Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

For the 2016 incident, see 2016 Donald Trump Las Vegas rally incident.

Attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Part of political violence in the United States and political polarization in the United States
Location	Butler Farm Show Grounds near Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	40.8571223°N 79.9711779°W / 40.8571223; -79.9711779
Date	July 13, 2024 (2024-07-13) 6:11 p.m. (35 days ago) (UTC−04:00)
Target	Donald Trump
Attack type	Attempted assassination by gunshot
Weapon	AR-15–style rifle
Deaths	2 (including the perpetrator)
Injured	3 (including Trump)
Perpetrator	Thomas Matthew Crooks

On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States and the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential election, was shot in the upper right ear at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

The shooter was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement personnel and witnesses said Crooks crawled onto a roof of a building that was owned by AGR International outside the rally venue and fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle before being killed by a Secret Service Counter Assault Team sniper. One member of the audience was killed, and two others were critically injured. After being shot, Trump ducked to the ground and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service personnel. He soon rose to his feet, bleeding from his right ear. He then pumped his fist into the air and hurriedly said "wait, wait, wait" before Secret Service agents rushed him to a vehicle. Trump was taken to a hospital, released in stable condition, and departed for New Jersey by plane.

Political scientists, historians, many Republican political figures, and some Democrats pointed the events as a sign of profound political polarization in the United States, and there was widespread criticism made against heated rhetoric that Trump was a potential dictator. The events led to widespread sympathy for Donald Trump on social media and political figures across the political spectrum both domestically and internationally urged for a decrease in tensions, condemning the assassination attempt on his life. News agencies described Trump as being widely seen as a "martyr" after the event. It was the first time a former or current U.S. president had been injured in an assassination attempt since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, and the first time a presidential candidate had been injured in such an incident since the attempted 1972 assassination of George Wallace. There are widespread calls for an increase in security for the three major presumptive candidates in the race: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Background

Donald Trump is the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential election. The shooting occurred two days before the scheduled July 15 start of the 2024 Republican National Convention. This was the second attempt at violence during one of his rallies: the first was in 2016, when a man attempted to disarm a security officer at a rally in Las Vegas.

On July 5, 2024, it was announced that Trump would hold a rally on July 13 at the Butler Farm Show Grounds, located between Connoquenessing Township and Meridian, near Butler, Pennsylvania. Setup, including installation of generators in a large open field, was begun by an advance team on July 10. The rally was part of the Trump campaign's attempts to garner votes in Pennsylvania, which current polling indicates is a swing state; the state has 19 votes in the Electoral College. Butler County Republican Committee chairman James E. Hulings estimated that 50,000 people had been at the rally. U.S. Representative Mike Kelly said that he had contacted the Trump campaign to recommend holding the rally in an area that could handle a larger crowd than the Butler Farm Show Grounds could, and that their response was, "We appreciate your input but we've already made up our minds".

Attendees at Trump's rallies are screened for prohibited items, including weapons.

Shooting

A map diagram illustrating the approximate locations of Thomas Matthew Crooks (red), Donald Trump (black), and the Secret Service Counter Assault Team (blue)

Trump arrived at his campaign rally at about 6:03 p.m. EDT. Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots into the rally from an AR-15-style rifle at approximately 6:12 p.m. Crooks did not undergo security screening as he was outside the security perimeter of the rally; he had climbed onto the roof of a shed, 200 to 400 feet (61 to 122 metres) north of Trump. Reports indicated that a witness observed a man carrying a rifle on the rooftop and alerted the police about the individual minutes before shots were fired at Trump. Crooks was killed by a sniper from the United States Secret Service Counter Assault Team immediately after the shooting.

A bullet struck Trump's upper right ear. He briefly put his right hand to the ear and then dropped to the ground. Secret Service agents lunged toward Trump and shielded him. After about 25 seconds, he rose with blood on his ear and face and told Secret Service agents that he needed his shoes. Trump then raised his fist and pumped it at the crowd, with cheers and chants of "U-S-A!" in response. He was then escorted to a vehicle and taken to a nearby hospital.

Three adult male rally-goers were hit, leaving one person, identified as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, dead and two critically injured. Comperatore worked as a project and tooling engineer and was a volunteer firefighter. He served as the former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company. According to his family, he died while shielding his daughters from gunfire. One of the injured was in the left-hand bleachers seating at the venue. U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson said a bullet grazed his nephew's neck, drawing blood.

Perpetrator

Main article: Thomas Matthew Crooks

On July 14, the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a community within one hour's drive of the shooting location. The rifle used by Crooks in the crime was legally purchased by his father. Crooks attended Bethel Park High School and graduated in 2022. He had no known criminal record. He worked at a nearby nursing home kitchen. Some people who knew him characterized him as quiet, and one classmate claimed he was often bullied.

Crooks was a registered Republican, and his voter registration was active since September 2021, the month he turned 18. On January 20, 2021, when he was 17, federal campaign finance records show he donated US$15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout group, through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue. Photos of Crooks's body showed him wearing a shirt that appeared to be merchandise from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel popularizing firearms.

Aftermath

Trump was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital for examination immediately following the shooting. A spokesperson for the Secret Service affirmed that he was safe.

Trump's motorcade left the hospital at around 9:30 pm EDT bound for Pittsburgh International Airport. Trump landed in Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey early on July 14 and spent the night at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Security at Trump Tower was increased by the New York City Police Department.

Investigation

External videos
FBI Briefing on Trump Rally Shooting, July 13, 2024, C-SPAN

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation with the United States Department of Justice National Security Division, the United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt.

The body of Crooks was taken from the rooftop. He was not carrying identification. The FBI confirmed the shooter's identity via fingerprint biometrics and DNA profiling. Explosives were found in the car Crooks used to travel to the rally and at his home.

Effects on Trump's public image

For broader coverage of this topic, see Public image of Donald Trump.

Evan Vucci's photograph of Trump pumping his fist after being shot in the ear. The image saw widespread usage among supporters and is, according to Benjamin Wallace-Wells of The New Yorker, an "indelible" depiction of political rivalry.

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The footage of Trump's reassurance that he was only lightly wounded to spectators and media alike moments after the assassination attempt was broadcast internationally. An image of a bloodied Trump pumping his fist in the air, surrounded by the Secret Service, and with an American flag in the backdrop, was taken by Evan Vucci of the Associated Press and spread on social media shortly afterwards. The photo saw subsequent widespread usage in posts by his most prominent allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, his family members, and members of Congress.

Benjamin Wallace-Wells of The New Yorker wrote that "It is already the indelible image of our era of political crisis and conflict." He noted that "some of the elements in Vucci's image are familiar from the countless others of Trump" and concluded that "It is an image that captures him as he would like to be seen, so perfectly, in fact, that it may outlast all the rest." Business Insider echoed those sentiments, assessing that it had "become the most iconic image of his reelection among Republicans". Shawn McCreesh of The New York Times wrote that "in the middle of the mayhem, Trump pumped his fist and revealed his instincts". McCreesh stated that it was hard to find "a moment that more fully epitomizes Mr. Trump's visceral connection with his supporters, and his mastery of the modern media age". According to Flavia Krause-Jackson of Bloomberg News: "For his legions of MAGA devotees, [the assassination attempt] makes him even more of a martyr to the cause, Trump as the ultimate survivor." Politico stated that some used the photo as "an opportunity to tout conspiracy theories and stoke political tensions".

Reactions

Political scientists, historians, many Republican political figures, and some Democrats pointed the events as a sign of profound political polarization in the United States, and there was widespread criticism made against heated rhetoric that Trump was a potential dictator. The events led to widespread sympathy for Donald Trump on social media and political figures across the political spectrum both domestically and internationally urged for a decrease in tensions, condemning the assassination attempt on his life. News agencies described Trump as being widely seen as a "martyr" after the event.

Domestic

Trump

Soon after being confirmed as safe, Trump released a statement on Truth Social thanking law enforcement personnel and the Secret Service and offering condolences to the families of people killed and injured. He said:

It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.

Federal officials

U.S. President Joe Biden commenting on the assassination attempt

After the shooting, United States president Joe Biden said: "Look, there's no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick. It's one of the reasons we have to unite this country... Everybody must condemn it." Separately, he stated he was "grateful to hear" that Trump was safe. Biden and Trump spoke on the evening of the incident.

House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to open an investigation into the shooting, seeking testimony from federal law enforcement and national security officials. Senate Republicans urged the Democratic-controlled senate to conduct hearings as well.

Republican U.S. representative Mike Collins of Georgia called for a Republican prosecutor to charge Biden for inciting an assassination. Republican senator J. D. Vance of Ohio blamed the Biden presidential campaign's political rhetoric, while Republican senator Tim Scott of South Carolina blamed messaging by "the radical Left and corporate media". Republican House majority leader Steve Scalise, who was seriously injured in the Congressional baseball shooting, stated that Democratic leaders had been fueling "ludicrous hysteria" about Trump and called for the "incendiary rhetoric" to stop. Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Democratic representative Bennie Thompson for having introduced a bill that would strip Secret Service protection from convicted felons, which Trump is.

State officials

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro denounced political violence. Colorado governor Jared Polis called for President Biden to extend Secret Service protection to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Others

Former president George W. Bush called the shooting "cowardly" and applauded the Secret Service for their response. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former secretary of state and Trump's opponent in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton, also condemned the attack and wished Trump a swift recovery. The Carter Center condemned the attack and called for Americans to "embrace civility".

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman endorsed Trump for the presidency following the incident. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wrote that Trump had "showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire".

International

Many political leaders condemned the shooting, including Javier Milei of Argentina, Anthony Albanese of Australia, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Gabriel Boric of Chile, Xi Jinping of China, Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus, Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Alexander Stubb of Finland, Emmanuel Macron of France, Olaf Scholz of Germany , Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Narendra Modi of India, Joko Widodo of Indonesia, Simon Harris of Ireland, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Fumio Kishida of Japan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Hristijan Mickoski of North Macedonia, Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, Bongbong Marcos of the Philippines, Andrzej Duda and Donald Tusk of Poland, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, Pedro Sánchez of Spain, Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia.

Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze named the "Global War Party", an alleged New World Order organization, as the perpetrator of the attack.

See also

• List of people who survived assassination attempts
• List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots
• Security incidents involving Donald Trump

External links

• "Former President Donald Trump Campaigns in Butler, PA", July 13, 2024, C-SPAN
• Trump's statement on Truth Social
• Four US presidents were assassinated; others were targeted, as were presidential candidates from the Associated Press