying Trump fired at a man armed with an AK-47-style rifle on or near the Trump International golf course on Sunday.
The FBI is investigating Sunday’s incident as an “attempted assassination.” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted.
Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at him before he dropped his weapon and fled the scene in a vehicle. Witnesses reported the license plate number to authorities, and the suspect was stopped and detained.
It was not clear if the suspect was aiming his gun at the former president. Agents fired at the suspect after spotting his rifle through the fence line, multiple sources told ABC News.
Sources said three shell casings believed to be associated with the suspect’s AK-47 were found on the scene, though investigators are still evaluating whether the suspect fired his weapon. The rifle and two backpacks containing a GoPro camera and ceramic tiles were recovered from the scene, Bradshaw said.
Authorities are now probing Routh’s background. The detainee is believed to have ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, sources said. Sources told ABC News that the FBI is conducting an extensive investigation into Routh’s social media activity, travel and any criminal record. Friends, family and associates are also being sought for interviews.
Suspect’s family grilled
The suspect’s family is telling investigators that while Routh had no diagnosed mental illness, he “fixated” on things, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
An avenue of investigation is whether Routh became fixated on Trump over the former president’s stance on Ukraine. Routh appears to have made recent social media posts critical of Trump and used social media to document his travel to Ukraine.
According to the sources, Trump was getting ready to putt on the fifth hole when a Secret Service agent called out “gun!” Agents immediately surrounded Trump and took him to a predetermined secure location at the property. USSS often has these safe areas designated in advance.
Sources familiar with the investigation said authorities are looking into whether Routh had grievances related to Trump’s position on Ukraine.
Authorities are expected to file more charges relating to the incident in the coming days, sources told ABC News.
Suspect’s criminal history
Routh has an extensive rap sheet in North Carolina dating back to 1997, including an incident from 2002 during which he reportedly barricaded himself inside a business while armed with an assault weapon, according to police and court records.
According to the Greensboro News & Record, in December 2002, Routh fled a traffic stop and barricaded himself inside a local roofing business for three hours until police arrested him.
Routh pleaded guilty to a felony count of possessing a weapon of mass destruction and a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon, court records show. State incarceration records show he was sentenced to probation for this incident. Court records also indicate he still owes a $225 assessment related to the felony charge of possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Routh also pleaded guilty in 2003 to stealing a state-issued identification card and, in 2010, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge. He was also repeatedly sued by construction contractors for attempting to write checks with insufficient funds.
Routh has several traffic citations, including speeding, running red lights, failing to wear a seat belt, driving while his license was revoked and driving with a broken windshield, among others.
Biden and Harris condemn apparent assassination
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the apparent assassination effort.
“In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the end of a gun,” ” Biden said Monday while speaking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “America suffered too many times, the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet. It solves nothing. It just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”
President Joe Biden condemned the latest apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, while also commending the quick actions of the U.S. Secret Service.
Harris said she was “thankful” that Trump was safe and “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt.”
“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” Harris said.
On Monday morning, Biden said he believes the Secret Service needs more help and called on Congress to act following the second apparent attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump in nine weeks.
“Thank God the president is OK,” Biden said before boarding Marine One to depart the White House. “One thing I want to make clear: The service needs more help. And I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they, in fact, need more servicemen, and so that’s what we’re going to be talking about.”
Asked what kind of help he thought the Secret Service needs, Biden said, “They’re deciding whether they need more personnel or not.”
ABC News’ Lalee Ibassa, Katherine Faulders, Aaron Katersky, Soo Rin Kim, Michelle Stoddart, Pierre Thomas, Rachel Scott, Jack Date, Leah Sarnoff, Kelsey Walsh and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, is in federal court for an initial appearance Monday morning.
Routh is wearing dark prison scrubs, and his feet and hands are shackled. He will appear before Magistrate Judge Ryon M. McCabe.
Federal prosecutors have not yet announced what charges Routh will face. He was taken into custody Sunday after being stopped on the highway following the shooting incident.
Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was detained by Florida authorities in relation to the incident. Authorities are now probing for more details on the would-be shooter.
“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.”
“THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” he wrote.
Photo of Routh following his detention by authorities in Florida.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office
The former president is expected to meet Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr., sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump, who was shot in the ear, also met with the former director, Kimberly Cheatle, at the time for a briefing.
On Sunday afternoon, Secret Service agents accompanying Trump fired at a man armed with an AK-47-style rifle on or near the Trump International golf course on Sunday.
The FBI is investigating Sunday’s incident as an “attempted assassination.” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted.
Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at him before he dropped his weapon and fled the scene in a vehicle. Witnesses reported the license plate number to authorities, and the suspect was stopped and detained.
It was not clear if the suspect was aiming his gun at the former president. Agents fired at the suspect after spotting his rifle through the fence line, multiple sources told ABC News.
Sources said three shell casings believed to be associated with the suspect’s AK-47 were found on the scene, though investigators are still evaluating whether the suspect fired his weapon. The rifle and two backpacks containing a GoPro camera and ceramic tiles were recovered from the scene, Bradshaw said.
Authorities are now probing Routh’s background. The detainee is believed to have ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, sources said. Sources told ABC News that the FBI is conducting an extensive investigation into Routh’s social media activity, travel and any criminal record. Friends, family and associates are also being sought for interviews.
The suspect’s family is telling investigators that while Routh had no diagnosed mental illness, he “fixated” on things, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
An avenue of investigation is whether Routh became fixated on Trump over the former president’s stance on Ukraine. Routh appears to have made recent social media posts critical of Trump and used social media to document his travel to Ukraine.
According to the sources, Trump was getting ready to putt on the fifth hole when a Secret Service agent called out “gun!” Agents immediately surrounded Trump and took him to a predetermined secure location at the property. USSS often has these safe areas designated in advance.
Sources familiar with the investigation said authorities are looking into whether Routh had grievances related to Trump’s position on Ukraine.
Authorities are expected to file charges relating to the incident in the coming days, sources told ABC News.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the apparent assassination effort.
“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety,” Biden said in a statement.
Harris said she was “thankful” that Trump was safe and “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt.”
“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” Harris said.
On Monday morning, Biden said he believes the Secret Service needs more help and called on Congress to act following the second apparent attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump in nine weeks.
“Thank God the president is OK,” Biden said before boarding Marine One to depart the White House. “One thing I want to make clear: The service needs more help. And I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they, in fact, need more servicemen, and so that’s what we’re going to be talking about.”
Asked what kind of help he thought the Secret Service needs, Biden said, “They’re deciding whether they need more personnel or not.”
The local SWAT team assigned to help protect former President Donald Trump on July 13 had not had any contact with the Secret Service agents in charge of security before a would-be assassin opened fire, those officers told ABC News.
It was a critical part of the planning and communications failures that ended with a gunman killing one man, critically injuring two more and wounding Trump as he delivered a speech just days before accepting the Republican presidential nomination.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service members whenever they arrived, and that never happened,” said Jason Woods, lead sharpshooter on the SWAT team in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
“So I think that was probably a pivotal point, where I started thinking things were wrong because it never happened,” Woods said. “We had no communication.”
In their first public comments since the assassination attempt, the SWAT team on the ground that day and their supervisors spoke exclusively with ABC News Senior Investigative Correspondent Aaron Katersky. It is the first time any key law enforcement personnel on-site on July 13 have offered first-hand accounts of what occurred.
They explained that they did what they could to try to thwart the attack but now have to live with the failure.
The episode last week led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. And, in the wake of the assassination attempt, a series of law-enforcement, internal and congressional probes have been announced – with communications and coordination a key focus of investigators’ attention.
The Secret Service, whose on-site team was supplemented as usual by local, county and state law-enforcement agencies, was ultimately responsible for security at the event.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi declined to respond directly to the comments from Woods and his colleagues. He said the agency “is committed to better understanding what happened before, during, and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure that never happens again. That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations.”
Woods told ABC News he would have expected to have seen more coordination with the Secret Service and to have had greater communication between their team on the ground that day and the agents with Trump’s detail. The first communication between their group and the Secret Service agents on the scene that day, he said, was “not until after the shooting. By then, he said, “it was too late.”
Woods and the rest of the Beaver County sniper team were in position by mid-morning July 13, hours before Trump was set to take the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds, outside Pittsburgh. The site is studded by a complex of warehouses, some clustered just outside the position where metal detectors were set up that day.
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, sparked suspicion among the Beaver County SWAT team but was still able to evade law enforcement and take position on the roof of the very building where county snipers had been posted. Though their sniper had taken pictures of Crooks and had called into Command about the suspicious presence — Crooks later opened fire on the former president less than 200 yards from the stage.
Beaver County Chief Detective Patrick Young, who runs the Emergency Services Unit and SWAT team, said collaboration is key when lives are on the line.
“I believe our team did everything humanly possible that day,” Young said. “We talk a lot on SWAT that we as individuals mean nothing until we come together as a team.”
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Updated: 4:15 PM PDT Jul 26, 2024
Good morning, Chairman Jordan, ranking member Nadler members of the committee. Uh I want to begin by offering my condolences on the passing representative Jackson Lee who served the people of Texas in this body and on this committee for so long, thank you all for your support of our efforts to protect the American people and uphold the constitution. I am proud to be here today representing the 38,000 special agents, intelligence analysts and professional staff who make up the FBI men and women who every day work relentlessly to counter the most complex threat environment I’ve seen in my tenure as FBI director maybe in my entire career in law enforcement before I go any further. I also want to acknowledge and offer my deepest condolences to the victims of the horrific assassination attempt in Butler County, to the friends and family of Coy comparator who by all accounts lost his life, protecting others from danger to the other victims, two of whom were critically wounded and of course, of course to President Trump, former President Trump and his family, as I’ve said from the beginning, the attempted assassination of the former president was an attack on our democracy and our democratic process. And we will not, and do not tolerate political violence of any kind, especially *** despicable account of this magnitude. And I want to assure you and the American people that the men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened. We are bringing all the resources of the FBI to bear both criminal and national security. Now, there’s *** whole lot of work underway and still *** lot of work to do and our understanding of what happened and why will continue to evolve. But we’re going to leave no stone unturned. The shooter may be deceased but the FB I’s investigation is very much ongoing to that point. I also want to acknowledge that I recognize both the congressional and the public interest in this case and the importance of this investigation to the American people. And I understand there are *** lot of open questions. So while the investigation is very much ongoing and our assessments of the shooter and his actions continue to evolve. My hope here today is to do my best to provide you with all the information I can given where we are at this point. I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment and tragically, the Butler County assassination attempt is another example, *** particularly heinous and very public. One of what I’ve been talking about but it also reinforces our need at the FBI and our ongoing commitment to stay focused on the threats on the mission and on the people we do the work with and the people we do the work for every day all across this country. And indeed around the world, the men and women of the FBI are doing just that working around the clock to counter the threats we face just in the last year. For example, in California, the FBI and our partners targeted an organized crime syndicate responsible for trafficking fentaNYL meth and cocaine all across North America. We charged the Mexican based suppliers who brought the drugs into the United States. *** network of Canada based truck drivers who delivered the drugs and the distributors in the United States who spread the poison into our communities. Staying on threats emanating from the border. I have warned for some time now about the threat that foreign terrorists may seek to exploit our Southwest border or some other port of entry to advance *** plot against Americans. Just last month. For instance, the Bureau and our joint terrorism task forces worked with IC in multiple cities across the country. As several individuals with suspected international terrorist ties were arrested using ISIS immigration authorities leading up to those arrests, hundreds of FBI employees dedicated countless hours to understand the threat and identify additional individuals of concern. Now, the physical security of the border is of course not in the fbi’s Lane. But as the threat has escalated, we’re working with our partners in law enforcement and the intelligence community to find and stop foreign terrorists who would harm Americans and our interests.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Updated: 4:15 PM PDT Jul 26, 2024
The FBI said former President Donald Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during an assassination attempt on July 13, as the agency moved Friday to clarify what happened after nearly two weeks of confusion and conflicting accounts.Related video above: FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies to House committee on Trump assassination attemptIn a statement issued Friday evening, the FBI said: “What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle.”The statement came two days after FBI Director Christopher Wray said during congressional testimony that it was not clear whether Trump’s injuries were caused by a bullet or shrapnel.
The FBI said former President Donald Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during an assassination attempt on July 13, as the agency moved Friday to clarify what happened after nearly two weeks of confusion and conflicting accounts.
Related video above: FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies to House committee on Trump assassination attempt
In a statement issued Friday evening, the FBI said: “What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle.”
BUTLER, Pennsylvania — A local law enforcement commissioner revealed during a House Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday stunning new details about the security failures that led to the near assassination of Donald Trump, raising more questions for the embattled US Secret Service.
Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris’ striking testimony comes just one day after now-resigned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee and largely declined to answer questions about the shooting at the former president’s Pennsylvania rally.
Paris told lawmakers about the communications between the Secret Service and local law enforcement who initially spotted Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin. He also described a more detailed timeline from when officers first spotted Crooks in the crowd to when the 20-year-old opened fire on Trump.
Here’s what to know from Tuesday’s hearing:
Officers left post to look for Crooks
Two local law enforcement officers left a building with vantage points overlooking the roof where Crooks took aim at the former president before he fired shots, Paris testified.
Paris said that two officers with the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, a tactical force with sniper capabilities, left their posts in the building to look for a suspicious individual they spotted first and alerted to other law enforcement. That person was Crooks.
The lawmakers watched video taken during a congressional tour of the rally site Monday, from the building where the ESU officers left their post, showing the roof where Crooks eventually climbed and took shots at Trump.
“So are you then saying, to your knowledge, those ESU officers left the location where they could look out the window to go in search of this person?” Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina asked.
“That is my understanding,” Paris said, adding that the officers went searching with other local officers in the area. “I don’t want to establish a timeline minute by minute because we don’t have that yet.”
Bishop also questioned whether the two officers who left their post could have seen Crooks climb on top of the roof if they had stayed put. Paris said he didn’t know.
Crooks fired eight times
Investigators believe that Crooks fired eight rounds before he was killed by counter-snipers, Paris said.
“I believe that the number is eight,” Paris told the committee. “Eight casings have been recovered.”
Officials had previously only confirmed that the shooter fired multiple times at the rally earlier this month.
Paris also told members of Congress that “several Secret Service agents” told the state police area commander during a walkthrough of the area before the rally that the Butler County Emergency Services Unit was responsible for securing the building where Crooks fired the shots.
Minutes on the roof
A municipal officer came face-to-face with Crooks during the several minutes the would-be assassin was on the roof before Crooks fired on Trump, Paris testified.
Paris said that the brief confrontation came as a pair of local officers who had learned of Crooks’ position on the roof attempted to climb up and confront the shooter. But while the officer was “dangling” from the roof, Crooks aimed his rifle at the officer and the officer fell.
Paris told lawmakers that Crooks was on the roof for roughly three minutes, but only a few seconds passed between when the officer confronted him and when he fired at Trump, correcting a timeframe he gave earlier in the hearing.
“When the one local officer hoisted the other one up, and subsequently falls,” Paris said, Crooks was “already, I believe, close to being in his final position there. And I’m told it’s – again, sequence of events, not a timeline based on the prior criteria laid out – but seconds after that is when the first shots rang up.”
Paris said that whether, or when, the confrontation was relayed to the Secret Service or other law enforcement agencies at the rally “remains under investigation.”
Communications between Secret Service and local law enforcement
Paris also detailed communications among law enforcement about Crooks before Trump took the stage at the rally earlier this month.
According to Paris, “there was a text thread going” with members of the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, some of whom initially spotted Crooks and reported him as a suspicious individual.
“At some point when he utilized the range finder, the suspicion was heightened,” Paris said of Crooks.
State Police then received a call and a text from the ESU about Crooks’ activity that they immediately relayed to Secret Service. Local, state and federal law enforcement were in a unified command post at the rally.
On the floor of the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, vice presidential candidate JD Vance greeted and shook hands with excited delegates as he walked toward his seat.Video above: See former President Donald Trump’s entrance at Day 2 of the RNCIt was a marked contrast from former President Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.The contrast underscores the new reality facing Trump after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Pennsylvania Saturday, raising serious questions about the agency that is tasked with protecting the president, former presidents and major-party candidates. Trump’s campaign must also adjust to a new reality after he came millimeters from death or serious injury — and as law enforcement warns of the potential for more political violence. Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward. “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss “specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.”Video below: Get the Facts: Verifying claims made about security at Trump rallyThe Secret Service had already stepped up Trump’s protection in the days before the attack following an unrelated threat from Iran, two U.S. officials said Tuesday. But that extra security didn’t stop the gunman, who fired from an adjacent roof, from killing one audience member and injuring two others along with Trump.The FBI and Homeland Security officials remain “concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following this attack,” according to a joint intelligence bulletin by Homeland Security and the FBI and obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin warned that lone actors and small groups will “continue to see rallies and campaign events as attractive targets.”Underscoring the security risks, a man armed with an AK-47 pistol, wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical backpack was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is being held.The attack has led to stepped-up security not only for Trump. President Joe Biden’s security has also been bolstered, with more agents surrounding him as he boarded Air Force One to Las Vegas on Monday night. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received Secret Service protection in the shooting’s wake.Related video below: Biden orders Secret Service for RFK Jr.Trump’s campaign has also responded in other ways, including placing armed security at all hours outside their offices in Florida and Washington, D.C.Trump has already scheduled his next rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. That’s where he will appear with Vance for their first event as a presidential ticket. But the new posture complicates, at least for now, the interactions Trump regularly has with supporters as he signs autographs, shakes hands and poses for selfies at events and on airplane tarmacs.In many cities he visits, the campaign assembles enthusiastic supporters in public spaces like restaurants and fast food joints. Sometimes Trump stops by unannounced. The images and video of his reception and interactions — circulated online by his campaign staffers and conservative media — have been fundamental to his 2024 campaign.During the GOP primaries, in particular, his easy interactions served as a contrast to his more awkward top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But those events can get rowdy and chaotic. While he was in New York during his criminal hush money trial, Trump aides arranged a series of visits to a local bodega, a local firehouse and a construction site. Before his arrival at the bodega in Harlem, thousands of supporters and onlookers gathered behind metal barricades for blocks to watch his motorcade arrive and cheer. But others in the neighborhood were frustrated by the visit, including people being dropped off at a bus stop just in front of the store, and others trying to enter their apartments after work. At one point, an individual who lived in the building started shouting from a window that was just above the entrance where Trump would eventually stand and give remarks to the cameras and answer reporters’ questions.Long before the shooting, convention organizers had clashed with the Secret Service over the location of protest zones at the convention. RNC leaders repeatedly asked officials to keep protesters farther back than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”One person familiar with the dispute said that the original plan would have put protesters “a softball throw away” from delegates and close enough to throw projectiles over the fence.The protest area was eventually moved, but the episode still raises frustrations and suspicions among some Trump allies.___Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.
Video above: See former President Donald Trump’s entrance at Day 2 of the RNC
It was a marked contrast from former President Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.
Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward.
“We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
Evan Vucci
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss “specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.”
Video below: Get the Facts: Verifying claims made about security at Trump rally
The Secret Service had already stepped up Trump’s protection in the days before the attack following an unrelated threat from Iran, two U.S. officials said Tuesday. But that extra security didn’t stop the gunman, who fired from an adjacent roof, from killing one audience member and injuring two others along with Trump.
The FBI and Homeland Security officials remain “concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following this attack,” according to a joint intelligence bulletin by Homeland Security and the FBI and obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin warned that lone actors and small groups will “continue to see rallies and campaign events as attractive targets.”
Underscoring the security risks, a man armed with an AK-47 pistol, wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical backpack was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is being held.
The attack has led to stepped-up security not only for Trump. President Joe Biden’s security has also been bolstered, with more agents surrounding him as he boarded Air Force One to Las Vegas on Monday night. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received Secret Service protection in the shooting’s wake.
Related video below: Biden orders Secret Service for RFK Jr.
Trump’s campaign has also responded in other ways, including placing armed security at all hours outside their offices in Florida and Washington, D.C.
Trump has already scheduled his next rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. That’s where he will appear with Vance for their first event as a presidential ticket.
But the new posture complicates, at least for now, the interactions Trump regularly has with supporters as he signs autographs, shakes hands and poses for selfies at events and on airplane tarmacs.
In many cities he visits, the campaign assembles enthusiastic supporters in public spaces like restaurants and fast food joints. Sometimes Trump stops by unannounced. The images and video of his reception and interactions — circulated online by his campaign staffers and conservative media — have been fundamental to his 2024 campaign.
During the GOP primaries, in particular, his easy interactions served as a contrast to his more awkward top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
But those events can get rowdy and chaotic. While he was in New York during his criminal hush money trial, Trump aides arranged a series of visits to a local bodega, a local firehouse and a construction site.
Before his arrival at the bodega in Harlem, thousands of supporters and onlookers gathered behind metal barricades for blocks to watch his motorcade arrive and cheer. But others in the neighborhood were frustrated by the visit, including people being dropped off at a bus stop just in front of the store, and others trying to enter their apartments after work.
At one point, an individual who lived in the building started shouting from a window that was just above the entrance where Trump would eventually stand and give remarks to the cameras and answer reporters’ questions.
Long before the shooting, convention organizers had clashed with the Secret Service over the location of protest zones at the convention. RNC leaders repeatedly asked officials to keep protesters farther back than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”
One person familiar with the dispute said that the original plan would have put protesters “a softball throw away” from delegates and close enough to throw projectiles over the fence.
The protest area was eventually moved, but the episode still raises frustrations and suspicions among some Trump allies.
___
Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.
New York (CNN) — Moments after Donald Trump was rushed to safety following a failed assassination attempt at a Saturday night rally, some of his supporters turned toward the press pen with obscenities as they fingered reporters for blame.
“This is your fault!” one attendee emphatically yelled, pointing at individual journalists as he approached the fence line separating them from attendees. “This is your fault!”
“It is your fault!” exclaimed another.
Axios reporter Sophia Cai, who quoted some in the crowd warning the press, “you’re next” and that their “time is coming,” even reported that a few rally goers tried to breach the barriers establishing the press pen, but that they were stopped by security personnel.
In the immediate wake of the horrific shooting attempt on Trump’s life, which resulted in the tragic death of one rally attendee and the severe wounding of two others, the news media has quickly emerged among some Trump supporters as a body to assign blame.
While the Trump campaign urged its staff to “condemn all forms of violence” and said it “will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media,” some of the former president’s supporters in MAGA Media vehemently assailed the press for its hard-knuckled reporting on Trump, which has sounded the alarm on what four more years under the former president would look like.
Over the course of the campaign cycle, news organizations have, among other things, reported at length on Trump’s plans to warp the federal government for his own ends, including to seek vengeance against his political opponents. That reporting is now facing scrutiny, with some Trump supporters blaming it for producing a charged atmosphere that gave way to the assassination attempt, while mostly looking past the incendiary rhetoric of the former president himself.
Immediately after the attack, top figures across the news media condemned the shooting, underscoring that violence against a political candidate is an attack on democracy itself. Top liberal commentators also expressed their disgust in strong terms. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, the country’s most recognized liberal personality, said she did not “have adequate words to describe how disgusted and horrified” she was.
“There is no *no* *no* *no* violent solution to any American political conflict,” Maddow wrote on Threads. “I am grateful the former president is going to be ok, and miserably sad and angry about the other people hurt and killed. This is a very dark day.”
The reaction from the press and liberal media figures stood in stark contrast to how right-wing media personalities have responded in the aftermath of attacks on Democrats. Instead of raising the volume or fanning the flames of false flag conspiracy theories, which top figures on the right have done after attacks on Paul Pelosi and Gabrielle Giffords, they urged for calm.
Nevertheless, the anti-press attitude in MAGA circles has unquestionably increased. Despite the accuracy of the news media’s reporting on Trump, supporters of the former president have moved to vilify and scapegoat journalists for the heinous attack, sending anti-media attitudes to alarming heights.
“On a daily basis, MSNBC tells its audience that Trump is a threat to democracy, an authoritarian in waiting, and a would-be dictator if no one stops him,” conservative radio host Erick Erickson wrote on X. “What did they think would happen?”
Donald Trump Jr. blasted CNN, The Washington Post, and the press at large for recent coverage of his father.
“Dems and their friends in the media knew exactly what they were doing with the ‘literally Hitler’ bullshit!,” he wrote on X.
With just over 100 days until the November elections, the inflamed disposition toward the press has prompted cause for concern among news executives and spurred discussion inside newsrooms about safety and security precautions — especially with the Republican National Convention set to start on Monday. That four-day event, which was already a security concern prior to the assassination attempt, will bring together scores of journalists, alongside thousands of Trump supporters.
“Journalists are always among the very first to run towards a crisis, and we collectively are working in overdrive to keep everyone safe,” one news executive told me. “That is the absolute top priority.”
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by guards during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Mayor Eric Adams announced that the NYPD is “surging officers to certain sites across the five boroughs” after the apparent shooting during Trump’s rally in Butler, PA.
The former president and Republican presidential nominee suffered an apparent minor wound near his right ear, but was said to be fine — though published reports indicated that a bystander was killed and the suspected shooter had been “neutralized.” ABC News reported that the incident is being investigated as a potential assassination attempt.
Mayor Adams was one of numerous New York Democrats who condemned the apparent act of political violence, saying it was unacceptable.
“The events that unfolded at today’s rally in Pennsylvania are horrific. No matter our disagreements, we must all agree that violence of any kind is unacceptable,” Mayor Adams said in a statement. “I am praying for the safety of former President Trump and anyone else who may have been injured in the attack in the incident today.”
Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, noted that Trump Tower in Midtown, which was once the former president’s primary residence, will receive extra NYPD details along with 40 Wall St., Foley Square and City Hall.
NYPD officers stationed outside Trump Tower on Jan. 20, 2021.Photo by Dean Moses
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of Brooklyn and New York’s highest-ranking Congressional representatives, condemned the act of violence against Trump and expressed outrage.
“I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe,” Schumer said on X (formerly Twitter). “Political violence has no place in our country.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump. I am thankful for the decisive law enforcement response,” Jeffries added in his X post. “America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul also said she was “praying for the safety and health of former President Trump, and all who are attending this event in Pennsylvania.”
“Any violence against a fellow American is disgusting and unacceptable,” Hochul wrote on X. “We must express political disagreements peacefully, civilly and respectfully.”
Brooklyn/Staten Island Congress Member Nicole Malliotakis, the lone Republican in NYC’s Congressional delegation, said on her official X account she would be praying for the former president “and for the safety of everyone at the Butler, PA rally.”
