Top Points:
Trump Commits to Outdoor Rallies Despite Security Risks: Former President Donald Trump announced he will continue to hold outdoor rallies, dismissing reports that the U.S. Secret Service advised against them following an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Assassination Attempt at Butler Rally Confirmed: The FBI confirmed that Trump was hit in the right ear by a bullet during the Butler rally shooting, contradicting earlier suggestions of shrapnel. The incident resulted in one death and two injuries.
Secret Service Director Resigns Amid Security Lapse: Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service Director, resigned after facing criticism and intense questioning from Congress over the security failure at the Butler rally. Trump praised the bravery of the Secret Service agents who protected him.
Full Report:
Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will continue to hold outdoor rallies, despite recent security concerns and reports suggesting otherwise.
On Saturday, Trump addressed claims that the U.S. Secret Service had advised his campaign to cancel outdoor events following an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. These reports, which cited anonymous sources, were refuted by Trump in a Truth Social post.
“I will continue to do outdoor rallies, and Secret Service has agreed to substantially step up their operation to secure my events,” Trump stated. “They are very capable of doing so. No one can ever be allowed to stop or impede free speech or gathering.”
During the Butler rally, a shooter opened fire from a rooftop about 400 feet away, hitting Trump in the right ear. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, killed one rallygoer and injured two others. The FBI confirmed that a bullet, not shrapnel, struck Trump’s ear, contradicting earlier suggestions by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In the wake of the incident, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced intense scrutiny over the agency’s security measures. Cheatle resigned last week following questioning from Congress and a joint statement from top Republicans and Democrats urging her to step down. “I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle wrote in her resignation letter.
Despite the shooting, Trump remains determined to continue his campaign. He held an indoor rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, joined by running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), and appeared at a bitcoin and cryptocurrency event in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier in the day.
At the St. Cloud rally, Trump defended a female Secret Service agent who rushed to his aid during the Butler incident. “She got criticized by the fake news because she wasn’t tall enough. She was so brave, she was shielding me with everything, she wanted to take a bullet,” Trump said. “Every one of them—there wasn’t one that was slow. A woman who was on my right, she was shielding me. Beautiful person—she was shielding me, everything she could. And she got crushed. And she got criticized by the fake news because she wasn’t tall enough.”
The House Homeland Security Committee has launched a full investigation into the shooting, and President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of the incident. The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is also reviewing the shooting and security measures for the Butler rally.
Original Story by Jack Phillips, The Epoch Times
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