Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Yohannes Lowe (now) and Lili Bayer, Yang Tian, Chris Stein and Fran Lawther (earlier)

FBI names ‘subject involved’ in Trump rally shooting – as it happened

Donald Trump United States Secret Service Dan Meuser Pennsylvania Joe Biden
Secret Service tend to Donald Trump after a shooting onstage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Secret Service tend to Donald Trump after a shooting onstage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Photograph: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Closing summary

  • Former Republican president Donald Trump returned to his home in New Jersey after he was injured in an attempted assassination at a rally in the Butler Park Showgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

  • “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump wrote on social media after the shooting. He had been taken to a hospital for evaluation and then reportedly discharged at about 10.20pm local time.

  • The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved” in what it termed an attempted assassination. Crooks was a registered Republican, according to state voter records. Officials have not publicly disclosed a possible motive.

  • Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, the agency said. One person who attended the rally was killed and two other spectators were critically injured, the Secret Service said.

  • US President Joe Biden, who spoke to Trump after the shooting, said he was grateful to hear Trump was “safe and doing well”.

  • An attender at the rally said he saw the alleged shooter on a rooftop about “200 to 250 yards” away from where Trump was speaking to supporters yesterday. The BBC said they spoke with a witness who said they saw someone with a rifle outside the Trump rally, and tried to point him out to police, before he opened fire.

  • The Oversight Committee in the Republican-led US House of Representatives has summoned the US Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, to testify at a hearing scheduled for 22 July. “Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump,” the panel said in a statement on X.

We are closing this blog now but we are launching a new one here.

Updated

Trump rally attendee says he saw alleged shooter 'move from roof to roof' before assassination attempt

An attender at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, saw the alleged shooter on a rooftop about “200 to 250 yards” away from where the former Republican president was speaking to supporters yesterday, KDKA News reports.

Ben Macer said he told officers that he saw a gunman moving “from roof to roof,” shortly before the assassination attempt.

Macer told KDKA-TV’s Jennifer Borraso that he was up along the fence line and “saw the guy move from roof to roof. [I] told an officer [the alleged shooter] was on the roof.”

“When I turned around to go back to where I was, it was when the gunshots started, and then it was just chaos, and we all came running away, and that was that,” he said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of Trump. He was shot dead by the Secret Service after the attempted assassination.

Stephen Moore, a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s campaign, has spoken to the BBC World Service programme “Weekend”. He is echoing concerns about the preparedness of the Security Service, who are the primary form of protection for former US presidents.

Moore said:

It appeared from the video that he’d only been grazed by this bullet but what is so frightening to all of us is that if that bullet had been one inch further towards his head this would have been an assassination …

Certainly Trump needs more protection – there is a lot of inquiry now about whether the Secret Service was totally prepared.

The attack on Trump raised questions about how the Republican presidential candidate is protected on the campaign trail and what caused the apparent security lapses at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

At least one person interviewed by the BBC (see post at 01.36) said he had tried to alert police and the US Secret Service, to no avail, to an apparent sniper climbing on to a nearby roof outside the security perimeter of the rally venue.

Both Spain’s prime minister and its king have offered Donald Trump and the US their support and best wishes.

“I strongly condemn the attack on Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania,” the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, wrote on X. “Violence and hatred have no place in a democracy. I send my best wishes for ex-President Trump’s recovery and to the rest of those who were injured. I also offer my deepest condolences to the family of the person who died.”

In a letter, King Felipe said he was deeply struck by what had happened and wished Trump a speedy recovery, adding: “I would also like to express, to all the dear people of the USA, my strongest condemnation of any act of violence, especially when directed against democratic values.”

Here is some more reaction from world leaders after the assassintion attempt on Donald Trump:

  • Sweden’s pime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said: “Sweden condemns the terrible attack in Pennsylvania. My thoughts go out to those who have been affected and to their families. Sweden stands behind the United States and wishes Donald Trump a speedy recovery.”

  • The president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said: “We are following with concern the treacherous incident faced by former US President and presidential candidate Donald Trump, and affirm Egypt’s condemnation of the incident. I express my wishes for President Trump’s speedy recovery and for the US election campaign to continue in a peaceful and healthy environment, devoid of any appearances of terrorism, violence or hatred.”

  • South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, wrote on X: “I am appalled by the hideous act of political violence. I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery. The people of Korea stand in solidarity with the people of America.”

  • Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said she is following the news from Pennsylvania with “apprehension” and extended her best wishes for a “speedy recovery” to Trump.

  • Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof wrote on X: “Shocked by the attack on former President Donald Trump. Luckily he has gotten away only lightly wounded. Political violence is completely unacceptable.”

  • Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, said the attack was a “shocking” moment for the “whole free and democratic world”.

  • Thailand’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, wrote on X: “I am appalled to learn of the shooting incident during former President Trump’s rally. We are strongly concerned and do not tolerate such forms of violence. On behalf of the Thai people, I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are also with the injured and affected families.”

  • Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said: “It is with great relief that we receive the news that former President Donald Trump is fine and well after the attempt to assassinate him. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Together with all democracy loving peoples around the world, we condemn all forms of political violence. The voice of the people must always remain supreme.”

Updated

Anthony Albanese says he is “relieved” that former US president Donald Trump is safe after a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, calling the incident an “inexcusable attack”, my colleague Josh Butler reports.

The Australian prime minister said there was “no place for violence in the democratic process” as other politicians decried the assassination attempt four months out from the US presidential election (see earlier post at 04.47 to see how other world leaders have reacted to the attack).

Drawing a link to protests outside politicians’ electorate offices in Australia regarding the Gaza war, Albanese said on Sunday:

These things can escalate, which is why they need to be called out unequivocally and opposed.

Updated

US House Oversight Committee summons Secret Service director to testify at hearing on 22 July

The Oversight Committee in the Republican-led US House of Representatives has summoned the US Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, to testify at a hearing scheduled for 22 July.

“Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump,” the panel said in a statement on X, noting that Cheatle’s appearance is voluntary.

The Secret Service has agreed to brief the House Oversight Committee about the attack, a spokesperson told The Hill.

The assassination attempt on Trump was the first shooting of a US president or major party candidate since the 1981 attempted assassination of former Republican president Ronald Reagan, who was in the White House from 1981 to 1989.

It raised immediate questions about security failures by the Secret Service, which provides former presidents, including Trump, with lifetime protection.

Updated

Who was the suspected shooter?

The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspect in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

State voter records show that Crooks was a registered Republican, Reuters reported.

When Crooks was 17 he made a $15 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for left-leaning and Democratic politicians, Reuters wrote citing a 2021 Federal Election Commission filing.

The donation was earmarked for the Progressive Turnout Project.

Crooks graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School and received a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Updated

Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has said “violence is never the answer to political differences in a democracy.”

“I am sure this is one thing we can all agree on without any shadow of doubt,” he added.

Here are the latest images from the US, as an investigation continues into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister who was injured in a shooting in May, has drawn a parallel between the incident targeting him and the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

Scripted like through a copybook. Political opponents of D. they are trying to shut Trump up and when they don’t work out, they piss the public off so much that some loser picks up a gun. And now we shall witness speeches about the need for reconciliation, appeasement and forgiveness.

Updated

China has expressed concern about the shooting, Reuters reported.

“President Xi Jinping has expressed his condolences to former President Trump,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary-general, has also said he is “shocked by the attempted assassination.”

“Political violence has no place in our democracies. NATO Allies stand together to defend our freedom & values,” he added.

Geert Wilders, a far right Dutch politician, has blamed the left and media.

He also said “what happened in the US can also happen in the Netherlands” and that “security should be significantly increased where necessary.”

Updated

“The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is despicable,” the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, wrote on social media.

Updated

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said he is “appalled to learn” about the shooting.

“I extend my wishes for strength to everyone who is horrified by this event. I wish America emerges stronger from this,” he said.

Streets leading to the Pittsburgh home of 20 year old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the young man suspected of attempting an assassination of Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, are now closed off, as police, FBI and secret service search his family home.

Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired off shots — one of which grazed Trump in the ear — at an outdoor rally in Butler, 40 miles away. An assault rifle was later recovered from the scene.

It is not yet clear what the gunman’s motivation was. He was a registered Republican, but has no known criminal record, according to a data search.

Bethel Park is an upscale suburban neighbourhood of shopping malls, dry cleaners, and organic food stores. The curving streets are mostly leafy with wide sidewalks and solid brick houses.

Residents coming out of bars closing at 2am said they were shocked the violence had come from a neighbourhood close to where the Tree of Life synagogue was targeted in a mass shooting in 2018.

One said Saturday’s attempted assassination of the former president was dispiriting and offered a bleak assessment of America’s political condition.

“We’re fucked- no matter who it was, I’m feeling less and less like we have a choice, and more like the choices are being made for us”.

Updated

More European leaders – including Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, Latvia’s Evika Siliņa, Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Croatia’s Andrej Plenković - have condemned the attempted assassination of the former US president.

Updated

The Federal Aviation Administration said that the airspace over the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was closed “effective immediately” for special security reasons, Reuters reported.

The suspected shooter was from Bethel Park.

CNN reports that the 20-year old who authorities identified in connection to the attempted assassination was a registered Republican who had previously made a small contribution to a Democratic-aligned group.

Updated

Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister who is a supporter of Donald Trump and met with the former president a few days ago in Florida, said his “thoughts and prayers” are with Trump “in these dark hours.”

Updated

European leaders express 'shock' at attempted assassination

As Europe wakes up this morning, heads of government are expressing shock at the news from the US.

“France shares the shock and indignation of the American people,” wrote Emmanuel Macron, the French president.

“What we saw last night from Pennsylvania was frightening and wrong,” wrote Irish leader Simon Harris.

“It is a relief that former President Trump is safe and survived the assassination attempt. Our hearts are with the innocent spectators killed and critically injured. There can be no place for political violence,” he added.

Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, said he is “appalled by the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania and wish him quick and full recovery.”

Possible security lapses in focus after Trump rally shooting

The US secret service is investigating how a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle was able to get close enough to shoot and injure former president Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reports.

The secret service said the gunman fired multiple shots at the stage from an high position outside of the rally venue on Saturday. Secret Service agents killed the gunman, who has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The gunman, fired multiple shots at the stage from an “elevated position outside of the rally venue”, the agency said.

An Associated Press analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the scene of the Trump rally, as well as satellite imagery of the site, shows the shooter was able to get astonishingly close to the stage. The roof where the body lay was less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking.

According to Reuters, Republican lawmakers said they would launch swift investigations into how the sniper apparently managed to evade Secret Service agents and climb onto the roof of a building near where Donald Trump was speaking at an election rally and fire multiple shots before being killed.

Republican House speaker Mike Johnson said on social media that the House will have “Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP”.

FBI names 'subject involved' in Trump shooting

The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, the agency said in a statement on Sunday, according to Reuters and Associated Press.

Here’s a roundup of the reactions from world leaders condemning the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally.

Secret service releases statement after Trump rally shooting

The US secret service has confirmed Donald Trump is safe after the shooting at his Pennsylvania rally.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said:

The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former president is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available.

Multiple shots were heard at the outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shortly after Trump began his speech.

Body guards then crowded around Trump as he ducked below the podium and armed officers took up positions at the front of the stage. Trump repeatedly raised his fist to the crowd and shouted as he was escorted to a vehicle by the US secret service.

Updated

DNA testing under way to identify suspect

Law enforcement officials say they believe they know who carried out the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally, but will not be releasing his name until there’s an official confirmation.

Authorities are doing DNA testing to confirm his identity because the suspect did not have ID.

“It’s a matter of doing biometric confirmations,” FBI special agent in charge Kevin Rojek said. “There was no identification on the individual, for example, so we’re looking at photographs right now and we’re trying to run his DNA and get biometric confirmation.”

Trump arrives in New Jersey

Donald Trump has landed in New Jersey hours after being shot at a rally in Pennsylvania.

The former president was seen walking down aircraft steps after landing in Newark about six hours after the rally shooting.

What we know so far

Here’s a summary of what we’ve learned from the police press conference:

  • FBI is looking into Trump rally shooting as “an assassination attempt” against the former US president.

  • Authorities say the shooter was male, and they have tentatively identified him but are not prepared to publicly release that information.

  • Police have not identified an official motive.

  • All three victims of the shooting, two critically injured and one killed are male.

  • Police are appealing to the public for any information and cell phone footage.

  • The investigation is expected to take days, weeks and months.

  • No police were hit will bullets during the shooting.

Suspect was male in Trump shooting, police say

The suspected shooter at Donald Trump’s rally was male, the Pennsylvania state police said at a press briefing early Sunday.

The suspect, who is deceased, was not identified at the briefing, which was held at Butler, Pennsylvania, close to the site of the rally on Saturday. The three rally attenders who were shot are adult males, George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania state police, said at the briefing.

One of the victims has died.

Updated

Law enforcement say the priority is to identity the motive of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and if anyone else was involved.

They also confirm there will be days, weeks and months of investigation.

Updated

Police confirm all three victims of the shooting were adults and male.

No police were hit with bullets during shooting.

Police are also appealing to the public for information and any mobile phone footage.

They have also noted the suspect could be named in the coming hours.

One shooter tentatively identified, police say

Law enforcement say they have one shooter tentatively identified, but are not prepared to identify them.

Police say they have also responded to a number of suspicious activities.

Trump rally shooting being treated as 'assassination attempt', FBI says

Police are now holding a press conference in Butler, Pennsylvania after the shooting at Trump’s rally.

The FBI confirm “an assassination attempt” took place against Trump but are not prepared to identify the shooter and have not identified an official motive yet.

Police say there is no existing threat.

Updated

World leaders condemn shooting at Trump rally, denounce political violence

Leaders from multiple nations have condemned the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, denounced political violence and wished Trump a quick recovery.

A spokesperson of United Nations secretary general António Guterres condemned the shooting and called it an “act of political violence.”

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said:

We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy.

British prime minister Kier Starmer said he was “appalled by the shocking scenes” at the rally.

Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said the shooting was “concerning and confronting”, while Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said it left him “sickened”.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the shooting left him shocked.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who met Trump this week while visiting the US for a Nato summit, said his prayers were with the former president “in these dark hours.”

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the shooting unacceptable while also urging others to condemn it.

The attack against former president Donald Trump must be vehemently repudiated by all defenders of democracy and dialogue in politics. What we saw today is unacceptable

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi called Trump a friend and wished him a speedy recovery while saying: “Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies.”

Trump posted on social media that he had been shot in the upper part of his right ear and that there was “much bleeding.” His campaign said he was “doing well,” and Bloomberg News reported he had been released from the hospital.

Secretary of defense Lloyd Austin releases statement on shooting at Trump rally

The entire Department of Defense condemns this violence, which has absolutely no place in our democracy. This is not the way that we resolve our differences in America – and it must never be. I’m relieved that reports indicate former President Trump is safe, and I am praying for him and his family and everyone affected by this appalling incident.

Attorney general Merrick Garland issues statement after Trump rally shooting

The Justice Department has issued the following statement from attorney general Merrick B. Garland on the shooting at former President Donald J. Trump’s rally:

I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s rally, and have briefed the President. The FBI, ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Department’s National Security Division are currently working with the Secret Service as well as state and local law enforcement partners on the ground in Butler, Pennsylvania.

My heart is with the former President, those injured, and the family of the spectator killed in this horrific attack.

We will not tolerate violence of any kind, and violence like this is an attack on our democracy. The Justice Department will bring every available resource to bear to this investigation.

Elon Musk endorses Trump in presidential race, calls him ‘tough’

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, has publicly endorsed Donald Trump for the first time in the US presidential race, calling the Republican former president “tough” after the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally.

Musk posted on his social media platform X a video of Trump with blood on his face and pumping his fists, along with the message: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”

Politico reports that Texas Republican representative Ronny Jackson’s nephew was wounded in the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally.

“A bullet crossed his neck, and he was bleeding,” Jackson told Fox News, adding that his nephew had been seated behind Trump and was “in the line of fire”.

Updated

What we know about the Trump rally shooting

  • Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when loud noises were heard in the crowd around 6.13pm.

  • Trump appeared to have been struck by something in the area of his right ear as he was speaking, and videos show him quickly clutching his ear and then ducking down to the ground, as security agents and others leap to his aid.

  • One spectator was killed and at least two were injured.

  • Trump stood up with blood on the side of his face and appeared to be saying “fight, fight” while pumping his fist.

  • Trump was then quickly escorted from the stage and into his vehicle.

  • The rally location is now an active crime scene. The FBI has taken over the investigation.

  • Trump’s team and the Secret Service confirmed that he was “fine” and being checked at a local medical facility.

  • Trump later posted a statement on Truth Social, saying he was hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”. There are also reports that the former president was hit by shards of glass.

  • The Butler county district attorney confirmed that the suspected shooter and one rally attendee were dead. One person at the rally was in serious condition. The Secret Service later said two people were critically injured.

  • The shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

  • The Secret Service shared more details on the shooter’s position and confirmed that the shooter was killed by the Secret Service. ABC News reported that law enforcement officials the suspect was perched on a rooftop and used an AR-style rifle.

  • The president, Joe Biden, said “everybody must condemn political violence” in a speech shortly after the shooting. The White House later said the president and Trump had spoken. Biden is traveling back to the White House.

Updated

House speaker Mike Johnson vows 'full investigation' of shooting at Trump rally

Republican speaker of the House of Representatives and Donald Trump ally Mike Johnson says his chamber will “conduct a full investigation” of the shooting at the former president’s rally today.

Johnson said they will demand answers from the director of the Secret Service, along with officials at the FBI and homeland security department:

The Senate’s Democratic leaders have not yet said whether they will do the same, but at least one Republican, Josh Hawley, has called for an investigation in that chamber:

Updated

Joe Biden also spoke to Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, and Bob Dandoy, mayor of Butler, where the shooting took place, the White House said.

Biden is scheduled to receive an update tomorrow morning “from homeland security and law enforcement officials”, according to the White House.

Updated

Biden spoke with Trump

Joe Biden has spoken with Donald Trump, Reuters reports.

The president said earlier in a brief speech that he was trying to reach his predecessor and challenger in the November general election, after he was injured following a shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier today.

Updated

CBS News has heard from another witness to the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally who said he tried to alert police that someone was on the roof of a building before shots rang out:

FBI takes over investigation of shooting at Trump campaign rally

The FBI is now leading the investigation into the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

From a statement released by the bureau:

The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred earlier today in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Special agents of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office responded immediately, to include crisis response team members and evidence response technicians.

We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Joe Biden to return to White House following Trump rally shooting

Joe Biden will travel back to the White House this evening from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he had been expected to spend the weekend at his beach house.

The president will depart Rehoboth Beach in about 25 minutes, and arrive back at the White House at around 12.30am on Sunday, according to an updated schedule sent out by his press office.

The White House has not yet announced any further public events.

Updated

While serving as a Democratic representative in 2011, Gabrielle Giffords was the target of an attempted assassination that left her with life-altering injuries.

She was among those condemning political violence following the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally today:

Updated

Trump will appear at Republican national convention as planned, campaign says

Donald Trump still plans to attend the Republican national convention in Milwaukee next week, where he is scheduled to be formally renominated as president, his campaign and the Republican National Committee said.

“As was communicated earlier this evening, President Trump is doing well and grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their fast action,” Trump campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump said.

“President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.”

Updated

Homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department was “taking every possible measure” to ensure the safety of Donald Trump, Joe Biden and their campaigns after the shooting at the ex-president’s rally today:

In May, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans were concerned that political violence could occur following the 5 November presidential rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Here’s more about the survey:

Two out of three Americans say they are concerned that political violence could follow the 5 November election rematch between Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor and challenger, Donald Trump, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The survey of 3,934 US adults found widespread worries that the country could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump’s 2020 election defeat, when the then president’s false claim that his loss was the result of fraud prompted thousands of followers to storm the US Capitol.

Trump is once again laying the groundwork to contest the results should he lose to Biden a second time.

In an online poll, 68% of respondents – including 83% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans – said they agreed with a statement that they were concerned that extremists will resort to violence if they are unhappy with the election outcome.

Overall, 15% of respondents disagreed and 16% were unsure. In recent interviews, Trump has refused to commit to accepting the election results and at campaign rallies has portrayed Democrats as cheats.

Updated

Shooter opened fire on Trump from rooftop with AR-style rifle - report

ABC News reports that the person who opened fired on Donald Trump’s rally, killing one and injuring two in what law enforcement officials reportedly believe was an assassination attempt, was perched on a rooftop and used an AR-style rifle:

Here’s more on that sort of weapon:

Republicans accuse Biden of instigating shooting at Trump rally

Some Republicans have accused Joe Biden of setting the stage for the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally, citing language he used against the ex-president on the campaign trail.

Here’s Ohio senator JD Vance, who is said to be a potential pick as Trump’s running mate:

And Georgia representative Mike Collins:

Updated

The Secret Service has confirmed that their officers killed the person who opened fire on Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania and that, in addition to the one attendee killed, two had been “critically injured”:

Updated

Trump says he was hit by 'bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear'

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said he was hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear” when a gunman opened fire on his rally in Pennsylvania:

“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country,” Trump wrote, noting that the suspected shooter is dead.

He then gave his version of what happened:

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.

It has also been reported that Trump was hit by glass fragments.

Updated

Donald Trump’s Republican allies have begun sharing a photo of him pumping his fist in the air after the incident at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania today that left two people dead.

Here’s congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida:

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina:

And Arkansas’s governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders:

The BBC says they spoke with a witness who said they saw someone with a rifle outside the Trump rally, and tried to point him out to police, before he opened fire.

Here’s what they found:

One witness, Greg, told the BBC he was outside the rally and could only hear the former president talking, when he noticed a man on top of a roof.

“We noticed the guy crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away from us,” Greg said. “He had a rifle, we could clearly see him with a rifle.”

Greg said they pointed the man out to police.

“Next thing you know, I’m thinking to myself why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage?” he said. “I’m standing there pointing at him... the next thing you know, five shots ring out.” Bear in mind the situation is still fluid and the BBC cannot fully verify these early witness reports.

Harris says 'violence such as this has no place in our nation' after Trump rally shooting

Vice-president Kamala Harris has joined the chorus condemning political violence after the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally today:

I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s event in Pennsylvania.

Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting.

We are grateful to the United States Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their immediate action.

Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.

Updated

In an interview with CNN, Butler county district attorney Richard A Goldinger said that in addition to the two people killed at the Trump rally, one other person was injured and in “serious condition”.

He also said that the shooter had been outside of the security perimeter, meaning he did not go through magnetometers intended to reveal firearms.

“I don’t know how he would have gotten to the location where he was, but he was outside the grounds, and I think that’s something that we’re going to have to figure out, how he got there,” he said.

Updated

Biden says 'everybody must condemn' violence after Trump shooting

Joe Biden called for widespread condemnation of political violence following the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally.

“The bottom line is, the Trump rally is a rally that he should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem,” the president said. “But the idea, the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It’s just not appropriate. Everybody must condemn it.”

Asked is he believed Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt, Biden said, “I don’t know enough … I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts.”

Biden says he hopes to speak with Trump following rally shooting

Joe Biden said he is hoping to speak with Donald Trump after at least two people were killed at his rally in Pennsylvania.

“I have tried to get ahold of Donald. He is with his doctors. Apparently, he’s been doing well. I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope when I get back to the telephone,” Biden said in remarks scheduled following the shooting.

Updated

Biden campaign pausing communications and TV ads after Trump rally shooting

The Associated Press reports that the Biden campaign is pausing its advertising after at least two people were killed in a shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania.

“The Biden campaign is pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible,” a campaign official said.

Updated

Here is what Donald Trump Jr had to say after speaking with his father:

I just spoke to my father on the phone and he is in great spirits. He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.

Biden to speak following shooting at Trump rally

The White House has announced that Joe Biden will soon deliver remarks, following a shooting at Donald Trump’s rally that left an audience member and the suspected shooter dead.

Shooting at Trump rally being investigated as assassination attempt

The Associated Press reports that two law enforcement officials have confirmed that the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

Updated

Biden 'praying' for Trump after shooting at rally

Joe Biden has released a statement about the shooting that left two people dead and saw Donald Trump rushed off stage by the Secret Service at a rally of the ex-president’s supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania:

I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.

I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.

Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.

Updated

Obama says 'absolutely no place for political violence' after incident at Trump rally

Donald Trump’s Democratic predecessor Barack Obama joined those condemning political violence after an incident at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania left at least two people dead:

Updated

Democratic, Republican lawmakers condemn political violence following incident at Trump rally

Lawmakers from both parties have issued statements condemning political violence after Donald Trump was injured during an incident at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Here’s Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was bludgeoned by an intruder at their San Francisco home two years ago:

Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House:

Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator minority leader:

Congressman Jamie Raskin, who was a Democratic member of the January 6 committee:

Eyewitness Blake Marnell, 59, from San Diego, a supporter who wears a “brick suit” in homage to Trump’s wall, recalled via phone:

“I’m in the front row centre with some friends, watching the president speak. He was speaking about immigration. He had a slide on the big screen, the Jumbotron. I was watching him and then I heard some noises. I registered them as coming from my left as I look straight ahead at the president. I didn’t know what they were. I don’t have any training that would enable me to recognise gunshots from firecrackers from something else like that.

“I was hoping that it was a prank, that it was a bad joke. I turned to my left. Didn’t see anything initially. I then turned back towards the president and that’s when I saw him essentially being tackled to the ground by the Secret Service. Then I heard some more noises, which at that point I believed to be shots, based on what the Secret Service was doing. I crouched down and then, seeing there were no more noises, got back up a little bit and tried to pay attention to what they were doing right behind the podium.

“I could hear the Secret Service agents talking. I did not hear any call for medical. I did hear them begin to coordinate, let’s get ready to move him, do a countdown. and then they brought him out. I was really apprehensive that they were going to carry him, but instead he was on his feet and he was shaking his fist defiantly. I could see blood above his right ear. I can’t say where that came from. He could have cut his ear when they tackled him. He could have hit it on the podium. It could be from a gunshot or ricochet. I have no idea where it was.

“There was clearly blood. I can’t even say if it was his blood; a Secret Serve agent could have cut their hand and transferred blood to his head. But I could tell that it was blood there so the natural inference is that he’s injured. I was optimistic based on the fact that he was not defiant, that he was shaking his fist, that they weren’t whisking him away super quickly, that they would allow him to do that, while they were around him protecting him. Just an incredible moment.

“Clearly our country needs to do a better job of settling differences. This is not the path. Nobody believes this is the path. It was hard to have reactions when I didn’t know how serious it was. I was saying a prayer for him, as were many people. We got together. We were praying for his safety, I was cautiously optimistic based upon the way I saw him leave but you can’t always tell.”

Updated

Axios reports that Donald Trump was struck by glass fragments:

The former president’s ear appeared bloody following the incident at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

CBS News spoke to a man who described themself as an emergency room doctor, and said he had rendered aid to someone who appeared badly injured at the Trump rally:

Updated

Shooter and attendee killed in incident at Trump rally

Butler county district attorney Richard A Goldinger has confirmed to the Associated Press that the shooter at Donald Trump’s rally, as well as an attendee, are dead.

Updated

Kamala Harris has also been briefed on what happened at the Trump rally.

“The Vice President has received an initial briefing on the incident at Former President Trump’s rally,” her office said.

Shortly after Donald Trump’s apparent shooting, spokesperson Steven Cheung shared video of him walking on stage at the rally.

The tweet Cheung shared has since been deleted. It was the sort of video the Trump campaign often shares, perhaps to contrast him with Joe Biden.

Updated

CBS News heard a similar account from Republican representative Mike Kelly, who was also there when the ex-president’s speech was disrupted:

Updated

Politico heard from Dave McCormick, the GOP’s nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, about what he saw at the Trump rally:

Dave McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, was seated in the front row and said it appeared someone behind him was shot.

‘All the sudden, shots started to crack, someone behind me appears to have been shot,’ McCormick told POLITICO. ‘There’s lots of blood, and then the Secret Service were all over President Trump.’

McCormick said he was unsure of how badly the person behind him had been injured.

Updated

Shooter and one audience member reportedly dead

Citing the local district attorney, the Washington Post reports that Donald Trump was grazed by gunfire in a shooting that left one audience member dead.

The shooter is dead, and another person is in serious condition:

Updated

Joe Biden is being briefed on the incident at the Trump rally, the White House announced.

Homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle and assistant to the president and homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall are handling the briefing.

Updated

One potential death from incident at Trump rally - report

Local broadcaster WTAE reports that one person may have been killed in the incident at the Trump rally:

NewsNation captured footage of Donald Trump’s motorcade making a speedy departure from Butler, the western Pennsylvania town where he was speaking today:

Senate's Democratic leader says 'horrified' by violence at Trump rally

The Senate’s Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he was “horrified” by the incident at the Trump rally, and condemned political violence.

“I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country,” Schumer said.

Top House Democrat says 'thoughts and prayers' with Trump

Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said his “thoughts and prayers” were with Donald Trump after he was apparently injured at his rally today:

Pennsylvania governor condemns political violence and says he has been briefed on Trump rally

Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor Josh Shapiro rejected political violence in a statement posted on X following the apparent shooting of Donald Trump at a rally in his state today:

Updated

Trump spokesperson confirms the former president is fine and being checked at a medical facility

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung tells me in a statement that the former president is being assessed at a local medial facility:

“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”

Updated

President Biden has received an initial briefing on the incident that occurred at former president Trump’s rally, according to the White House.

Updated

A Secret Service spokesperson has tweeted that Trump is safe.

Anthony Guglielmi said the Secret Service had implemented protective measures and that an investigation was under way.

Updated

Trump says he is 'fine' and being checked by medics

Donald Trump has said in a statement that he is “fine” and that he is being checked at a medical facility.

The former president raised his fist as he was being rushed off the stage by his Secret Service detail.

Updated

US president Joe Biden said he had not been briefed on the reported shooting, speaking to reporters as he walked out of church in Delaware.

Updated

Possible gunshots fired at Donald Trump, with former president rushed off stage

Possible gunshots have been fired at Donald Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania, prompting panic as Secret Service agents leaped on the former US president.

Trump was then whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He could be seen raising a fist as he was escorted to a vehicle by the Secret Service.

Video showed blood on his ear and snipers on a roof near the stage where Trump was standing, the Reuters news agency reported.

Joe Biden said he was not briefed on the reported shooting, speaking to reporters as he walked out of a church in Delaware.

Republican representative Dan Meuser was in the front row in Butler, Pennsylvania. He was reported to have heard eight to 10 shots and said that multiple people in the crowd had been hit.

Updated

Video footage showed what looked like blood on the former president’s right ear.

The crowd at the rally were heard screaming and seen ducking to the ground amid confusion over where what sounded like gunshots was coming from.

Updated

Donald Trump was whisked off stage in Pennsylvania after the sound of apparent gunshots rang out through the crowd.

Video footage showed Trump being escorted to a vehicle by Secret Service agents.

This is a breaking news story. We’ll bring you the latest developments as we get them.

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
SNL’s star-studded cold open called the ‘best in the history of the show’
The sketch featured celebrities who have all hosted the show five times
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
“Crowds would get agitated as soon as they heard Slash’s intro riff”: Duff McKagan on the making of a Guns N’ Roses classic
How a song about the “hardscrabble lives” of the fledgling rockers became a timeless rock anthem
Louder
Louder
'Stranger Things' cast pens emotional notes after final season production wraps
Netflix recently announced that the production of Stranger Things season five has officially wrapped. Read further on Dynamite News:
Dynamite News
Dynamite News
Mufasa: The Lion King review – technically dazzling Disney origin story lacks soul
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins’s all-action tale boasts uncanny CGI effects and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, ​​but the screenplay is schmaltzy and derivative
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
How to watch or stream Sunday’s Week 16 games of the NFL’s 2024-2025 football season live, online, and free without cable
It’s a holiday feast of football!
Fortune
Fortune
Tina Fey and Tom Hanks among stars to induct Martin Short into Saturday Night Live's Five-Timers Club
Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and Scarlett Johansson were among the stars to induct Martin Short into the 'Saturday Night Live' Five-Timers Club on Saturday (21.12.24).
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play