Trump shooting live updates: Biden says politics must never become ‘a killing field’

Biden
will
to
return
to
the
campaign
trail
this
week,
which
includes
a
keynote
speech
at
the
NAACP
convention
in
Las
Vegas
on
Tuesday.

The
president’s
planned
trip
to
the LBJ
Presidential
Library
in
Austin
on
Monday
has
been
postponed.

Although
no
new
date
has
been
announced,
Mark
Updegrove,
president
and
CEO
of
the
LBJ
Foundation,
said
the
visit
could
happen
in
the
coming
weeks.

“We
are
honored
President
Biden
remains
committed
to
joining
us
at
the
LBJ
Library
to
mark
the
60th
Anniversary
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act
and
we
look
forward
to
hosting
him
later
this
month,”
Updegrove

said
on
X.

—
Charmaine
Jacob

Trump’s
support
base
is
“very
much
consolidated”
entering
the
Republican
National
Convention
and
would
have
been
even
without
the
attempted
assassination,
said
former
U.S.
Ambassador
to
Singapore
David
Adelman.

Adelman
told
CNBC’s
“Squawk
Box
Asia”
that
he
expects
the
attempted
assassination
to
be
“a
subject
for
discussion
over
the
entirety
of
the
campaign.”

“These
are
very
uncommon
occurrences
in
the
United
States,
and
I
think
Americans
are
rightfully
traumatized
by
what
has
occurred,”
he
said.

—Lee
Ying
Shan

Trump
said
his
speech
at
the
Republican
National
Convention
will
now
focus
on
national
unity,
instead
of
targeting
Joe
Biden’s
policies.

The
former
president
told
the

Washington
Examiner
“he
wanted
to
take
advantage
of
a
historic
moment
and
draw
the
country
together.”

“Honestly,
it’s
going
to
be
a
whole
different
speech
now,”
he
said
in
an
interview
following
the
assassination
attempt
against
him.
Trump’s
speech
is
slated
for
Thursday.

The
former
president
also
explained
that
holding
his
fist
in
the
air
despite
blood
trickling
down
his
face
was
a
sign
to
show
people
that
he
was
fine,
and
“that
America
goes
on,
we
go
forward,
that
we
are
strong.”

—
Charmaine
Jacob

Trump
has
arrived
in
Milwaukee
for
the
Republican
National
Convention
where
he
is
expected
to
be
nominated
as
the
Republican
presidential
candidate.

The
former
president
was
initially
going
to
delay
the
trip
by
two
days
due
to
the
attempted
assassination,
but
decided
otherwise.

“I
was
going
to
delay
my
trip
to
Wisconsin,
and
The
Republican
National
Convention,
by
two
days,
but
have
just
decided
that
I
cannot
allow
a
‘shooter,’
or
potential
assassin,
to
force
change
to
scheduling,
or
anything
else,”
the
former
president

wrote
on
social
media
platform
Truth
Social.

The
four-day
convention
kicks
off
on
Monday.

—
Lee
Ying
Shan

President
Joe
Biden
in
a
rare
Oval
Office
address
responded
to
the
assassination
attempt
against
former
President
Donald
Trump
by
condemning
violence
and
urging
Americans
to
cool
down
their
inflamed
political
discourse.

“We
can’t
allow
this
violence
to
be
normalized,”
Biden
said.
“You
know,
the
political
rhetoric
in
this
country
has
gotten
very
heated.
It’s
time
to
cool
it
down.”

The
shooting
“calls
on
all
of
us
to
take
a
step
back,
take
stock
of
where
we
are,
how
we
go
forward
from
here,”
Biden
said
in
the
speech,
which
lasted
less
than
seven
minutes.

Watch
the
entire
address
below:

—

Kevin
Breuninger

Biden
ended
his
Oval
Office
address
by
stressing
that
democratic
norms
of
decency,
dignity
and
fair
play
are
more
than
just
“quaint
notions,”
but
“living,
breathing
realities.”

“Look,
let’s
never
lose
sight
of
who
we
are,”
Biden
said.

“Let’s
remember
we
are
the
United
States
of
America.
There
is
nothing,
nothing,
nothing
beyond
our
capacity
when
we
do
it
together,”
he
said.
“God
bless
you
all,
and
may
God
protect
our
troops.”

Biden
spoke
for
less
than
seven
minutes.

—

Kevin
Breuninger

Biden’s
Oval
Office
address
tonight
was
his
third
since
taking
office.
It
is
the
seventh
time
in
his
presidency
that
he
has
delivered
an
address
in
primetime,
not
including
his
State
of
the
Union
addresses.

His
most
recent
primetime
address
from
the
Oval
Office
before
Sunday
was
on
Oct.
19,
2023,
when
Biden
delivered
remarks
on
the
Israel-Hamas
conflict.

–
Josephine
Rozzelle

Biden
condemned
political
violence
in
all
its
forms,
declaring
that
the
natural
disagreements
that
arise
in
a
free
country
must
never
devolve
into
a
“killing
field.”

“Disagreement
is
inevitable
in
American
democracy.
It’s
part
of
human
nature,”
Biden
said.
“But
politics
must
never
be
a
literal
battlefield
or,
God
forbid,
a
killing
field.”

Biden’s
speech
invoked
not
just
the
assassination
attempt
against
Trump
but
also
the

attack
on
Paul
Pelosi,
the
husband
of
former
House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi;
the
Jan.
6,
2021,
Capitol
riot;
and
other
events.

—

Kevin
Breuninger

President
Joe
Biden
said
at
the
start
of
his
national
address
that
he
wanted
to
speak
about
“the
need
for
us
to
lower
the
temperature
in
our
politics.”

Biden
began
speaking
from
the
Oval
Office
at
8:01
p.m.
ET.

—

Kevin
Breuninger

President
Biden
is
set
to
deliver
remarks
from
the
Oval
Office
at
8
p.m.
ET,
where
he
will
make
a
plea
to
end
political
violence
in
light
of
the
assassination
attempt
on
former
President
Donald
Trump,
a
Biden
campaign
official
previewed
to
NBC
News.

Throughout
his
campaign,
Biden
has
repeatedly
condemned
examples
of
political
violence
like
the
2017
Charlottesville
riots
and
the
Jan.
6
Capitol
insurrection,
both
of
which
he
has
at
least
in
part
blamed
Trump
for
inciting.

“He
has
been
clear
that
we
don’t
settle
our
differences
through
violence,”
the
Biden
campaign
official
told
NBC
News.
“We
settle
them
at
the
ballot
box.”

In
the
hours
since
the
Trump
assassination
attempt,
some
Republican
lawmakers
have
blamed
Biden’s
campaign
rhetoric
for
the
shooting.

The
campaign
official
staunchly
rejected
that
notion:
“In
a
moment
when
Americans
should
come
together
and
unite
to
condemn
this
horrifying
attack,
anyone
–
especially
elected
officials
with
national
platforms
–
politicizing
this
tragedy,
spreading
disinformation,
and
seeking
to
further
divide
Americans
isn’t
just
unacceptable
–
it’s
an
abdication
of
leadership.”

The
official
said
Biden
will
continue
to
“draw
the
contrast”
with
Republicans’
agendas
throughout
the
rest
of
the
week,
as
the
Republican
National
Convention
is
in
full
swing.

After
tonight’s
address,
Biden
will
sit
for
an
interview
with
NBC
News’
Lester
Holt
on
Monday.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Democratic
donor
and
LinkedIn
co-founder

Reid
Hoffman
penned
a

lengthy
X
post
Sunday
afternoon
wishing
former
President
Donald
Trump
a
speedy
recovery
and
clarifying
a
previous
comment
he
made
from
Sun
Valley,
Idaho,
on
Trump
being
a
martyr.

“At
a
recent
business
conference,
Peter
Thiel
said
that
my
lawsuit
work
against
Trump
was
“turning
a
clown
into
a
martyr.”
In
that
context,
I
replied
that
I
wished
that
Trump
would
martyr
himself
–
meaning
let
himself
be
held
accountable
–
for
his
assaults
on
and
lies
about
women,”
Hoffman
wrote.

“Of
course
I
meant
nothing
about
any
sort
of
physical
harm
or
violence,
which
I
categorically
deplore.”

Hoffman
previously

provided
financing
to
E.
Jean
Carroll’s
legal
efforts
against
Trump.
The
two
civil
trials
resulted
in
a
judge
ruling
that
Trump
owed
Carroll
more
than

$88
million
in
damages
for
sexual
abuse
and
defamation.

— Jake
Piazza

Donald
Trump
has
landed
in
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
for
the
Republican
National
Convention,
which
will
take
place
Monday
to
Thursday.
Tens
of
thousands
of
people
are
expected
to
attend.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Senate
Minority
Leader
Mitch
McConnell,
R-Ky.,
offered
a
message
of
optimism
to
attendees
at
a
Kentucky
delegation
event
kicking
off
the
Republican
National
Convention,
NBC
News
confirmed.

“We
are
not
going
to
let
this
kind
of
hatred
redefine
this
country,”
said
McConnell,
who
attended
the
event
with
his
wife,
Elaine
Chao.

“How
about
that
fist
pump
on
the
way
up,”
he
joked,
referencing
Donald
Trump
punching
his
fist
in
the
air
for
several
seconds
as
Secret
Service
rushed
him
off
stage
at
the
rally.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

JPMorgan
Chase
CEO
Jamie
Dimon
addressed
the
attempted
assassination
of
former
President
Donald
Trump
in
a
memo
sent
out
to
all
employees.

Dimon
said
the
leadership’s
teams
thoughts
go
out
to
Trump,
his
family
and
the
families
of
the
victims
injured
or
killed
Saturday
evening.

“We
must
all
stand
firmly
together
against
any
acts
of
hate,
intimidation
or
violence
that
seek
to
undermine
our
democracy
or
inflict
harm,”
Dimon
also
wrote.
“It
is
only
through
constructive
dialogue
that
we
can
tackle
our
nation’s
toughest
challenges.”

— Hugh
Son
&
Jake
Piazza

The
Pennsylvania
State
Police
identified
the
three
rally
attendees
who
were
shot,
one
who
was
tragically
killed
and
two
who
were
left
in
critical
condition.
All
three
were
Pennsylvania
residents.

David
Dutch,
a
57-year-old
resident
of
New
Kensington,
and
James
Copenhaver,
a
74-year-old
resident
of
Moon
Township,
both
suffered
critical
injuries
but
are
now
in
stable
condition,
although
still
hospitalized,
according
to
the
police
department.

The
deceased
victim,
Corey
Comperatore,
was
a
50-year-old
former
Pennsylvania
firefighter
with
a
wife
and
two
daughters.

Comperatore
was
identified
by
Gov.
Josh
Shapiro
earlier
Sunday,
who
had
spoken
with
his
family.
The
governor
said
his
family
wanted
to
let
the
public
know
that
Comperatore
“died
a
hero”
by
using
his
body
as
a
shield
to
protect
them
at
the
rally.

“These
victims
and
their
families
are
certainly
in
our
thoughts
today,”
State
Commissioner
Colonel
Christopher
Paris
said.
“The
Pennsylvania
State
Police
continue
to
work
tirelessly
alongside
our
federal,
state
and
local
partners
as
this
investigation
continues.”

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

The
Secret
Service
will
not
change
its
security
plan
for
the
Republican
National
Convention,
despite
the
alleged
assassination
attempt
Saturday.

“There
have
been
no
changes
to
our
current
operational
security
plans
for
this
event,”
Audrey
Gibson-Cicchino,
the
RNC
coordinator
for
the
Secret
Service,
said
at
a
Sunday
press
conference,
adding
that
the
plan
has
been
developed
over
18
months
and
has
been
designated
the
highest
level
of
security.

“We
are
confident
in
these
security
plans
that
are
in
place
for
this
event
and
we’re
ready
to
go.”

Firearms
will
not
be
allowed
inside
the
convention,
nor
within
the
Secret
Service’s
security
perimeter.
But
outside
of
that
perimeter,
just
blocks
away
from
the
GOP
convention,
firearms
will
be
permitted.

The
convention
will
take
place
from
Monday
to
Thursday
in
Wisconsin,
an
open-carry
state.
As
a
result,
the
Secret
Service
said
it
did
not
have
jurisdiction
over
firearm
regulation
outside
of
its
outlined
security
perimeter
and
deferred
to
the
state’s
law
enforcement.

“We
have
to
respect
the
Second
Amendment
right
to
carry
your
firearm,”
Milwaukee
Police
Chief
Jeffrey
Norman
said
at
the
press
conference.
“As
that
is
your
right,
please
exercise
your
right
in
a
responsible
manner.”

“The
Milwaukee
Police
Department
will
not
tolerate
any
particular
behaviors
outside
of
what
is
legally
allowed
in
regards
to
that
right,”
Norman
added.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

A
Bethel
Park
rehab
facility
said
that
the
20-year
old
gunman
worked
as
its
dietary
aide,
noting
that
his
background
check
and
job
performance
had
never
raised
an
alarm.

“We
are
shocked
and
saddened
to
learn
of
his
involvement
as
Thomas
Matthew
Crooks
performed
his
job
without
concern
and
his
background
check
was
clean,”
Marcie
Grimm,
an
administrator
at
Bethel
Park
Skilled
Nursing
and
Rehabilitation
Center,
the
suspected
shooter’s
employer,
wrote
in
a
statement.

Grimm
said
that
the
facility
is
“fully
cooperating”
with
law
enforcement
as
the
FBI
continues
its
investigation.

“We
condemn
all
acts
of
violence,”
Grimm
wrote.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Moments
before
the
suspected
shooter
opened
fire
on
former
President
Donald
Trump,
a
municipal
police
officer
confronted
him,
said
Butler
County
Sheriff
Michael
T.
Slupe in
an
interview
with
The
Washington
Post.

The
officer
lifted
himself
high
enough
to
look
onto
the
roof,
Slupe
said,
and
the
suspected
shooter
pointed
his
gun
at
the
peering
officer.
Slupe
said
the
officer
was
holding
the
edge
of
the
roof,
so
he
was
not
holding
his
gun
in
his
hand,
and
then
dropped
down.

Moments
later,
the
gunman
opened
fire
on
the
rally,
according
to
Slupe’s
account
to
The
Washington
Post.

“He
lets
go
because
he
doesn’t
want
to
get
killed,”
Slupe
said
to
The
Washington
Post.

The
officer
from
the
roof
was
investigating
an
earlier
report
of
a
suspicious
individual,
according
to
the
Washington
Post.

— Jake
Piazza

CNBC
Squawk
Box
anchor
Joe
Kernen
spoke
with
former
President
Trump
on
Sunday,
according
to
Kernen’s
post
on
X.

“He
asked
me
to
pass
on
to
all
that
he’s
doing
great
and
is
gratified
by
all
the
encouragement
and
support,
from
both
sides
of
the
aisle,”
Kernen
wrote,
adding,
“He
was
in
amazing
spirits,
added
he
has
a
little
problem
with
his
right
ear
but
was
glad
he
turned
his
head
at
the
last
minute.”

Kernen
called
in
to

MSNBC
with
Katy
Tur
shortly
afterward
and
recapped
the
roughly
three-minute
conversation.

Trump
told
Kernen
he
received
calls
from
both
sides
of
the
aisle,
including
from
some
people
he
did
not
expect
to
hear
from.

— Jake
Piazza

The
FBI
agents
investigating
the
Trump
assassination
attempt
said
the
suspected
gunman
acted
alone
but
that
there
are
still
many
questions
that
need
to
be
answered.

“At
this
point
the
investigation,
it
appears
that
he
was
a
lone
actor,”
FBI
executive
assistant
director
Robert
Wells
said
during
a
call
with
reporters,
noting
that
the
investigation
is
still
in
its
early
phases.

Kevin
Rojek,
the
FBI
special
agent
leading
the
investigation,
said
that
the
bureau
has
confirmed
that
the
suspected
shooter
used
an
AR-style
556
rifle,
which
was
purchased
legally.

Many
questions
remain
as
the
investigation
continues.

Rojek
added
that
they
have
not
yet
“identified
an
ideology”
associated
with
the
gunman
and
that
the
FBI
is
still
working
to
piece
together
the
timeline
of
the
events
leading
up
to
the
assassination
attempt.

The
FBI
said
it
had
searched
the
suspected
gunman’s
vehicle
and
that
it
is
working
to
get
full
access
to
his
phone
and
social
media
accounts,
in
order
to
understand
his
motive
and
the
sequence
of
events
leading
up
to
the
shooting.

During
the
vehicle
search,
Rojek
said,
the
FBI
found
a
“suspicious
device”
that
was
inspected
by
bomb
technicians.
The
device
is
still
under
analysis.

The
FBI
officials
noted
that
they
are
also
keeping
tabs
on
the
fallout
of
the
events
and
monitoring
the
upcoming
Republican
and
Democratic
conventions.
The
FBI
said
it
has
not
so
far
identified
any
existing
public
safety
concerns
related
to
this
shooting’s
aftermath.

Attorney
General
Merrick
Garland
and
FBI
Director
Christopher
Wray
were
also
on
the
call
and
extended
their
condolences
to
the
shooting
victims.

“Our
hearts
are
with
them
and
with
those
critically
injured
and
their
families,”
Garland
said.

Wray
said
the
bureau
has
dedicated
the
“full
force
of
the
FBI
to
this
investigation.”
That
includes
criminal
and
national
security
teams,
tactical
support,
teams
to
process
crime
scene
evidence,
victim
services,
specialists,
the
FBI
lab
and
its
operational
technology
division,
he
said.

The
FBI
officials
said
it
has
received
over
2,600
tips
so
far,
each
of
which
the
bureau
plans
to
investigate.
They
reiterated
that
the
public
should
report
any
knowledge
of
the
situation
to
their
tip
line
at
1-800-CALLFBI
(1-800-225-5324)
or
online
at
fbi.gov/butler.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

The
reported
attempted
assassination
of
Donald
Trump,
just
two
days
before
the
Republican
National
Convention
kicks
off,
will
likely
supercharge
the
emotional
energy
of
what
was
already
expected
to
be
an
intense
four-day
bout
of
Trump
fanfare.

“When
he
[Trump]
walks
in
that
arena
for
the
first
time,
the
decibel
level
will
be
so
high
it
will
be
almost
unmeasurable,”
Corey
Lewandowski,
a
close
Trump
ally
who
is
advising
the
RNC,
said
Sunday.

Aside
from
the
elevated
emotional
intensity,
the
general
structure
and
schedule
of
the
Milwaukee
convention
is
set
to
remain
the
same,
Wisconsin
GOP
Chair
Brian
Schimming
said
in
a
press
conference,
noting
that
he
had
spoken
with
RNC
Chair
Michael
Whatley.

That
schedule
includes
the
highly-anticipated
announcement
of
Trump’s
vice
presidential
pick,
which
is
expected
Wednesday.

In
a
Truth
Social
post
Sunday,
Trump
said
he
was
looking
forward
to
addressing
the
nation
from
the
convention
in
Wisconsin.
Later
Sunday,
he
was
en
route
to
the
Badger
State.

The
RNC
has
over
80
names
on
its

speaker
lineup,
including
former
GOP
presidential
candidate
Nikki
Haley,
who
on
Sunday
accepted
her
invitation
to
speak.
She
appeared
to
receive
that
invitation
sometime
in
the
past
several
days,
NBC
News
reported
on
Saturday.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Trump
Media
CEO
Devin
Nunes
sent
his
condolences
to
the
families
of
the
rally
attendees
who
were
killed
or
wounded,
extended
support
to
Donald
Trump
and
demanded
the
federal
government
conduct
a
“fast,
thorough”
investigation
of
the
assassination
attempt.

“I
thank
God
President
Trump
survived
the
assassination
attempt
and
is
now
safe,”
Nunes
said
in
a
Saturday
statement.

He
also
called
on
federal
officials
to
provide
“any
security
resources
requested
by
President
Trump
to
guarantee
his
safety.”

Trump
is
the
majority
stakeholder
of
Trump
Media,
the
parent
company
of
Truth
Social.

Nunes
punctuated
his
statement
on
a
note
of
optimism,
saying,
“America
will
overcome
this
despicable
shooting
and
together,
our
nation
will
endure.”

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Former
President
Donald
Trump
will
not
delay
his
trip
to
Wisconsin
for
the
Republican
National
Convention,
where
he
will
officially
be
named
the
party’s
2024
presidential
candidate,
according
to
his
post
on

Truth
Social.

“Based
on
yesterday’s
terrible
events,
I
was
going
to
delay
my
trip
to
Wisconsin,
and
The
Republican
National
Convention,
by
two
days,
but
have
just
decided
that
I
cannot
allow
a
“shooter,”
or
potential
assassin,
to
force
change
to
scheduling,
or
anything
else,”
Trump
wrote.

Trump
said
he
will
leave
at
3:30
pm
Sunday.
The
Republican
National
Convention
begins
Monday
in
Milwaukee.

— Jake
Piazza
&
Rebecca
Picciotto

President
Joe
Biden
said
he
was
grateful
for
Donald
Trump’s
safety,
sent
his
condolences
to
the
shooting
victims
and
urged
the
public
not
to
speculate
about
the
gunman’s
motives.

“I’m
sincerely
grateful
that
he’s
doing
well
and
recovering,”
Biden
said,
speaking
of
the
former
president.

Biden
added
that
he
would
continue
to
ensure
that
Trump
had
the
necessary
Secret
Service
detail
to
keep
him
safe.
He
and
Trump
spoke
on
the
phone
Saturday
evening
in
a
rare
one-on-one
conversation
that
the
White
House
told
NBC
News
was
short
but
“respectful.”

Biden
also
extended
his
condolences
to
the
family
of
Corey
Comperatore,
the
50-year-old
father
and
former
Pennsylvania
firefighter
who
was
killed
at
the
rally.
The
president
also
wished
the
other
victims
a
full
recovery.

“There
is
no
place
in
America
for
this
kind
of
violence
or
any
violence
for
that
matter,”
Biden
said,
reiterating
his
comments
from
a
Saturday
evening
presser.

Biden
said
he
ordered
the
Secret
Service
to
review
all
security
measures
for
the
upcoming
Republican
National
Convention
and
is
asking
for
an
independent
review
of
the
security
at
Trump’s
Saturday
rally.
He
said
he
would
share
that
review
with
the
public.

The
president
also
urged
the
public
not
to
jump
to
conclusions
about
the
gunman’s
motives
as
the
FBI’s
investigation
into
the
attempted
assassination
is
still
ongoing.

“Please
don’t
make
assumptions
about
his
motives
or
affiliations,”
Biden
said.
“Let
the
FBI
do
their
job
and
their
partner
agencies
do
their
job.”

—

Jake
Piazza
&
Rebecca
Picciotto

It
is
unclear
if
the
containers
and
canisters
in
the
suspected
shooter’s
car
were
explosives,
two
officials
told
NBC
News.

The
motive
of
Thomas
Matthew
Crooks,
the
20-year-old
the
FBI
believes
to
be
the
shooter,
is
still
not
known.
The
preliminary
count
is
that
Crooks
fired
eight
shots,
though
that
number
could
change
as
the
FBI,
ATF
and
other
agencies
continue
looking
over
the
site,
an
official
said.

Crooks’
family
is
cooperating
with
law
enforcement,
a
senior
law
enforcement
official
directly
briefed
on
the
matter
said.

— Jake
Piazza

The
suspected
shooter,
now
identified
as
20-year-old
Thomas
Matthew
Crooks,
maintained
a
Discord
account
that
the
company
does
not
believe
was
linked
to
the
alleged
assassination
attempt,
a
Discord
spokesperson
told
NBC
News
via
email.

The
spokesperson
added
that
the
account
was
rarely
used.

“We
have
identified
an
account
that
appears
to
be
linked
to
the
suspect;
it
was
rarely
utilized
and
we
have
found
no
evidence
that
it
was
used
to
plan
this
incident,
promote
violence,
or
discuss
his
political
views,”
the

spokesperson
told
NBC
News
.

“Discord
strongly
condemns
violence
of
any
kind,
including
political
violence,
and
we
will
continue
to
coordinate
closely
with
law
enforcement,”
the
spokesperson
added.

—

Jake
Piazza

President
Biden
is
set
to
speak
this
afternoon
after
receiving
an
updated
briefing
in
the
Situation
Room
with
Vice
President
Kamala
Harris
and
several
top
security
and
law
enforcement
officials.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Democratic
Gov.
Josh
Shapiro
of
Pennsylvania
identified
the
victim
who
was
shot
and
killed
as
firefighter
Corey
Comperatore.

Shapiro
added
that
he
spoke
with
Comperatore’s
wife
and
two
daughters
who
said
he
“died
a
hero,”
diving
on
his
family
to
protect
them
as
shots
were
fired.

“Corey
was
a
girl
dad.
Corey
was
a
firefighter.
Corey
went
to
church
every
Sunday.
Corey
loved
his
community,”
Shapiro
said.
“Corey
was
an
avid
supporter
of
the
former
president,
and
was
so
excited
to
be
there
last
night
with
him
in
the
community.”

Along
with
the
killing
of
Comperatore,
the
shooting
left
two
civilians
critically
injured.

The
FBI’s
investigation
into
the
attempted
assassination
is
still
ongoing.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

President
Joe
Biden
and
Vice
President
Kamala
Harris
are
receiving
an
updated
briefing
in
the
White
House
Situation
Room
from
top
security
and
law
enforcement
officials.

In
the
room
with
them
are
Attorney
General
Merrick
Garland,
Homeland
Security
Secretary
Alejandro
Mayorkas,
FBI
Director
Christopher
Wray,
National
Security
Advisor
Jake
Sullivan,
Secret
Service
Director
Kim
Cheatle
and
several
others.

Cheatle
and
Mayorkas,
in
particular,
are
facing
increasing
calls
from
Congress
to
provide
answers
to
the
public
about
the
security
lapses
that
allowed
a
gunman
to
get
within
shooting
range
of
Donald
Trump.

Both
the
president
and
the
vice
president
received
an
initial
briefing
last
night.

Biden
delivered
on-camera
remarks
Saturday
evening
to
condemn
the
political
violence
and
later
had
a
short
but
“respectful”
phone
call
with
Trump,
a
White
House
official
told
NBC
News.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

As
the
initial
dust
of
the
attempted
Trump
assassination
settles,
members
of
Congress
are
becoming
increasingly
vocal
about
the
need
for
answers
on
what
went
wrong.

“The
seriousness
of
this
security
failure
and
chilling
moment
in
our
nation’s
history
cannot
be
understated,”
House
Homeland
Security
Chair
Mark
Green,
R-Tenn.,
wrote
in
a
letter
to
Homeland
Security
Secretary
Alejandro
Mayorkas.

Green
demanded
documents
regarding
the
security
coordination
for
the
event’s
perimeter,
as
well
as
any
messages
or
correspondence
between
the
Secret
Service,
DHS
or
president,
and
other
records
of
Secret
Service
protocol.

Green
joins
a
variety
of
Republican
lawmakers
looking
for
answers
about
Saturday’s
shooting
as
rumors
abound
about
what
went
awry,
some
of
which
the
Secret
Service
has

debunked
directly.

House
Speaker
Mike
Johnson,
R-La.,
said
he
had
been
briefed
and
spoke
with
Mayorkas
on
Saturday,
though
he
still
has
many
questions.

House
Oversight
Committee
Chair
James
Comer,
R-Ky.,
has
also
invited
the
Secret
Service
director
for
a
congressional
hearing
to
testify
on
Saturday’s
events.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

A
GoFundMe
page
created
by
Donald
Trump’s
campaign
finance
director
that
says
it
was
started
for
the
victims
and
their
families
from
Saturday’s
assassination
attempt
on
former
President
Donald
Trump
has
raised
more
than
$800,000.

Some
of
the
largest
donations
listed
include
$50,000
from
Kid
Rock,
$30,000
from
Vivek
Ramaswamy,
$15,000
from
Ben
Shapiro
and
$10,000
from
investor
Bill
Ackman.
Another
$10,000
gift
appears
to
be
from
Trump’s
daughter
Ivanka
Trump
and
her
husband
Jared
Kushner.

The
donations
have
not
been
verified
by
CNBC
or
NBC
News.
But
Kid
Rock,
Ramaswamy
and
Shapiro
have
all
either
posted
or
reposted
links
to
the
page
on
their
X
accounts.

The
GoFundMe
page
says
it
was
organized
Meredith
O’Rourke,
Trump’s
national
finance
director
for
his
2024
election
campaign.

One
rally
attendee
was
killed
and
two
others
are
in
critical
condition.

— Jake
Piazza

Former
first
lady

Melania
Trump
has
broken
her
silence
on
the
attempted
assassination
of
her
husband.

“When
I
watched
that
violent
bullet
strike
my
husband,
Donald,
I
realized
my
life,
and
Barron’s
life,
were
on
the
brink
of
devastating
change,”
Melania
wrote,
thanking
the
Secret
Service
for
their
protection.

“A
monster
who
recognized
my
husband
as
an
inhuman
political
machine
attempted
to
ring
out
Donald’s
passion
–
his
laughter,
ingenuity,
love
of
music,
and
inspiration,”
she
wrote.

“The
core
facets
of
my
husband’s
life
–
his
human
side
–
were
buried
below
the
political
machine.
Donald,
the
generous
and
caring
man
who
I
have
been
with
through
the
best
of
times
and
the
worst
of
times.”

It
was
a
rare
and
emotional
statement
from
the
former
first
lady,
who
closely
guards
her
privacy
and
been
noticeably
absent
from
Trump’s
political
events
since
he
left
the
White
House
in
2021.

Melania
Trump
sent
her
sympathies
to
the
families
of
the
victims
of
the
shooting.
She
also
reflected
more
broadly
on
the
state
of
division
in
American
politics,
and
ended
her
statement
on
a
note
of
encouragement.

“This
morning,
ascend
above
the
hate,
the
vitriol,
and
the
simple-minded
ideas
that
ignite
violence,”
she
wrote.
“The
winds
of
change
have
arrived.”

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Rep.
Ruben
Gallego,
an
Arizona
Democrat
and
candidate
for
the
Senate,
sent
a
letter
to
U.S.
Secret
Service
Director
Kimberly
Cheatle
after
last
night’s
assassination
attempt
on
former
President
Donald
Trump.

“This
was
a
security
failure
at
the
highest
level,
not
seen
since
the
attempted
assassination
of
President
Reagan,”
wrote
Gallego.
“This
cannot
happen,
and
I
demand
accountability.”

Gallego
detailed
several
questions
that
he
wants
answers
to,
including
who
approved
the
security
plan
and
whether
surrounding
buildings
were
properly
assessed
for
threats.

— Jake
Piazza

President
Joe
Biden
and
former
President
Donald
Trump
briefly
spoke
on
the
phone
Saturday
evening
in
a
rare
one-on-one
conversation.

A
White
House
official
described
the
phone
call
to
NBC
News
as
“good,
short
and
respectful.”

It
was
the
first
time
the
candidates
had
spoken
to
each
other
since
their
presidential
debate
on
June
27.

Earlier
that
evening,
Biden
delivered
brief
remarks
on
camera
in
Delaware
and
condemned
the
political
violence,
before
heading
back
to
Washington.

“There’s
no
place
in
America
for
this
kind
of
violence,”
Biden
said
Saturday.
“It’s
sick.
It’s
sick.”

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Former
Vice
President

Mike
Pence
said
he
and
his
wife
“thank
God”
for
Donald
Trump’s
safety
and
sent
their
condolences
and
support
to
the
victims
and
their
families.

He
added
a
note
of
gratitude
for
the
Secret
Service’s
“swift
response,”
which
he
added,
“undoubtedly
saved
lives.”

“There
is
no
place
in
America
for
political
violence
and
it
must
be
universally
condemned,”
he
added.

Pence
was
one
of
several
government
officials
targeted
by
armed
rioters
during
the
deadly

Jan.
6
Capitol
attack,
which
he
partially
blamed
Trump
for
inciting.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

More
than
12
hours
after
the
shooting,
two
victims
remain
in
critical
condition
at
a
local
hospital,
authorities
and
a
hospital
spokesman
said.

The
victims’
names
have
not
been
released,
and
it
was
unclear
Sunday
morning
when
officials
would
deliver
another
update.

One
attendee
at
the
rally
died
on
the
scene,
as
did
the
gunman,
who
was
killed
by
law
enforcement.

— Jake
Piazza

Republican
House
Speaker
Mike
Johnson
blamed
incendiary
political
rhetoric
for
Saturday’s
assassination
attempt
of
Donald
Trump
and
reiterated
that
Congress
is
launching
a
full
investigation
into
the
incident.

“We
can’t
go
on
like
this
as
a
society,”
Johnson
said
in
an
interview
with
NBC’s
“TODAY.”
“Everyone
needs
to
turn
the
rhetoric
down.”

He
pointed
to
President
Joe
Biden’s
campaign
rhetoric,
including
remarks
on
a
private
donor
call
in
which
Biden
said,
“It’s
time
to
put
Trump
in
the
bullseye.”

“I
know
that
[Biden]
didn’t
mean
what
is
being
implied
there,”
said
Johnson,
“but
that
kind
of
language
on
either
side
should
be
called
out.”

Congress
plans
to
do
a
full
investigation
of
the
shooting,
he
said,
to
answer
questions
about
any
potential
security
lapses
and
“anything
else
that
the
American
people
need
to
know.”

“Lots
more
questions
than
answers
this
morning,”
he
added.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

Donald
Trump
said
in
a

Truth
Social
post
that
he
was
looking
forward
to
addressing
the
country
at
this
week’s
Republican
National
Convention
in
Wisconsin.

The
former
president
also
thanked
the
public
for
its
support
and
sent
condolences
to
the
shooting
victims
and
their
families.

“We
will
FEAR
NOT,
but
instead
remain
resilient
in
our
Faith
and
Defiant
in
the
face
of
Wickedness.
Our
love
goes
out
to
the
other
victims
and
their
families,”
Trump
wrote.
“I
truly
love
our
Country,
and
love
you
all,
and
look
forward
to
speaking
to
our
Great
Nation
this
week
from
Wisconsin.”

The
RNC
is
set
to
take
place
in
Milwaukee
from
Monday
to
Thursday.

Saturday’s
assassination
attempt
on
Trump
will
not
change
the
RNC’s
structure,
a
senior
Republican
official
involved
in
the
planning
told
NBC
News
on
Sunday.

The
official
added
that
the
shooting
and
Trump’s
survival
could
color
the
convention
with
more
emotional
overtones,
but
that
the
fundamental
plan
will
not
change.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto

The
Secret
Service
rejected
rumors
that
it
had
denied
Donald
Trump’s
requests
for
additional
security
resources.

Secret
Service
spokesman
Anthony
Guglielmi
said
that
the
notion
that
Trump’s
team
asked
for
more
security
and
was
rebuffed
“is
absolutely
false.”

“In
fact,
we
added
protective
resources
&
technology
&
capabilities
as
part
of
the
increased
campaign
travel
tempo,”
Guglielmi
wrote
in
a
social
media
post.

To
prepare
for
more
travel
and
events
on
the
campaign
trail,
Trump’s
team
beefed
up
his
Secret
Service
detail
with
more
special
agents
and
teams,
an
official
told
NBC
News
in
May.

—

Rebecca
Picciotto