Trump shooting latest: Secret Service denies diverting resources to Jill Biden speech - as Trump gives first interview (2024)

Top news
  • Donald Trump shot in ear during assassination attempt at Pennsylvania rally on Saturday - gunman and audience member killed
  • Trump changes 'humdinger' of a speech at RNC to 'bring country together'
  • 'I'm supposed to be dead', says Trump in first interview since attack
  • King writes private letter to former president
  • Secret Service denies diverting security resources to Jill Biden speech
  • Photo shows bullet fly past Trump
In depth
  • Watch:How attack unfolded - all angles
  • Martha Kelner analysis:Defiant Trump set to kick on at RNC
  • Dominic Waghorn analysis:How significant will the clenched fist turn out to be?
  • What we know about 'outcast' gunman who was 'bad shooter'
  • Witnesses:'I helped carry dead man'|'We told police about gunman'
  • Live reporting by Ollie Cooper

14:28:31

Rooftop was identified as security concern in days before Trump rally - sources

By Sarah Fitzpatrick, Julia Ainsley, Mike Hixenbaugh, Andrea Mitchell and Jon Schuppe at NBC News

The rooftop used by a gunman to shoot at Donald Trump was identified as a potential security vulnerability in the days before the former president spoke at a rally, Sky's partner network NBC News is reporting.

Two sources have told NBC the rooftop was spotted as a potential weak point by the Secret Service, which protects American presidents and former presidents.

The building, owned by a glass research company, is adjacent to the Butler Farm Show, an outdoor venue in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof," said one of the sources, a former senior Secret Service agent who was familiar with the planning.

Understanding how the gunman got onto the roof — despite those concerns — is a central question for investigators scrutinising how a lone attacker managed to shoot at Trump during Saturday’s campaign event.

The Secret Service worked with local police to maintain event security, including sniper teams poised on rooftops to identify and eliminate threats, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

But no officers were posted on the building used by the would-be assassin, outside the event’s security ring but only about 148 yards from the stage — within range of a semi-automatic rifle like the one the gunman was carrying.

14:05:01

Who will Donald Trump choose as his running mate?

By Michael Drummond. foreign news reporter

As Donald Trump lands in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention following the assassination attempt on him, attention turns to who he will choose as running mate for the 2024 election.

...and rumour has it he's treating it like his old TV show: The Apprentice.

After a rather high-profile falling out with Mike Pence, the Republican nominee is deciding who could be his next vice president.

He is expected to reveal his choice at the Republican National Convention.

Let's take a look at who the candidates are... and why each one might hear those famous words: "You're hired!".

Read more here.

13:37:01

Secret Service 'confident' in security for Republican convention

The Secret Service has expressed its confidence in its security preparations for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week, following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the weekend.

"I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting," service director Kimberly Cheatle said in a statement.

The service has said it will alsoparticipate fully in probes announced byPresident Joe Biden and members of Congress, after its agentsfailed to prevent the gunman from shooting and injuring former president Trump.

13:09:01

Watch: Eyewitness describes terror as shots rang out

Holly Socciarelli was one of many attending Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

She told our US correspondent Mark Stone of the terror she felt when shots rang out.

Watch her interview here...

12:42:01

How a large tree may have shielded Trump rally gunman from view of security

A "fundamental security failure" allowed a gunman to get close enough to Donald Trump to shoot him, according to an analysis of the scene of the assassination attempt.

Sky News analysis of the area wherethe former presidentwas shot from as he gave a speech to supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, suggests a large tree blocked the view between the gunman and the closest armed protection unit.

Two armed units could be seen on the two warehouses behind Mr Trump, but because of the tree only the unit that was further away from the attacker had a clear view of him.

Read more here.

12:15:01

Kremlin: No plans for Putin to call Trump

Vladimir Putin has no intention of calling Donald Trump following the attempt on his life, the Kremlin has said.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader had not yet reached out to the former president, adding that Moscow did not feel it needed to beef up its own security protocols.

"Security is already strengthened for obvious reasons, regardless of incidents," Mr Peskov told reporters.

"We can only reiterate that the security of the head of state is provided at the appropriate level, everything necessary is being done taking into account the international escalation of tensions in general."

He said yesterday that Moscow did not believe the US administration was responsible for Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump, but accused it of creating an atmosphere that provoked the attack.

"After numerous attempts to remove candidate Trump fromthe political arena - using first legal tools, the courts,prosecutors, attempts to politically discredit and compromisethe candidate - it was obvious to all outside observers that hislife was in danger," Mr Peskov said yesterday.

11:41:01

Media and Democrats must cool rhetoric on Trump, former adviser says

The Democratic Party and the media must cool their rhetoric when it comes to Donald Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt, a former domestic policy assistant to the ex-president has said.

"It's better late than never," Joe Grogan told Sky News, discussing Joe Biden's call to "lower the temperature in our politics".

"It's important that he called for a lowering of the rhetoric... [but] it's pretty late to change his messaging in the campaign... but it's good to see some type of olive branch getting uttered by Joe Biden."

He then turned on the media.

"It's time for the media to stop constantly using loaded terms," he said.

"The Democrats have been lying about Donald Trump from the moment he decided to run and most notably when he was elected," he added.

"It's time to recognise there are decent people, people who love their country, who want to make it stronger, that work [for] and support Donald Trump, and that it is not worthy of us as a democracy or a republic or as a Western civilisation to be using the type of loaded rhetoric constantly to describe Donald Trump and the people that support him."

11:16:01

'Grazed not dazed' and 'bulletproof': Trump T-shirts go viral

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has sparked a frenzy of online merchandise featuring pictures of the former president just after he was shot, with slogans such as "Bulletproof", "Legends Never Die", "Grazed but not Dazed", "Shooting Makes Me Stronger".

"[The sales] exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect that Trump would have so many fans," said Zhong Jiachi, 28, owner of Paxinico, a clothing merchant on Douyin, the Chinese version of
Tiktok.

He sold around 40 T-shirts within 24 hours of the shooting.

Li Jinwei, 25, who sells goods on Alibaba's Taobao platform, told Hong Kong media it took roughly just half a minute to produce a Trump T-shirt at her factory in China.

"We put the T-shirts on Taobao as soon as we saw the news about the shooting, though we hadn't even printed them, and within three hours we saw more than 2,000 orders from both China and the United States," she said.

Donald Trump merchandise has been wildly popular since his political rise, with T-shirts, hats and flags often sported at his rallies by attendees.

10:52:01

Analysis: Biden's calls for unity may be hard to achieve in desperate race for White House

They save the Oval Office address for serious times - conflict, typically.

On both counts - serious and conflict - a president's prime-time appearance seemed appropriate.

This was a Joe Biden presentation on the gravity of the current situation, eyeballing an American audience on attritional politics.

Phrases like "political battlefield" and "killing field" offered an extreme warning, the choice of language deliberately stark and arresting.

It might have sounded like hyperbole, had Saturday's events not rendered it real.

Read the rest of James Matthews's analysis here.

10:35:01

What are we expecting to hear about at the RNC?

As we've been reporting, we're expecting Donald Trump to give a speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday.

You can read more about what to expect from him in our 9.11am and 7.27am posts, but for now let's take a look at how the wider four-day RNC is structured...

Today's theme is: "Make America wealthy once again."

We're expecting speakers to focus on economic policies, regulation cuts and reworked trade deals.

Tomorrow will be: "Make America safe once again," with Mr Trump's proposals to bolster law enforcement and combat drug and human trafficking likely to be outlined.

Wednesday's theme is :"Make America strong once again," focusing on foreign policy initiatives championed by the Trump campaign.

Thursday, when Mr Trump himself is set to be speak, has a theme of: "Make America great once again."

Trump shooting latest: Secret Service denies diverting resources to Jill Biden speech - as Trump gives first interview (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Ray Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 6174

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ray Christiansen

Birthday: 1998-05-04

Address: Apt. 814 34339 Sauer Islands, Hirtheville, GA 02446-8771

Phone: +337636892828

Job: Lead Hospitality Designer

Hobby: Urban exploration, Tai chi, Lockpicking, Fashion, Gunsmithing, Pottery, Geocaching

Introduction: My name is Ray Christiansen, I am a fair, good, cute, gentle, vast, glamorous, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.