Sunday Update:
The person who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks was a registered Republican, though records show that he had donated money to a liberal voter turnout group in 2021.
The incident occurred on Saturday, July 13, 2024, during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue. Trump was injured in the ear but was reported to be “safe” after being escorted off stage with blood on his face. One spectator was killed, and two others were critically injured in the attack.
The Secret Service neutralized the shooter, who was killed in the incident. Crooks was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and was positioned on the roof of a building around 400 feet north of the stage.
In an interview with the BBC, a man said he saw somebody with a rifle on a rooftop before the shooting and tried to signal to the Secret Service. This attempted assassination has shocked political leaders worldwide and sparked discussions about security measures for political candidates and the state of political discourse in the United States.
Meanwhile, the U.S. House will conduct a “full investigation” of events surrounding the shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a post on X.
The House and Senate are both out and on recess this week due to the Republican National Convention July 15-19. But the key focus for the week occurred Saturday afternoon when an attack was made on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden appeared on camera Saturday night to condemn the shooting.
“I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope, when I get back to the telephone,” Biden said of Trump, his Republican opponent. “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick.” “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead,” Trump added.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Trump is safe following the incident and that an investigation is underway. The White House initially called the matter “an incident.”
The Associated Press reported that the shooter is dead and that a rally attendee was killed.
Former President Donald Trump was escorted off stage by Secret Service that left him bleeding from near his right ear, though Trump’s campaign has said he is fine following the incident. He immediately was being checked out at a local medical facility.
— President Joe Biden has lost a few points in most polls since the halting June 27 debate. The FiveThirtyEight average of polls shows a 2.5-point shift against Biden, while the New York Times poll tracker shows a 3-point shift. Both sources indicate Trump is ahead in the national popular vote by a couple of points.
High-quality public polls of swing states reflect a similar shift against Biden.
Of note: The majority of voters have firmly established positions, and shifting even a small number of them requires a significant event.
Election analysts stress that Biden was already trailing in most swing states before the debate and needs the race to shift in his favor. However, the current trend is moving against him.
— Speakers at the GOP national convention. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and all three apparent finalists for vice president are set to speak at the July 14-19 Republican National Convention in Wisconsin, according to an announcement by the Trump campaign on Saturday. Link for announcement.
The campaign revealed a list of family members, lawmakers, celebrities, and special guests who will address the convention next week in Milwaukee. Notably absent from the list is former first lady Melania Trump, who is expected to attend but will not deliver remarks.
Among the notable speakers before Trump formally accepts the GOP nomination on Thursday night are North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. These individuals are considered the most likely picks for vice president. More than 50 elected officials, including several senators, governors, and former Trump administration officials, are also listed as headliners for the convention. This includes DeSantis, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, among others.
Additionally, GOP Senate candidates such as Kari Lake (Arizona), Jim Banks (Indiana), Mike Rogers (Michigan), and several others will also give remarks. Former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro is set to speak shortly after being released from prison, where he served a sentence for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the January 6th Capitol attack.
The convention will also feature speeches from media figures and celebrities, including Tucker Carlson, who was ousted from Fox News in April 2023. Other notable speakers include “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood, UFC CEO Dana White, rapper Amber Rose, reality star Savannah Chrisley, podcast host David Sacks, and Trump campaign adviser Alina Habba.
Other politicians on the slate include former GOP presidential candidates Ben Carson and Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Trump family members speaking at the convention include Donald Trump Jr., his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, Eric Trump, and his wife Lara Trump, who is the co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Neither former first lady Melania Trump nor Ivanka Trump will speak at this convention, although they have spoken at previous ones.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and Trump’s U.N. ambassador who was his only real opponent for the GOP nomination, was invited to the GOP confab and has accepted.
Construction mogul Diane Hendricks, by far the U.S.’ richest self-made woman according to Forbes’ list will also speak.
Other speakers include Americans chosen to highlight aspects of Trump’s agenda. These include Michael Morin, whose sister was killed by an illegal immigrant, Trump business employees Carrie Ruiz and John Nieporte, members of a University of North Carolina fraternity, Jim Chilton (an Arizona rancher,) the mother of a fentanyl poisoning victim, multiple veterans, a petroleum engineer, and a pastor.
Of note: Jim Chilton is a fifth-generation rancher from Arivaca, Arizona. His family has been in the cattle business for nearly 140 years. Chilton’s ranch extends to the U.S./Mexico border and is located in a top corridor for drug smuggling and human trafficking. Chilton appears to have been selected to speak at the convention to address immigration and border security themes from the perspective of a rancher whose property is directly affected by these issues. He has testified before Congress multiple times about the challenges faced by ranchers in border areas. His inclusion aligns with the Republican Party’s focus on border security and immigration policy for the upcoming election. In 2003, Chilton was named “Rancher of the Year” by the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association. He has also received other awards, including: The “True Grit” award from the Arizona Cattle Growers. The “Individual of the Year” award from an unspecified organization. The Arizona Farm Bureau “Oscar” for outstanding achievement. The Farm Bureau “Environmental Stewardship” award. His wife, Sue Chilton, purchased the ranch near Arivaca with her husband in 1987, and they later expanded their operation by buying the neighboring Flying X ranch in 1991. Together with Jim, Sue implemented grazing management programs and conducted detailed environmental monitoring on their ranch. They have been recognized as cooperators with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) since 1980. Sue was appointed by Arizona Governor Jane Hull to serve a five-year term on the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. In this role, she worked to improve relations between the Game and Fish Department and rural residents who provide wildlife habitat.
Trump is expected to take the stage Thursday after securing his third consecutive nomination. The order of speakers is not yet clear, but Carlson is expected to speak shortly before Trump takes the stage Thursday, according to the New York Times, while Trump Jr. is expected to announce his father’s running mate, according to multiple outlets. C-SPAN’s website and cable channel will carry the entirety of the RNC, while outlets like CNN and Fox News will air portions of the convention across their YouTube and television networks.
The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago beginning Aug. 19 amid turbulence in the party due to discord over incumbent Joe Biden seeking reelection after his debate performance against Trump June 27 stirred questions about his capacity to run for re-election.
