Far-right Florida congressman is asked by critic: ‘Are you admitting to a quid pro quo?'’
The far-right Florida Republican Matt Gaetz has hailed Aileen Cannon – the judge who dismissed the classified documents case against Donald Trump – as a “future supreme court justice”.
“Future supreme court justice Cannon,” Gaetz posted Monday to social media, with a picture of the Florida jurist.
Continue reading...Hashtags such as #staged and #fakeassassination viewed millions of times as sceptics question mainstream narrative
Soon after a bullet grazed Donald Trump’s ear, the conspiracy theory hashtags started appearing. Social media discourse on the shooting was immediately punctuated by #staged, #fakeassassination and #stagedshooting as a familiar refrain took hold: don’t trust what they tell you.
In a sign of how unstoppable these narratives become, the focus of distrust this time was Donald Trump, one of the arch-proponents of the argument that mainstream media and the establishment in general cannot be trusted.
Continue reading...Suspect, named as Thomas Matthew Crooks, also killed in shooting at Pennsylvania rally; former first lady echoes husband’s call for unity
Before Saturday’s attempt on Donald Trump’s life, there have been multiple assassinations of US presidents.
Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated, shot by John Wilkes Booth on 14 April 1865, as he and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, attended a special performance of the comedy Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, the AP writes.
Continue reading...Next public appearance is tentatively set for Tuesday at the convention but sources caution that could still change
Donald Trump huddled with his senior advisers at his Bedminster club in New Jersey a day after surviving what federal investigators called an assassination attempt, preparing for the Republican national convention, which kicks off on Monday.
Trump was keeping the same schedule as originally planned, according to sources familiar with the situation. His next public appearance is tentatively set for Tuesday at the convention though the sources cautioned that could change.
Continue reading...US president decries assassination attempt and urges Americans to unite during White House press conference
Joe Biden said that that there was “no place in America” for the sort of political violence that saw a gunman open fire on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania and plunge America’s already fractious election campaign into new levels of fears over political unrest.
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation,” Biden said. “Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now. Unity. We’ll debate and disagree, that’s not going to change, but we’re not going to lose sight of who we are as Americans.”
Continue reading...Starmer phones ex-president, as Johnson, Farage and others express shock at Pennsylvania assassination attempt
British politicians including Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson have condemned the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, as several expressed fears about rising political violence and hate speech.
A phone call with Trump on Sunday afternoon, the UK prime minister condemned the attack at the campaign rally in Pennsylvania, expressed condolences for the victims and their families, and wished the former president and others who were injured a swift recovery.
Continue reading...Corey Comperatore, 50, was a ‘hero’ who ‘had so much life left to experience’, his sister says
Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer fire company in Pennsylvania, has been identified as the victim who was shot and killed amidst an assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Saturday.
“He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable,” Comperatore’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, said in a post on Facebook.
Continue reading...Former first lady thanks law enforcement for protecting her husband, as Trump’s children issue statements
Melania Trump has condemned the man who authorities say tried to assassinate her husband, Donald, on Saturday as “a monster”.
The former first lady’s comments came in a statement on Sunday which, like others from the former president’s family members, expressed support for law enforcement in their response to Saturday’s shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The shooting killed one spectator and wounded two before Secret Service agents shot the attacker dead.
Continue reading...Prime minister doesn’t want to see interaction with public reduced but admits he is concerned about ‘escalation of rhetoric in some of our political debate’
It would be a “tragedy” if Australian politicians were forced to withdraw from the public and rely more heavily on security, Anthony Albanese has said, after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump prompted a focus on the safety of federal MPs.
Some politicians say they have been concerned about increasing harassment and violent acts targeting MPs, while others argue against boosting security. However, some experts believe it is time to rethink the safety arrangements for elected members in Australia.
Continue reading...Thomas Matthew Crooks, aged 20, named by the agency as person involved in the shooting at campaign event in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor Josh Shapiro rejected political violence in a statement posted on X following the apparent shooting of Donald Trump at a rally in his state today:
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung tells me in a statement that the former president is being assessed at a local medial facility:
Continue reading...Suspected shooter and one rally attendee dead, says Butler county district attorney – here’s what else we know about the situation
A shooting occurred at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday, followed by the former president being rushed off the stage with blood around his ear. Here’s what we know about the situation so far.
Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when loud noises were heard in the crowd around 6.13pm.
Trump appeared to have been struck by something in the area of his right ear as he was speaking, and videos show him quickly clutching his ear and then ducking down to the ground, as security agents and others leap to his aid.
One spectator was killed and at least two were injured.
Trump stood up with blood on the side of his face and appeared to be saying “fight, fight” while pumping his fist.
Trump was then quickly escorted from the stage and into his vehicle.
The rally location is now an active crime scene. The FBI has taken over the investigation.
Trump’s team and the Secret Service confirmed that he was “fine” and being checked at a local medical facility.
Trump later posted a statement on Truth Social, saying he was hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”.
The Butler county district attorney confirmed that the suspected shooter and one rally attendee were dead. One person at the rally was in serious condition. The Secret Service later said two people were critically injured.
The shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination.
The FBI later named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, PA as the “subject involved” in the shooting.
The Secret Service shared more details on the shooter’s position and confirmed that the shooter was killed by the Secret Service. ABC News reported that law enforcement officials the suspect was perched on a rooftop and used an AR-style rifle.
The president, Joe Biden, said “everybody must condemn political violence” in a speech shortly after the shooting. The White House later said the president and Trump had spoken. Biden is traveling back to the White House. Trump is in New Jersey.
Continue reading...Lawmakers express shock at apparent security lapses, while Mike Johnson says House will conduct ‘full investigation’
Demands for answers were mounting on Sunday as to how an armed man was able to get into position on a roof overlooking a rally and fire shots at Donald Trump – the 2024 presumptive Republican nominee – despite federal and local law enforcement presence and witnesses reportedly alerting police.
National lawmakers expressed shock at the apparent security lapses. Mike Johnson, the speaker of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, said the chamber would conduct a “full investigation”.
Continue reading...Presidents and prime ministers denounce shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania and wish him a quick recovery
Leaders from around the world have condemned the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, denounced political violence and wished Trump a quick recovery.
Trump posted on social media that he had been shot in the upper part of his right ear and that there was “much bleeding”. His campaign said he was “doing well” and confirmed he had been discharged from the hospital and had returned to his home in New Jersey. A video of him getting off a plane unaided was posted by an aide.
Continue reading...One spectator and suspected shooter both confirmed dead after incident at Pennsylvania campaign event
Law enforcement agents were investigating what they suspected was an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump after a man with a rifle fired shots at him during a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler county, Pennsylvania.
The Secret Service spokesperson, Anthony Gugliemi, said on X that the former Republican president was “safe” following several shots, which prompted agents protecting Trump to leap on him amid the ensuing panic. Gugliemi said Secret Service agents then fatally shot the suspected attacker – who had fired toward Trump “from an elevated position outside of the rally venue”, Gugliemi said.
Continue reading...Research shows more Americans support violence to stop a second Trump presidency than back violence in his favor
A shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday comes at a time of heightened support for political violence in the US, including against Trump.
It is still unclear who fired the gunshots at Trump’s rally or what political beliefs they hold. Trump is safe, according to the Secret Service, but at least one rally attendee and the suspected shooter were killed, according to reports.
Continue reading...Anthony Albanese says he is relieved to hear Donald Trump is safe after shooting at campaign rally in Pennsylvania
Anthony Albanese says he is “relieved” that former US president Donald Trump is safe after a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, calling the incident an “inexcusable attack”.
The Australian prime minister said there was “no place for violence in the democratic process” as other politicians decried the assassination attempt four months out from the US presidential election.
Continue reading...Senator hails ‘most effective president in modern history’ and says Biden is strongest bet to beat ‘demagogue’ Trump
Bernie Sanders has offered his backing to Joe Biden, dismissing calls for the man he described as the “most effective president in the modern history of our country” to stand down in the upcoming US presidential election.
Sanders, the totemic progressive US senator, used an opinion piece in the New York Times to endorse Biden, who has come under increasing fire from fellow Democrats over his ability to beat Donald Trump following a disastrous televised debate between the two.
Continue reading...Strength of criticism suggests Trump and allies see vice-president as powerful electoral asset for Democrats
With the state of Joe Biden’s re-election campaign in turmoil, Donald Trump and his Republican allies are stepping up attacks on a familiar and, some say, possibly more threatening, political foe: his vice-president, Kamala Harris.
In the weeks since Biden’s stumbling debate performance, Republicans have intensified what many call racist and misogynistic criticism. They have questioned Harris’s competency, mocked her demeanor, and accused her of concealing concerns about the president’s health. Trump unveiled a new, derisive nickname for the vice-president, “Laffin’ Kamala”, which he tested at a campaign rally in Florida this week.
Continue reading...Press briefings become flashpoint as journalists criticise culture of denial and non-disclosure around the president
It was the moment when long-simmering media resentment at a seemingly opaque White House broke through the surface with startling intensity.
With Joe Biden’s candidacy teetering in the wake of last month’s alarming debate showing, journalists who had covered his presidency full-time for years suddenly asserted that it lacked that most basic political element: credibility.
Continue reading...‘Guardrails’ that previously existed removed as Meta says voters should be able to hear from presidential nominees
Meta has removed previous restrictions on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Donald Trump as the 2024 election nears, the company announced on Friday.
Trump was allowed to return to the social networks in 2023 with “guardrails” in place, after being banned over his online behavior during the 6 January insurrection. Those guardrails have now been removed.
Continue reading...