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  • Trump assassination attempt trial: How ex-employees describe suspected shooter Ryan Routh

    FORT PIERCE — With prosecutors nearing the end of their case, Ryan Routh, accused of seeking to assassinate President Donald Trump, attempted to turn two government witnesses into character witnesses on his behalf.

    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.

    Social Security: Florida recipients may get hit hard with 2026 changes. Here’s what to know

    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.

    This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ryan Routh trial: What ex-employees think of suspected Trump shooter

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  • Trump is safe after apparent ‘attempted assassination’: What we know

    Trump is safe after apparent ‘attempted assassination’: What we know

    Former President Donald Trump is safe following what the FBI says “appears to be an attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach. Here are five things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee.The suspectLaw enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business.Routh frequently posted on social media about the war in Ukraine and had a website where he sought to raise money and recruit volunteers to go to Kyiv to join the fight against the Russian invasion. In June 2020, he made a post on X directed at then-President Trump to say he would win reelection if he issued an executive order for the Justice Department to prosecute police misconduct. That year, he also posted in support of the Democratic presidential campaign of then-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has since left the party and endorsed Trump.However, in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting at the hospital and to attend the funeral of a former fire chief killed at the rally.Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state’s Democratic Party primary in March 2024. Federal campaign finance records show Routh made 19 small political donations totaling $140 since 2019 using his Hawaii address to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates.Records show that while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.The records do not provide details about the case. But a News & Record story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. He owned the roofing company, according to state incorporation filings.How this happenedLocal authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.”Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.What has Trump said since the attemptIn an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”His running mate, JD Vance, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts.Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president’s, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterward. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.”Vice President Kamala Harris’s responseHarris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.“I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe.Video above: Martin County Sheriff addresses gunfire incident at Trump golf course, arrestWhat’s nextTrump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service.“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates.U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then.”

    Former President Donald Trump is safe following what the FBI says “appears to be an attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

    Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.

    Here are five things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee.

    The suspect

    Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

    Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business.

    Routh frequently posted on social media about the war in Ukraine and had a website where he sought to raise money and recruit volunteers to go to Kyiv to join the fight against the Russian invasion. In June 2020, he made a post on X directed at then-President Trump to say he would win reelection if he issued an executive order for the Justice Department to prosecute police misconduct. That year, he also posted in support of the Democratic presidential campaign of then-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has since left the party and endorsed Trump.

    However, in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

    In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting at the hospital and to attend the funeral of a former fire chief killed at the rally.

    Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state’s Democratic Party primary in March 2024. Federal campaign finance records show Routh made 19 small political donations totaling $140 since 2019 using his Hawaii address to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates.

    Records show that while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.

    The records do not provide details about the case. But a News & Record story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. He owned the roofing company, according to state incorporation filings.

    How this happened

    Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

    Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.”

    Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.

    What has Trump said since the attempt

    In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”

    His running mate, JD Vance, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts.

    Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president’s, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterward. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

    Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.

    Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.”

    Vice President Kamala Harris’s response

    Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.

    “I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”

    The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe.

    Video above: Martin County Sheriff addresses gunfire incident at Trump golf course, arrest

    What’s next

    Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.

    Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service.

    “We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates.

    U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then.”

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  • New details reveal officers left post to look for Crooks before Trump shooting

    New details reveal officers left post to look for Crooks before Trump shooting

    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.

    RELATED: Secret Service director tells Congress ‘we failed’ in hearing on Trump assassination attempt

    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.

    RELATED: Secret Service spotted shooter on roof 20 minutes before gunfire erupted at Trump rally

    “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.”

    ALSO SEE: What Thomas Matthew Crooks did in hours leading up to assassination attempt on Trump

    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.

    RELATED: Timeline: How the Trump assassination attempt unfolded at rally in Pennsylvania

    “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.

    RELATED: Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas announces independent review of Trump assassination plot

    State Police “verbally turned right around and gave it to the Secret Service,” Paris said.

    (The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

    CNNWire

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  • Global Markets Ramp Up the ‘Trump Trade’ After Rally Attack

    Global Markets Ramp Up the ‘Trump Trade’ After Rally Attack

    (Bloomberg) — As world financial markets started to reopen after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, one thing seemed likely: The Trump trade will get even more momentum.

    Most Read from Bloomberg

    The series of wagers — based on anticipation that the Republican’s return to the White House would usher in tax cuts, higher tariffs and looser regulations — had already been gaining ground since President Joe Biden’s poor performance in last month’s debate imperiled his re-election campaign.

    But the trades were expected to take deeper hold, with Trump galvanizing supporters and drawing sympathy by exhibiting defiant resilience after being shot in the ear on stage at a Pennsylvania rally.

    The dollar — which would gain if loose fiscal policy kept bond yields elevated — started to move higher against most peers early in Asia trading. Bitcoin rose above $60,000, potentially reflecting Trump’s crypto-friendly stance.

    “For us, the news does reinforce that Trump’s the frontrunner,” said Mark McCormick, global head of foreign-exchange and emerging-market strategy at Toronto Dominion Bank. “We remain US dollar bulls for the second half and early 2025.”

    The specter of political violence in the US may cause investors to push into haven assets, potentially overshadowing some of the positioning that has already been going on around the presidential campaign.

    Treasuries tend to rally when investors seek temporary safety, so that may distort the Trump trade in the bond market, which hinges on wagering that the yield curve will steepen as long-term bonds underperform on anticipation that Trump’s fiscal and trade policies will fan inflation pressures. Moreover, some investors may want to book early gains or be wary of getting deeper into an already crowded position.

    “Political risk is binary and hard to hedge, and uncertainty was high as it is with the close nature of the race,” said Priya Misra, a portfolio manager at JPMorgan Investment Management.

    “This adds to volatility. I think it further increases the chance of a Republican sweep,” she said, adding that “could put steepening pressure on the curve.”

    Equity investors are preparing for at least a near-term jump in volatility when S&P 500 futures start trading at 6 p.m. in New York.

    While traders generally don’t expect Trump’s assassination attempt to derail the stock-market trajectory in the long run, a pick-up in near-term price swings is likely. The market has already been contending with speculation that valuations have become too stretched, given the boom in artificial-intelligence stocks and the risks posed by elevated interest rates and political uncertainty.

    But investors have also been anticipating that bank, health-care and oil-industry stocks would benefit from a Trump victory.

    “The unprecedented nature of the attack will boost volatility,” said David Mazza, CEO at Roundhill Investments, predicting investors could seek temporary safety in defensive stocks like mega-cap companies. He said it “also adds support for stocks that do well in a steepening yield curve, especially financials.”

    The early reaction echoes what was seen after the first presidential debate in late June, when Biden’s weak performance was seen as fueling Trump’s election odds.

    The dollar advanced during that event, and investors soon began embracing a wager that involves buying shorter-maturity notes and selling longer-term ones — known as a steepener trade. That trade has been paying off, with the 30-year Treasury yields jumping to nearly 5 basis points below 2-year ones from around 37 basis points below ahead of the debate.

    “If the market sense that Trump’s chances to win are higher than they were on Friday – then we would expect the back end of the bond market to sell off in the manner we saw in the immediate aftermath of the debate,” Michael Purves, CEO and founder of Tallbacken Capital Advisors, wrote in an email.

    While bond traders have been pricing in at least two interest-rate reductions in 2024, a major boost in Trump’s election odds could push the Federal Reserve toward staying on hold for longer, according to Purves.

    “Trump’s stated policies are (at least now) more inflationary than Biden’s,” he wrote, “and we think the Fed will want to accumulate as much dry power as possible.”

    –With assistance from Liz Capo McCormick, Isabelle Lee, Sid Verma, Edward Dufner, Esha Dey and Michael G. Wilson.

    Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

    ©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • Attempted assassination of former President Trump sparks bipartisan condemnation, calls for investigation

    Attempted assassination of former President Trump sparks bipartisan condemnation, calls for investigation

    In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Biden cut short his weekend trip to Delaware and returned to Washington, D.C., preparing for a private law enforcement briefing. The White House confirmed Biden spoke with Trump by phone hours after the attack.”There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country,” Biden said in an emergency briefing following the attack. “We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot condone this.”Meanwhile, a new video overnight showed Trump flanked by security as he landed in New Jersey to spend the night at his private golf club. Hours earlier, Trump had been speaking at a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania when shots rang out. One bullet, according to the former president, pierced the upper part of his right ear. A bloodied Trump was surrounded by Secret Service and rushed to his SUV as he pumped his fist in the air. Law enforcement says at least one bystander was killed and another two were injured. The shooter was also killed.Condemnation for the attack crossed party lines in the immediate aftermath. The messages of concern also came with a mix of finger-pointing and accusations from some lawmakers blaming Biden for the attack, with at least one Republican calling for the criminal cases against Trump to be dropped.In all, lawmakers, including Democratic leadership, expressed a mix of shock and relief. “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as 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,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote. “America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.”Republicans also joined in.”All Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote. “Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement.”And from House Speaker Mike Johnson:”The House will conduct a full investigation of the tragic events today. The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said. “We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.”Republicans are vowing swift action in the aftermath of the attack. Overnight, Republican Rep. James Comer invited Director Cheatle to testify before the House Oversight Committee, claiming that “Americans demand answers.”Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Senator Josh Hawley also suggested the Senate hold similar hearings.

    WASHINGTON —

    In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump,

    President Biden cut short his weekend trip to Delaware and returned to Washington, D.C., preparing for a private law enforcement briefing. The White House confirmed Biden spoke with Trump by phone hours after the attack.

    “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country,” Biden said in an emergency briefing following the attack. “We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot condone this.”

    Meanwhile, a new video overnight showed Trump flanked by security as he landed in New Jersey to spend the night at his private golf club.

    Hours earlier, Trump had been speaking at a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania when shots rang out. One bullet, according to the former president, pierced the upper part of his right ear. A bloodied Trump was surrounded by Secret Service and rushed to his SUV as he pumped his fist in the air. Law enforcement says at least one bystander was killed and another two were injured. The shooter was also killed.

    Condemnation for the attack crossed party lines in the immediate aftermath.

    The messages of concern also came with a mix of finger-pointing and accusations from some lawmakers blaming Biden for the attack, with at least one Republican calling for the criminal cases against Trump to be dropped.

    In all, lawmakers, including Democratic leadership, expressed a mix of shock and relief.

    “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as 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,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote. “America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.”

    Republicans also joined in.

    “All Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote. “Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement.”

    And from House Speaker Mike Johnson:

    “The House will conduct a full investigation of the tragic events today. The American people deserve to know the truth,” he said. “We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.”

    Republicans are vowing swift action in the aftermath of the attack. Overnight, Republican Rep. James Comer invited Director Cheatle to testify before the House Oversight Committee, claiming that “Americans demand answers.”

    Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Senator Josh Hawley also suggested the Senate hold similar hearings.

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