Former President Trump will travel to Michigan on Saturday for his first rally since last weekend’s assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
A personal funeral was held Friday for Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old volunteer firefighter who was shot and killed at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last weekend.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, tried to kill Trump with a rifle but narrowly missed, wounding the former president in the right ear. He also wounded two people, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74.
The criminals shot and killed Secret Service agents after opening fire on Trump from the roof of a nearby building.
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Incoming update. . .
A member of the United Auto Workers Union greets former President Donald Trump at a rally (Credit: Associated Press).
Former President Trump dumped a union leader he identified at the level during a cross-party rally Saturday.
Trump was talking about electric cars when he suddenly identified a member of the audience.
The Republican then encouraged him to move up a level and joked with him.
“He’s a serious industry unionist, a united auto worker,” Trump said. “He doesn’t have weapons. Come here, look at him. Look at the state he’s in. “
“I’m glad to see this guy,” the union leader said energetically at the podium. “I told them we’re going to rally 85 million of us to vote for him. So let’s go home from this demonstration and do our part. “
Former President Donald Trump said Saturday he “took a bullet for democracy” as he stirred up a crowd of constituents in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at his first rally since surviving an assassination last week.
“They keep saying that it is a risk to democracy. I say: ‘What have I done to democracy?’Last week I took a bullet for democracy,” Trump said to applause from the crowd, referencing a talking point used by Democrats. “What have I done against democracy? It’s crazy. “
Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.
Former President Trump may have used the assassination attempt against him to further divide a politically fractured nation, but he chose to try to unify by appearing strong and delivering an inclusive RNC message, the Republican congressional candidate said in the site of the shooting. house district.
Hayes, who opposes “Squad” member Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa. , said it was “unimaginable” that the incident involved a network like Bethel Park.
“This is a very conservative organization of other people who surely love United States. They are very patriotic. And to come out of this domain and be the shooter is just amazing for all of us,” Hayes said.
“I’ve talked to other people in this domain and they just can’t; I mean, they just can’t believe that someone from this domain ended up being the shooter,” he said. Declares.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Fox News host Jesse Watters recently conducted an interview with former President Trump to discuss last week’s failed assassination attempt.
The three men discussed the assassination of the former president last week. Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump from a rooftop in the middle of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding the candidate in the right ear.
Trump revealed in the interview that he had not been warned about the scammers through the U. S. secret service.
“Mistakes were made,” Watters told Trump. “They were monitoring this guy for an hour beforehand. No one told you not to take the stage?”
“Nobody talked about it,” the former president replied. Nobody said it was a problem. “
“They may have just said, ‘Let’s wait 15, 20 minutes, five minutes. ‘” Nobody said it. . . I think it’s a mistake,” she added.
Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is knocked out of a grade by United States Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet at a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo via Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A Washington Post report on Saturday claims that senior United States Secret Service officials have “repeatedly” rejected former President Trump’s requests for stricter security measures.
The Post reported that agents tasked with protecting Trump asked for more security resources, such as magnetometers and more workers to monitor visitors and snipers. Senior officials reportedly told agents that the Secret Service did not have the resources to respond to the requests.
State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Allegheny, served as a U. S. Marine infantryman. The U. S. Army is in Nasiriyah, Iraq’s “ambush alley,” conducting door-to-door searches from the project to rescue prisoner of war Jessica Lynch. He also served in Fallujah.
In Harrisburg, Robinson is chairman of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee and focuses on veterans issues.
Robinson said that the assassination attempt reminded him of his own reporting in Iraq, and that when it came to protecting sensitive locations (whether it was a military base in the desert or a fairground in the Alleghenies) it was paramount that those tasked with ensuring the domain were present. On guard.
An undated log photograph of Thomas Matthew Crooks. (Obtained via Fox News Digital)
A criminal profiler said the assassination attempt on Thomas Matthew Crooks, opposed to former President Trump, last week in western Pennsylvania was likely not politically motivated or a random act of violence.
Keith Howard, deputy chief of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia and a criminal profiler, shared with Fox News Digital the behavioral science on the attempted murder of Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Howard said Trump’s assassination is a sign of an “organized thinker,” not a random act of violence.
A view of the screen at Amazon Prime Video’s “The Boys” drive-in premiere and fan screening on September 3, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)
Amazon Prime Video added a disclaimer to the season finale of “The Boys” condemning political violence following the assassination of former President Trump.
Prime Video noted that the final season of the violent superhero satire was filmed in 2023 and that any similarities to real-world events are “fortuitous and unintentional. “
Read the full article on “The Boys” via Nikolas Lanum
Former President Trump praised Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk for his crusade speech on Saturday.
The Republican front-runner talked about Musk when he talked about cars and the auto industry.
“And you know, Elon, I love Elon Musk. I love him,” Trump to applause from the audience.
“Elon supported me recently, it’s great,” the former president continued. “Elon Musk, he’s a brilliant guy. “
Trump added that he had “always had a relationship” with Musk and showed that Musk had donated a large amount of cash to his campaign.
“The other guys give you $2 and you have to buy them lunch. You have to wine them, dine them,” he joked.
His supporters applaud as former United States President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in a crusade with U. S. Senator and vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024. (Photo via JIM WATSON/AFP Getty Images)
Sandy Pensler, a Republican running to represent Michigan in the U. S. Senate, announced the end of his campaign at Trump’s rally on Saturday.
During his speech, Pensler supported his opponent Mike Rogers and said he was “inspired” when Trump kissed Corey Comperatore’s firefighter hat at the RNC this week.
“My crusade has been to make America better,” Pensler said. “The most productive way to do that is to implement President Trump’s policies. “
Rogers stepped up after Pensler and thanked him for his support.
“Thank you for your leadership,” Rogers told Pensler. “You’re going to be a voice in the future of our party in Michigan. “
U. S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold talks before a meeting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019, in Panmunjom, Korea. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP Getty Images)
In a speech on Saturday, former President Trump defended his close relations with adverse world leaders and discussed his own with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Getting along is a smart thing, not a bad thing. I used to say to [Kim], why don’t you do anything else?””All you need is to buy nuclear weapons and build them. “, ‘Relax, relax, I’ve had enough. ‘”
The former president joked about hypothetically watching a baseball game with the North Korean dictator.
“I told him, ‘Relax, pass to a smart guy, let’s go to a baseball game. ‘ I’m stopping by to show you what baseball is. We’ll pass to the Yankees or we’ll stop by to come see Michigan in their home opener.
Former US president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a campaign speech in Michigan. (Photo via JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
“I got along very well with President Xi,” Trump said on stage. “A wonderful guy, he wrote me a wonderful note the other day when he found out what had happened. And he wrote me a wonderful note. “
The Republican added that “almost all” of the foreign leaders in the primaries sent him their condolences.
“Almost everyone wrote me notes,” he said. “It’s nice. . . I have a smart date with all of them. It’s kind of smart. “
Former President Trump said Saturday that he owes his life to immigration, a week after firing shots while talking about the southern border.
The former president referenced the moment he turned his head in his speech last week, causing bullets to miss his head and hit him in the ear.
“When I look at the way our border was handled . . . we had the most productive border, the safest border, the border that stored my life,” he said. “You know, I pointed to an immigration border sign when I made that turn, and this was in this direction, rather than that. “
“So I owe my life to immigration. It’s true, it’s true,” he added to applause from the crowd.
Former US president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a crusade with US senator and vice presidential candidate J. D. Trump. Vance at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024. (JIM WATSON/AFP Getty Images)
During a speech Saturday, President Trump took a moment to pay tribute to the victims who were injured or killed at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last week.
“We continue to pray for the recovery of the two citizens injured in this despicable attack: David Dutch and James Copenhaver, two truly incredible people,” Trump said. “We remain in touch and send our greatest respect to the families. “
The Republican also mentioned the death of Corey Comperatore, calling him a “hero” for protecting his family last week.
Former US president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures to the crowd while attending a crusade with US senator and vice presidential candidate J. D. Trump. Vance at Van Andel Arena in Grand RapidsArray Michigan, on July 20, 2024. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP Getty Images)
Former President Trump appeared in public without a large, white bandage on his ear for the first time since he was shot in Pennsylvania last week.
Earlier Saturday, Congressman Ronny Jackson released a report on Trump’s physical condition after the shooting. Jackson had served as the president’s physician during the Trump administration.
“The impact of the bullet caused a 2 cm wide wound that extended to the surface of the ear cartilage,” the doctor wrote in a detailed statement. “First there was significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper part of the ear. It has since resolved and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly. “
During his speech, Trump thanked Jackson for his help.
“Let me also thank Congressman Ronny Jackson of Texas. . . for the care and remedies he gave me as an exceptional doctor, and he is, he’s actually an incredible guy,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance shot Vice President Kamala Harris at Saturday’s rally in Grand Rapids.
“I served in the United States Marine Corps. . . What did you do? What did she do besides get information from her political offices?” she asked, before talking about her grandmother, whom she calls “Mamaw,” and her upbringing.
Harris sidelined Vance after his speech Wednesday at the RNC in which he accepted his role in the 2024 bid. “It’s compelling. It’s a compelling story. But that’s not the whole story,” Harris said.
Read the full article on JD Vance via Brandon Gillespie
Ohio Senator JD Vance congratulated former President Trump at a crusade in Grand Rapids, Michigan, precisely one week after Trump’s failed assassination.
Speaking before thousands of people, Vance called for “bringing not unusual meaning and security to this country. “
Vance also praised Trump’s economic plans and praised him on border security.
“Simply put, President Trump needs to build a country that works for the citizens of this country,” he said. “Again, he did it for 4 years. He did it very effectively for 4 years. “
United States President Donald Trump shakes hands with White House physician Rear Adm. Dr. Ronny Jackson after his annual medical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Jan. 12, 2018. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP Getty Images)
Writing a week after Trump shot him in the ear in Pennsylvania, Jackson explained that he evaluated Trump from Bedminster, New Jersey, hours after the shooting.
“I have been with President Trump ever since and have assessed and treated his wound on a daily basis,” Jackson wrote. “It’s okay. As reported and found by Total Global, he shot him in the right ear with a high-powered rifle used through the long-term killer. “
The congressman also provided explicit details about Trump’s injuries, saying the bullet passed “a quarter of an inch from [Trump’s] head and hit the most sensitive part of his right ear. “Jackson also showed that Trump had obtained a CT scan of his head.
“Because of the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is intermittent bleeding that requires the application of a bandage,” he added. “Given the large, blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were necessary. “
The doctor will appear on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” on Sunday morning at 10 a. m. Toward the end of his statement, Jackson concluded that Trump is doing well right now.
“I’m incredibly grateful that they saved his life. It’s an absolute miracle that he didn’t kill,” Jackson added.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Kirill Clark contributed to this update.
Thousands of people filled the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday to show their support for former President Trump at his first rally since a would-be assassin unsuccessfully attempted suicide last week.
“Fight fight fight fight!” Some in the swing state crowd began chanting as Fox News Digital asked if there was any sense of nervousness after the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old gunman killed one participant, seriously wounded two others and opened fire. Trump in the ear.
“Western Michigan is excited and they are in position for a replacement in Washington,” Michael Markey, Republican candidate for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, told Fox as he greeted protesters waiting in line to enter the Van Andel. Sand.
Read the full article on Grand Rapids via Brandon Gillespie
An undated symbol of Thomas Matthew Crooks (AFP document)
Crooks died of a gunshot wound to the head, the Butler County Coroner’s Office told Fox News Digital on Saturday. The manner of his death is considered homicide.
The 20-year-old was pronounced dead in Butler County, where he fired five bullets during a Trump rally on July 13, striking the former president in the ear before being “neutralized” 26 seconds later.
Read the full article on Thomas Matthew Crooks via Christina Coulter
Thomas Crooks earned an associate degree in engineering in May from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh. (AP/Getty)
The guy who shot former President Donald Trump last Saturday excelled at school and had a promising future, his former teacher said.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, a thoughtful and well-mannered student at Allegheny College Community College in Pittsburgh, where he graduated in May with an associate’s degree in engineering.
One of her former teachers, who asked not to be identified, was so stunned after the shooting that she reviewed her homework and noted that she had gone “above and beyond her expectations” as a teacher. student.
He remembered an assignment Crooks had on a chess game for blind players.
“He published it in 3-D. He put Braille on it,” said the educator. “He spoke to experts in the field. He took wonderful care. “
The criminals were shot dead by snipers after firing a burst of gunfire at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bullets grazed the former president’s ear and killed former firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Another worker said Crooks, of Bethel Park, was aiming for a career as an engineer and was surprised by his murderous lineage.
“It’s very, very, very unexpected,” the worker said.
HBO host Bill Maher has chided Trump supporters who insist the former president was saved from assassination by God. (Screenshot/HBO, Getty Images)
HBO host Bill Maher doesn’t believe the hand of God saved former President Donald Trump from a fatal bullet last week and believes he’s about to be turned into a “demigod. “
“Enough of interpreting each and every occasion as a DM [direct message] from heaven,” Maher said, berating devout devout Trump supporters in the segment.
Maher condemned the assassination attempt at the beginning of his show, as he had shortly after the traumatic event. He told his HBO audience on Friday, “Be so angry about this like the contestant you love is shot. “”
He also criticized the US Secret Service for appearing to drop the bullet to prevent the incident, saying: “You’ll also be angry that the Secret Service allowed a kid with a sniper rifle and a rangefinder to walk past the steel detectors. ” “The TSA criticized me once. ” for a bottle of Visine. ”
The segment, titled “In God We Lust,” began with the host’s statement: “Ever since the bullet intended for Donald Trump missed last Saturday, Republicans have been engaged in magical thinking, saying things like ‘Trump. ‘ “wear the armor of God. “
He shared quotes from conservatives and pro-Trump influencers who said God was protecting the former president, and added that of Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, the victim of an assassination attempt in 2017.
Maher read Scalise’s message about the Trump shooting, which said: “There were miracles yesterday. And I believe the hand of God was there too. ” The host then joked about how God treated Scalise’s shooting as opposed to how he treated Trump’s: “Steve shot like Well, still God had a day off. And that bullet missed his ear and went into his spleen. ” .
Gabriel Hays of Fox News Digital contributed to this update.
He leaves a crusade-level shoe for former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show Inc. on Saturday, July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump ducked and was removed from the level after loud noises were heard after he began speaking. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
On Friday, the Butler Farm Show expressed its condolences to those affected and clarified that its role was limited to renting the land for the Trump campaign, local news station KDKA reported.
“We are saddened by the tragic event that occurred on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show during former President Donald J. Trump’s rally on Saturday, July 13. Our thoughts and condolences are with the circle of family and friends of Corey Comperatore whose life “has had a profound impact within the Butler community. We also express our deepest condolences to those who were injured in the incident and wish them a full recovery,” he said.
As friends and family gathered to pay their respects to Corey Comperatore, the father and firefighter shot and killed at a Trump rally on July 13, at his funeral Friday morning, citizens blanketed the streets leading to the Comperatore church to the fallen “hero. “
“My son was a firefighter with Corey for years. A perfect mentor for him. He’s a glorious person,” Sylvia Lowry told Fox News Digital on Friday. “Of course, we are all devastating. Extended family. . . We only pray that he may rest in peace. “
He went on to describe Comperatore as “quiet,” a “family man” and a “good soul. ”
Jeanne Fox, who worked with Helen, Comperatore’s spouse, described the volunteer firefighter as a “father” — more specifically, a “dad” to his two daughters.
The former Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department firefighter leader also served 10 years in the U. S. Army Reserve.
“Above all, Corey, the best family man and the best father woman,” his obituary reads. “His love for his wife Helen Comperatore is a testament to the strength of partnership and dedication. Together they raised two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee Comperatore, who will carry his spirit of compassion. “
Thomas Matthew Crooks (Retrieved via Fox News Digital)
Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, investigated top school shooter Ethan Crumbley before attempting to kill the former president, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Ethan Crumbley, now 18, is serving a life sentence without parole for killing four students and wounding seven others at Oxford High School in Michigan in November 2021, when he was just 15 years old.
Following Crumbley’s historic conviction, his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors argued that the couple failed to properly secure their guns and home and failed to provide their son with the assistance he needed before the shooting. The parents even visited Oxford High School principals to talk about the disturbing drawings their son had made on glass on the morning of the fatal shooting.
The offenders’ other web search history included photos of Trump and Biden, the Democratic National Convention (DNC), and “major depressive disorder,” as the New York Times previously reported.
Investigators aware of searching Crooks’ background after hacking his phone, according to the Times.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this update.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N. D. , spoke with NBC’s Kristen Welker about the Secret Service briefing for members of Congress on the assassination of former President Trump.
Cramer said an outstanding question for lawmakers is why Trump allowed the leveling in Butler, Pennsylvania, when there was a known security threat.
Cramer said Trump was never allowed to take the level at the rally.
(FoxNews)
FBI agents appear to have been seen investigating the community of shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a week after the gunman was killed in a failed assassination attempt on former President TrumpArray.
The officers, dressed in button-down shirts, were seen driving a small black van. They carried documents in their hands and went door to door to communicate with neighbors.
Neighbors who spoke to Fox News Digital said Crooks’ circle of relatives is not politically outspoken and that his former classmates described the shooter as a quiet loner.
Jason Kohler, who attended the same high school as Crooks, described him to Fox News as an “outcast” who was alone and “bullied every day. “
Kohler told reporters that Crooks would sit alone at lunchtime and be teased for his clothing, which included “hunting suits. “
“If someone said something to his face, he would just stare at it,” Grooms told the Wall Street Journal. “People would say he’s the one who’s going to shoot up the school. “
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg and Fox News’ Chelsea Torres contributed to this update.
A retired US Secret Service agent has questioned why former President Trump allowed him to rise to the level at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a “person of interest” was known in advance.
“It wouldn’t have taken anything to tactically pause, assess the situation, locate it and potentially save them anything we haven’t noticed in 43 years. “
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was flagged by the Secret Service as a “person of interest” after authorities saw him acting suspiciously and decided he had a rangefinder to play golf, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
The criminals only knew the risk when they “recovered the weapon” and climbed onto the roof of a construction site just before the shooting, according to Guglielmi, who added that a risk requires “a different protocol and a different course of action than the user. “of interest.
Matranga called this a “catastrophic failure. “
“Not talking to other Americans or just pointing the finger at local authorities is not fair,” he said. “This is a catastrophic communications failure. We’ve known for decades that we rely too much on our local counterparts to make the paintings we’re supposed to make, so this is a catastrophic failure. “
“The former president deserves better,” he continued. The other people who were injured and those who succumbed to his injuries deserve better. “
Elizabeth Heckman of Fox News Digital contributed to this update.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will hold his first crusade Saturday since his life was murdered just a week ago.
Trump and Vance will take the stage in Grand Rapids with the GOP united after this week’s inauguration convention. On the other hand, Democrats are in crisis and it is no longer certain that President Joe Biden will be the Democratic candidate opposed to Trump in the November 5 election.
Biden is facing growing calls from many elected officials for him to step down as a White House candidate and complete his reelection bid, after his poor performance in the debate against Trump last month.
Reuters contributed to this update.
A Florida man arrested Friday after allegedly making written threats against former President Donald Trump and his 2024 running mate, Sen. J. D. Vance, R-Ohio, on social media.
Police obtained several crime tips that alerted them to the alleged Facebook posts.
“After investigating the suspect’s reports and Facebook account, JPD detectives discovered that Wiseman had made threats against Trump and Vance, who earlier this week became the Republican nominees for president and vice president, respectively,” police said in a statement. .
“JPD coordinated the investigation with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County District Attorney’s Office. JPD officers arrested Wiseman for the incident. ”
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
“I’ve been to more shootings than I can count, I can assure you, but I’ve never been like this,” said Sean Parnell, a former congressional candidate who can be seen in photographs of the shooting a few feet from Trump at right-hand level. told Fox News Digital.
“Isn’t it logical that the president too?” he added. “There was a tactical explanation for why he was busy. “
Parnell said that as soon as he arrived at the rally, he took a general look around and spotted potential security vulnerabilities, but he also saw a heavy police presence.
Their first idea was that the shooter was perched on a nearby water tower or in the AGR building north of the scene.
“It was instantly like a construction or a water tower,” he recalls. “But there’s no way. The secret would have locked him up. “
But somehow, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to climb to the top with a rifle.
Michael Ruiz of Fox News Digital contributed to this update.
The Republican leader of Pennsylvania’s second-most populous county said Friday that the way former President Trump responded to his assassination attempt likely earned him criticism and unsure voters.
“I was about to go through town to meet my friends and listen to the Fox broadcast when I heard that the president had been shot, and I can tell you that I was probably stunned,” he said. “Something like this may not happen; [there] may be a security breach that could allow this. “
DeMarco said, however, that what would endure would be Trump’s reaction, now immortalized through the Republican presidential candidate’s iconic symbol saying the word “fight” with his fist in the air, and his courage to continue his crusade.
“He further demonstrated the strength he has when, after returning to [Bedminster, New Jersey] for a day, he continued to move on to the [National] Republican Convention as planned, and then culminated last night with a speech that lasted an hour or more. .
“What person, after being shot and on the verge of death, can continue like this?”
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this update.
Billy Ray Cyrus at Corey Comperatore’s funeral on Friday (July 19) in Cabot, Pennsylvania. (Fox News Digital)
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer was seen taking photos and shaking hands with law enforcement outside the Cabot United Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, on Friday morning.
“Corey Comperatore is a veteran Army reservist and former fire chief. Billy Ray Cyrus is passionate about honoring troops and first responders. Today he had the honor of joining the circle of family and performing during the service,” a source told Fox News. Digital Fridays.
“American hero Corey Comperatore,” one sign read. Another, the volunteer firefighter, a “true hero”.
Comperatore died after being shot at the rally while protecting his family.
Former President Trump, the fallen firefighter Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, with Comperatore’s firefighter jacket and helmet on display.
“He selflessly lost his life acting as a huge shield to protect them from flying bullets. . . what a smart guy he was,” Trump said in his speech to the Republican National Committee on Thursday. “There is no greater love than giving one’s life. ” for others.
The shooting that killed the guy who tried to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday was “one in a million shots,” according to a source close to the shooting investigation.
A tactical team also fired at the would-be killer, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, but missed.
It is possible that the Secret Service sniper who killed Crooks only saw Crooks’ crosshairs, as well as the most sensitive part of his eye and forehead, as the edge of the ceiling blocked the sniper’s view.
They described the photo to Fox News as a “photo in a million. “
The news comes as more and more information begins to emerge about the botched security issues that allowed the Crooks to climb a building, get a clear view of Trump and open fire on the former president.
While praise is being given to the Secret Service agents who arrested the shooter and attacked Trump, the agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, has been harshly criticized for her handling of the case.
The hearing, titled “United States Secret Service Surveillance and Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump,” begins Monday at 10 a. m. at the Capitol.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Bryan Lienas contributed to this update.
Professor John James reacted to the shooting with an Instagram post that said: “If you need to shoot, man, don’t miss it. ” A screenshot of James’ post captured and shared via Libs of TikTok, an account with 3. 2 million fans on X.
After Libs’ TikTok went viral, Bellarmine University announced that James had been placed on unpaid leave.
In a July 16 update, the university said James is “no longer a Bellarmine worker. ”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s special subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic, at the Rayburn House building, on June 3, 2024, in Washington, D. C. (Chip Somodevilla /Getty Images)
On July 13, shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired a bullet that grazed the side of Trump’s head and hit the top of his right ear. One bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured by the attacker before being shot dead by US Secret Service agents.
Fauci, in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, said the public shouldn’t get too involved in the extent of Trump’s wound and the former president’s remedy.
“So I think as far as a similar physical condition to the ball itself, I think it’s transparent from what I can see. I mean, it’s harmful to make diagnoses away from what I see, from the way it acts. “Now and what your doctor saw in your report, it turns out that it was a superficial injury to the ear, and that’s it. ”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will testify Monday before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
“We are committed to better understanding what happened before and after the assassination attempt on former President Trump to ensure it does not happen again,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
“Americans aren’t getting easy answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about the historic Secret Service security failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump, the killing of an innocent victim, and the harm to others in the crowd. We take a look at the Director Cheatle’s testimony on Monday, July 22 to ensure the transparency and accountability Americans deserve,” Comer said after Cheatle showed he would testify on Monday.
House lawmakers have vowed to exercise oversight over the Secret Service after former President Trump was shot and killed at his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Questions abound about how the shooter was able to take the position of a sniper on an unsecured rooftop, within the diversity of the president.
Bob Crankovic said he was sitting at Trump, right next to his right shoulder, when the rally began.
Minutes after the rally began, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, attempted to kill Trump but shot him in the ear after the former president turned at the last moment toward a border policy graphic.
Crankovic, who has been active in local Republican circles since 2016, said this was his fourth Trump rally, and Saturday’s rally started like any other: Attendees wore red hats and American flag-themed badges.
However, after the shots rang out, Crankovic watched Trump fall and be suffocated by Secret Service agents. What happened next was just as shocking, he said.
“So it was hard to watch. But, I mean, as soon as the president stood up, everyone screamed against the president. “
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Investigators are investigating whether possible killer Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone over the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania, hours before he shot former President Trump on July 13.
A source close to the investigation indicated that Crooks flew a drone over the buildings he eventually climbed to try to assassinate Trump.
A high-ranking congressional source also told Fox News that he is investigating the matter, but may not verify the main points of the drone.
According to the Journal, Crooks flew the drone on a scheduled flight path toward July 13, and officials said the trajectory suggests the shooter flew the drone more than once before the event.
A source told Fox News Digital that the FBI read a drone connected to the shooting investigation, but backed away from the main points of the Wall Street Journal report.
The FBI declined to comment on Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Bryan Lienas, Fox News Digital’s Chad Pergram, C. B. Cotton, and Greg Wehner contributed to this update.
According to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation, Crooks had hidden his father’s rifle near the air conditioning unit he used to climb to the roof of the AGR building, or had it in the backpack he saw, along with the rangefinder. golf.
However, this source said that concealing the rifle in his backpack would require a significant amount of disassembly and reassembly of the rifle, and that the most likely scenario is that Crooks concealed the rifle in the AC unit.
We also now know that the internal unit of this build was a sniper team from the Butler Township Emergency Services Unit that was following the event. This team observed the event through the windows of the building, looking for any suspicious activity, while the criminals sneaked into the roof above them.
Fox News can also report that the Secret Service countersniper who killed Crooks fired one shot.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
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