The assassination attempt on former President Trump has shocked the USA. Events are unfolding rapidly. What exactly happened? And what consequences will the attack have on the election campaign?
A gunman shot former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania. The 78-year-old was injured in the incident on Saturday (local time). Here is an overview of what we know and the aspects that are currently unclear:
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform, which he co-founded, that a bullet had hit him in the upper part of his right ear. Standing upright and supported by Secret Service security guards, he left the stage with a bleeding ear. He raised his fist in the air. Trump was given a medical examination. A few hours later, his campaign team released a video showing him coming down the stairs of his plane as it arrived in New Jersey.
It is too early to say for sure. But his statements initially suggested that he was only slightly injured by a bullet in his ear. So a bullet that had entered the body a few centimeters away could have – in the worst case scenario – hit him directly in the head.
The FBI identified the suspected shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from near Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania. His hometown of Bethel Park is about 75 kilometers south of the attack site in Butler. He was killed by security forces in Butler. Media reports suggested that he was quickly shot by snipers. The Secret Service initially did not reveal any details about the shooting.
There was initially no reliable information on this. According to US media, the shooter was registered as a Republican in the electoral register, but he is said to have donated to a Democratic group at least once. Investigators are likely to take a close look at the man’s mental state, his finances and his online activities, among other things.
The suspected shooter opened fire from an “elevated position” outside the venue. Videos suggested that he fired from a nearby roof. According to US media, investigators seized a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle at the scene. It was initially unclear whether the suspected perpetrator had purchased the weapon legally and how much ammunition he was carrying. It was also not initially known how skilled the man was in handling the weapon.
Former President Trump is protected by the Secret Service – however, the security measures are not as extensive as for a sitting president. A detailed review of the operation in Butler is expected in the coming weeks and months. A key question is likely to be whether the security guards should have (better) controlled the “elevated position” with an apparent direct line of sight to Trump on the podium, even though it was outside the event area.
One spectator was killed in the attack and two others were injured and were initially in a critical condition. According to police, the victims were adult men. Panic broke out in the audience after the incident. The venue was evacuated.
Trump wants to defeat the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden in the presidential election in early November – less than four months from now – and secure another term in office. This Monday, the Republican Party Convention begins in Milwaukee, where Trump is to be officially chosen as his party’s candidate for the election. The convention is to take place as planned. The party and Trump’s campaign team announced this in a joint statement. So everything indicates that Trump will continue his election campaign.
Trump has always portrayed himself as a martyr and as someone his political opponents are trying to get rid of by any means possible. He successfully used the four criminal proceedings against him to mobilize his supporters and collect donations. He is therefore likely to be trying to systematically use the attack for his own ends. A few hours after the shooting in Butler, his team sent the first campaign text message with the words: “I will never give up” – and a direct link to the donation website.
