It's been four days since former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped a semiautomatic rifle-bearing attempted assassin who shot up his rally in Pennsylvania, leaving one attendee dead, multiple injured, and Trump himself with an ear wound that has inspired bizarre political fashion statements at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
What has remained elusive, however, are any concrete details about Trump's injury or medical status following the attack. He clearly is well enough to attend the convention — but, the Associated Press noted on Wednesday evening, little else is known.
Immediately after the attack, noted the report, Trump's campaign issued a statement that he was “fine” and “being checked out at a local medical facility,” with "more details" soon to follow. But no official medical statements came out, except for Trump posting on social media that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part” of his ear.
This comes as former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), a one-time Tea Party lawmaker turned Trump opponent, expressed his own misgivings about how little medical information has been supplied so far beyond that.
Candidates like Trump, and indeed sitting presidents, "have long had to balance their right to doctor-patient confidentiality with the public’s expectations that they demonstrate they are healthy enough to serve, particularly when questions arise about their readiness," wrote Nicholas Riccardi and Jill Colvin. "Trump, for example, has long pressed President Joe Biden to take a cognitive test as the Democrat faces doubts after his stumbling performance in last month’s debate." Biden, for his part, has said he will take one, but only if his doctors deem it medically necessary.
Trump has faced questions about his medical transparency in the past, most notably when he was infected with COVID-19 on the campaign trail in 2020, before any vaccines were available and before Paxlovid was approved. He was whisked away to Walter Reed Medical Center on that occasion, and there were hints that his condition was far graver than officials were letting on, including that he was suffering from low blood oxygen.
He has also faced his own criticisms regarding his cognitive health, which he has repeatedly tried to wave away by boasting that he "aced" the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a protocol given to people to test for cases of dementia.
"Totally normal. Nothing shady," wrote columnist Wajahat Ali on X.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) claimed that Donald Trump's Secret Service agents allowed him to be shot over the weekend because they were "DEI hires" who were too short.
Burchett made the remarks Wednesday during an interview with War Room guest host Natalie Winters at the Republican National Convention.
"We had our, not our B team out there guarding President Trump, but our C team, a bunch of DEI hires that are that much shorter," he asserted. "That iconic picture of President Trump raising his fist, that should have never been able to be had because that Secret Service agent should have been taller than the president."
"Their job is to take a bullet for the president," he insisted. "They failed at their job. They cowered in fear, and they should have never been in that position."
Burchett observed that Trump's protection at the Republican convention "were some burly dudes over six feet tall."
"And you saw the ones that were there, he added. "They were, some of them were five foot or less."
In fact, agents were not on the stage with Trump during the assassination attempt. There is no evidence a taller agent could have stopped the former president from being shot.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion — or DEI — policies traditionally aim to prevent racial, ethnic, and gender disparities. Height is not a trait that the policies address.
A day after the shooting, Burchett blamed a "DEI person" in the Secret Service for the assassination attempt.
A man who shot a president said on Wednesday that "violence is not the way to go," prompting laughter online.
John Hinckley, who shot President Ronald Reagan in a 1981 assassination attempt, decided to weigh in days after former president Donald Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet while speaking at a political rally in Pennsylvania.
"Violence is not the way to go," he said on his social media. "Give peace a chance."
@Angelica_Reed1 wrote, "violence isn't created equally. some violence isn't morally good and justifiable. while the majority is bad and unjustifiable. like violently protecting your children from an attacker."
@groipa wrote, "Wow what a great message, I've never heard of you before but I'm sure you're a great advocate for Peace."
MILWAUKEE — As delegates gathered for the second day of the Republican National Convention under the theme of “Make America Safe Once Again,” prominent speakers made the plight of American military veterans a recurring theme.
“They give illegal immigrants free hotel rooms while homeless veterans sleep on the streets,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) said during his speech on Monday night. “Disgusting.”
But on Tuesday afternoon, in a park about a mile west of the Fiserv Forum, where Republicans have gathered for their convention, visiting officers from the Columbus Police Department fatally shot homeless veteran Samuel Sharpe Jr., 43.
Republicans made no public mention of Sharpe during the four hours of speeches Tuesday night — a night when Republicans, under the theme of “Make America Safe Again,” accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of prioritizing illegal immigrants at the expense of military veterans.
All the while, Republican speakers and delegates pledged their support for law enforcement officers, Republicans at the GOP convention lauded police officers and chanted “back the blue” while former President Donald Trump pumped his fist in support.
Memorialization of Sharpe, who lived in a tent that was part of a larger encampment sprawling across a nearby vacant lot, was left to some 300 demonstrators who gathered Tuesday evening in King Park for a candlelight vigil.
“A homeless veteran — isn’t that the narrative that the RNC paints that they care for its veterans?” Alan Shavoya, an activist with Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said. “Yet they brought their circus to our city and killed a homeless veteran.”
Maria Hamilton, whose son, Dontre Hamilton, was killed by Milwaukee police 10 years ago in a different park, said the fight between Sharpe and another man that prompted police attention was a confrontation among two friends “in this community.” She accused police of mishandling the situation.
“The first thing they want to do is take lives, she said.
Hamilton and others gathered at King Park to remember Sharpe tried to make sense of what the Columbus Police were doing one mile from Fiserv Forum in a neighborhood separated from the convention by an interstate highway.
“They came here for these f***ing politicians,” Hamilton said. “They had no business in this park. Milwaukee Police Department, the city of Milwaukee should have had a space [near the convention perimeter] for them to meet, not in our community. We’re not involved with that.
“I know we still have another 72 hours of this invasion,” she added. “Please be safe…. We do not condone the invasion. Do what you came to do, and get the hell out of our town.”
Protesters chalk messages to remember Samuel Sharpe Jr. at King Park in Milwaukee.(Jordan Green / Raw Story)
Concerns about outside law enforcement realized
The Columbus Police Department is one of roughly 140 law enforcement agencies from across the country to augment convention security this week in Milwaukee.
Shavoya noted that a larger coalition of far-left groups organized a march with about 3,000 people that protested the Republican National Convention on Monday — without incident.
Shavoya said activists expressed concern to city officials in the runup to the convention that added law enforcement from across the country would cause problems for the Milwaukee community at large.
“When [the city] tried to put it on us that we would be the ones causing violence, we told them: ‘It’s going to be your law enforcement coming from out of state, or your own from Milwaukee that’s going to cause issues,’” Shavoya said. “So we warned them. They tried to flip it on us, and today shows that we were right, and that the city was wrong. That the city cannot control its own law enforcement, let alone law enforcement from outside the city.”
Police body-camera video released by the Columbus Police Department shows that the officers staged in King Park observed Sharpe wielding two knives during an altercation in the middle of West Vliet Street.
In the video, about nine officers can be seen debriefing on a previous incident involving protesters on opposite sides of the abortion issue.
An officer then announces: “He’s got a knife!”
“Stop! Drop the knife! Police!” the officers shout as they run toward Sharpe with guns drawn. The video shows that 15 seconds elapse from when officers observed the knife to when they began firing at least eight gunshots.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey B. Norman defended the officers’ actions during a press conference on Tuesday, saying that Sharpe “charged” at the other man with knives.
“This was an incident where somebody’s life was in immediate danger,” he said. “Again, two knives were recovered from this particular situation. Someone’s life was in danger. These officers who are not from this area took upon themselves to act to save someone’s life today.”
Norman said the Greenfield Police Department in Milwaukee County will lead an investigation into the incident.
After the vigil on Tuesday night, protesters marched past the spot where Sharpe died. They left votive candles behind to honor his memory. Two employees with the U.S. Justice Department Community Relations Services, a federal agency that provides mediation services to communities to communities experiencing racial tension, tagged along with the march.
Marching behind a banner that read, “End the war on Black America,” the protesters chanted, “The police at the RNC — ain’t no good. The police in Milwaukee — ain’t no good.”
Maria Hamilton, whose lost her son to police violence, speaks at a vigil for Samuel Sharpe Jr. on Tuesday.roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms
An already iconic image of Donald Trump's bloodied face and pumped fist immediately after a failed assassination attempt on Saturday can be seen on tote bags, T-shirts, trading cards and other merchandise for sale across the Internet.
Versions of that image belong to the news organizations whose photojournalists captured the moment, including Evan Vucci of the Associated Press, Anna Moneymaker of Getty and Doug Mills of The New York Times.
Yet, those selling merchandise with the image or using it for fundraising — including the former president's reelection campaign — often fail to credit the photographers or get permission to use the images for commercial purposes.
Merchandisers are especially using Vucci's photos. Raw Story asked the Associated Press about whether the use of Vucci's image for commercial or political purposes was authorized.
"The Associated Press is proud of Evan Vucci’s photo and recognizes its impact," Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications, told Raw Story via email. "In addition, we reserve our rights to this powerful image."
Easton did not answer Raw Story's follow-up questions about the legality of the entities using the image for commercial purposes.
Trump was released from the hospital Saturday night after his ear was grazed by a bullet.
“Without question, Evan’s photo will become the definitive photo from the [assassination] attempt,” Patrick Witty, a former photo editor at Time, The New York Times and National Geographic told the Associated Press. “It captures a range of complex details and emotions in one still image — the defiantly raised fist, the blood, the agents clamoring to push Trump off stage and, most importantly, the flag. That’s what elevates the photo.”
Proud Patriots, an Orlando-based private company, is one website selling merchandise with the image: Trump assassination attempt cards. An eBay user is selling T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and Koozies with the bloodied Trump image.
Trump's joint fundraising committee appeared to use Vucci's image in a fundraising email less than 24 hours after the shooting.
"I am Donald J. Trump, and I will NEVER SURRENDER!" reads an email with an altered version of the photograph. "I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again."
Real America's Voice host Brian Glenn, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) boyfriend, said he was refusing the call for unity and pushed the Second Amendment following the shooting of former President Donald Trump.
During a Monday discussion on imprisoned Steve Bannon's War Room podcast, Glenn spoke to guest host Natalie Winters about the assassination attempt.
"Make no mistake, if you turned the tables and it were a, say, a Trump supporter who had tried to shoot [President Joe Biden], do you think Democrats would be pushing for unity right now?" Winters said.
"They would be weaponizing — though they already have — the full force of the federal government to come after MAGA," she continued. "The media would be squarely blaming this on President Trump."
"You can't have unity with people who fundamentally do not want you to survive or your movement to survive."
Winters suggested there was no "difference" between the assassination attempt and Democratic tactics.
"They'd be calling for the Second Amendment, they would be taking your Second Amendment right," Glenn replied. "Where are the Republicans calling for gun control after the left attempted to suicide [sic] on President Trump? You would think that we would be calling for gun control."
"No, we're not doing that, but the left would do that," he added. "The unity, I want the Republican Party to unify, I want Americans to unify and get behind Republicans. But I'm not unifying with Democrats! End of story."
Winters agreed: "I don't want to unify with 60% of the Republican Party either. We'll take the vote, but we want actual accountability. And if Steve were here, he'd be saying the same thing."
A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man, Thomas Matthew Crooks, has been identified as the suspected shooter who tried to assassinate former president Donald Trump at a campaign rally this weekend.
Secret Service snipers killed Crooks on Saturday after he fired multiple shots at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, from a nearby rooftop.
As authorities seek to understand his motivations, here is what we know of the alleged gunman:
‘Quiet’
Crooks’ former schoolmates described him as a “quiet” student who often came across as “lonely,” ABC News reported.
He seemed “socially reserved,” but a former schoolmate did not recall hearing him discuss politics or Trump.
Trump, 78, was hit in the ear at the rally. A bystander was killed and two spectators critically injured.
Jason Kohler, who said he attended school with Crooks, recalled that the alleged shooter had often been bullied.
“He was quiet but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much,” Kohler told reporters.
He said Crooks had been made fun of for the way he dressed, noting that he would sometimes wear hunting outfits.
Dan Grzybek, a county council representative in the area where Crooks grew up, said the neighborhood was “pretty firmly middle class, maybe upper-middle class,” according to The New York Times.
The Times added that Crooks had been working at a nursing home, and the organization was shocked to hear of his involvement in the shooting.
No military ties
Following the incident, investigators found a “suspicious device” in Crooks’ car, which was inspected by bomb technicians and is being analyzed.
They noted that suspected explosive devices have been collected as evidence.
Authorities are now in the process of searching Crooks’ phone.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters Sunday that the gun used in the shooting was an AR-style semi-automatic rifle which was purchased legally.
Investigators believe the weapon was purchased by Crooks’ father.
Rojek added that there were no indications so far of any mental health issues.
Crooks also did not have military affiliations, according to Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.
The FBI told reporters that they are investigating the incident as an assassination attempt and also a potential domestic terrorism act.
Acted alone?
The shooter was believed to be working alone, according to the FBI, and officials said they have not identified an ideology associated with him.
His political leanings were not instantly clear.
News reports indicated he was a registered Republican, but also noted that he previously gave money to a Democratic-aligned progressive political action committee.
While social media platform Discord said it had identified an account that appeared linked to the suspect, this was “rarely utilized.”
A spokesperson added that “we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views.”
The suspect’s father Matthew Crooks on Saturday told CNN that he was trying to establish “what the hell is going on” before speaking about his son.
Rivals Joe Biden and Donald Trump urged Americans to show unity Sunday after an assassination attempt on the Republican that the FBI said was carried out by a shooter with a legally-bought semi-automatic rifle.
The attack put the divided nation on edge in the run-up to the presidential election and was being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism, as well as a massive security failure.
President Biden said he would address the nation from the Oval Office later in the day, a step only taken at times of grave crisis, after his 78-year-old predecessor was hit in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now,” Biden said in brief remarks from the White House, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and his homeland security chief.
The 81-year-old Democrat said he had a “short but good conversation” on Saturday with Trump, his political nemesis whom he regularly brands as a threat to democracy.
Biden said the motives of the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, remained unknown and urged people not to make assumptions about his “affiliations."
A day after being rushed from the stage by Secret Service agents with blood streaked across his face, Trump made a similar call.
Law enforcement officers walk past a Donald Trump sign in the Fiserv Forum as preparations are underway for the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The RNC will be held in Milwaukee from July 15-18. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United,” Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social network, adding that Americans should not allow “Evil to win.”
The tycoon added that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” and that he would “FEAR NOT.”
Trump’s wife Melania called the shooter a “monster.”
Suspected explosives
Secret Service snipers killed Crooks after he fired multiple shots from a nearby rooftop. A bystander was killed and two spectators critically injured in one of the worst acts of U.S. political violence in decades.
The FBI said that it believed that Crooks acted alone and had no known ideology.
“We located the weapon at the scene, immediately adjacent to the shooter,” Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters.
“We searched the shooter’s car, and we’re in the process of searching his phone. During the search of the vehicle, we located a suspicious device, which was inspected by bomb technicians.”
Biden said he had ordered a full review of security at the rally, as well as at this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where Trump will be crowned the party’s presidential nominee.
Biden praised the victim, named as Corey Comperatore, saying he “was protecting his family from the bullets.”
Questions are swirling about shooter Crooks, whose body was seen in television images on a low roof of a building, near a weapon that investigators said was an AR-style semi-automatic rifle legally bought by his father.
Crooks’ former schoolmates described him as a quiet student who often came across as lonely.
“He was quiet but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much,” Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school as Crooks, told reporters.
The shocking incident drew immediate criticism of security, particularly about how a presidential candidate could be targeted by a gunman around 150 meters away despite a huge Secret Service detail.
U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi rejected “absolutely false” claims that it had refused additional protection for Trump ahead of the rally.
Some phone footage suggested that people had seen the shooter on the roof before he opened fire.
Political fallout
The attempt on Trump’s life sent shock waves around the world, but the effects on a tight U.S. presidential race in a deeply divided country are uncertain.
Trump’s family has already been promoting images of the president raising a defiant fist to the crowd after the shooting.
His narrow escape has sparked conspiracy theories and finger-pointing by Republicans.
Possible Trump vice presidential pick J.D. Vance claimed Biden’s campaign “rhetoric” had “led directly” to the attack.
US politics have become increasingly hostile, with Trump building his image around inflammatory verbal assaults, and many Democrats expressing fury and disgust at Trump’s rise.
World leaders expressed outrage over the assassination attempt, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying he condemned it “unequivocally.”
Melania Trump on Sunday issued her first statement regarding the shooting attempt on her husband, Donald Trump, leading some to put the former first lady on the spot.
Melania over the weekend revealed a rare statement about her husband. She did not attend his criminal trial in New York, nor has she been seen at his campaign events.
"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," she said in her statement. "I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband."
She continued: "Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment — until death — is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings."
MAGA was firmly behind Melania, but she was also hit with some criticisms.
@ArtCandee wrote in response, "Why won’t you be seen in public with your husband?"
@smc429 wrote, "You're not even gonna live under the same roof with him you're so disgusted. Nice fake out"
@glamelegance said, "Why won’t she and her husband condemn gun violence? It’s the guns."
@JustVent6 also chimed in: "You don’t even recognize your husband as your husband. You don’t even want to be seen in public with him! What message does that send?"
@ConservBlue2020 said, "Tell your husband to tone down the rhetoric."
MILWAUKEE — Less than 24 hours after being shot in the ear, former President Donald Trump is raising money off the attempt on his life.
"I am Donald J. Trump, and I will NEVER SURRENDER!" reads an email to supporters that includes an altered photograph of a bloodied Trump — a photo that appears to match one originally taken Saturday by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci and uncredited. "I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again."
Supporters who click a red and blue "MAGA" button over Trump's digital signature are taken to a donation page where they're urged to donate at least $24, with other pre-set options ranging up to $3,300.
A scrolling list highlights the names and donation amounts of people the Trump campaign say have donated — "$24.98 just donated by Kent C.", "$104.98 just donated by Val Y." and so forth.
A fundraising message July 14, 2024, from Donald Trump's presidential campaign. (Screenshot)
A fundraising message July 14, 2024, from Donald Trump's presidential campaign. (Screenshot)
Money raised benefits the Trump National Committee joint fundraising committee, which benefits the Trump presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee.
The Associated Press did not immediately respond to questions from Raw Story about the apparent use of its photo.
The Trump fundraising come-on further asks supporters to check boxes to cover processing fees, make a contribution monthly and automatically donate an additional amount of money on Thursday, the day when Trump is expected to formally accept the Republican Party's presidential nomination here at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention begins Monday.
Trump's campaign says the former president, who is running against Democratic President Joe Biden, plans to travel to Milwaukee as scheduled. Trump is expected to announce his vice presidential running mate while in Milwaukee.
While Biden has enjoyed a fundraising advantage most of this year, Trump's fundraising has surged in recent weeks, particularly following a Manhattan jury finding Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments designed to buy the silence of former porn actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election, which Trump won. Daniels says she had a sexual affair with Trump. Trump denies the affair.
Trump has previously — and widely — used his mugshot photo from one of his three other criminal prosecutions in fundraising promotions.
Several grifters selling trading cards, t-shirts, and tote bags are also attempting to capitalize on the shooting Saturday in Pennsylvania, which killed one man and wounded another. The gunman — 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks — was killed by the U.S. Secret Service.
A law enforcement officer reportedly "retreated" from a chance to stop a gunman before former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear over the weekend.
In a report on Sunday, The Associated Press provided new details about the seconds leading up to Trump's attempted assassination.
Moments before a man who the FBI identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots toward Trump's rally, a local law enforcement officer was said to have backed down from a confrontation with the suspect.
"One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer," the AP report said. "The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that's when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation."
The report also noted that rallygoers warned police about a man climbing a ladder to the top of a building near the event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Although Trump survived the shooting, at least one person was killed by the gunman, who was shot to death by Secret Service agents.
Authorities told AP that Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which was recovered at the scene. Explosives were also said to be found in the gunman's vehicle and home.
Barely 12 hours after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump's life, a trading card featuring an already iconic image of Trump's blood-splattered face and pumped fist is on sale for $29.99.
The message, "FIGHT TO SAVE AMERICA. 'STAND STRONG,'" covers the top of the image, and the card includes the date, July 13, 2024, to commemorate the "TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT."
Proud Patriots, an Orlando-based private company, is selling the Trump assassination cards. The photo used by the company appears to come from either Associated Pressphotographer Evan Vucci or Getty Images photographer Anna Moneymaker. No photographer is credited on the trading card, and it is unclear whether Proud Patriots obtained authorization to use the photo for such a commercial purpose.
The company did not respond to Raw Story's request for comment. The website says the company has "no affiliation with President Donald Trump or his Presidential Reelection Campaign. We are an independent private company that believes in keeping America great."
"We won't stand by and let these crazy woke liberals destroy our country," the website says. "We're a group of patriots just like you who love God, our family, and our country! Our collectibles are more than just items; they're symbols of our deep-rooted patriotism."
On the back of the Proud Patriot trading cards a lengthy message reads:
Screen grab of Trump assassination trading card on Proud Patriots.
"On July 13, 2024, a tragic event shook the nation as an assassination attempt was made on the Iife of former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Butler, PA. The incident sparked a wave of responses across the country, highlighting the resilience and unity of the American people in the face of adversity."
The card continues, "Emergency responders, law enforcement, and citizens rallied together in Butler, PA, demonstrating courage and determination to uphold the values of democracy and justice. This event serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing need to protect our freedoms and uphold the rule of law."
The message on the "perfect condition" card concludes, "The aftermath saw an outpouring of support and solidarity nationwide, emphasizing the strength of national unity in times of crisis. As we continue forward, let us remember the bravery shown on this day and strive to build a future where such events are never repeated."
Proud Patriots isn't the only online retailer selling merchandise based off the assassination attempt.
An eBay user, "happyhay," is selling T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and Koozies with the bloodied Trump image. Fifty-three of the T-shirts were sold in the last 24 hours, according to a banner on the eBay page at the time of publication.
A Chinese e-commerce company is selling T-shirts and tote bags with the image as well, Newsweek reported.
Screen grab of Trump assassination attempt merchandise on eBay
As of Sunday afternoon, most political committees both on the Republican and Democratic side had paused their political fundraising efforts since Trump was shot.
But the Trump National Committee, the joint fundraising committee for Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. and the Republican National Committee, sent out a fundraising email Saturday night signed by Trump with the subject line: "I will NEVER SURRENDER!" that linked to a fundraising page on Trump's campaign website.
Trump is quoted on the website saying, "THEY’RE NOT AFTER ME,THEY’RE AFTER YOU…I’M JUST STANDING IN THE WAY!”
Following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) suggested that the head of the Secret Service was to blame because she was a "DEI initiative person."
Burchett was flanked by two rifles on Sunday while he spoke to Fox News about the shooting of the former president. He argued that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was hired because of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
"Somebody really dropped the ball," the lawmaker claimed. "You've got a DEI, basically a person, a DEI initiative person who heads up our Secret Service. You know, she was working at Pepsi before this."
"I know she was a former Secret Service agent," he admitted. "But still, this is what happens when you don't put the best players in."
Burchett called on the Republican-controlled House to suspend its rules and hold hearings immediately.
"We need to get to Washington, you know, to hell with the [Republican] convention," he said. "We've got to get, find out what went on, make sure that it never happens again."
Burchett also said Democrats had been "spewing this vitriol."
"I mean, comparing Trump to Hitler, just the all of it, it's, it's just, it is a manifestation of what they brought upon us," he insisted. "It is not the Republicans' fault."