GOP punches a MAGA ticket, which Democrats are already smearing as ‘extreme’


The Republican Party is going all in on the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement with the selection of their 2024 candidates — which is already being framed by Democrats as an “extremist” ticket.

After months of speculation, GOP presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump announced his pick to join him on the 2024 Republican ticket, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, a staunch supporter of the former president aligned with the MAGA wing of the GOP.

Democrats have attempted to smear Trump’s MAGA agenda as “extremist” over the years, a talking point that they are already using to describe the GOP pair after Trump revealed Vance will run with him on the ticket.

WHO IS TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE JD VANCE?

J.D. Vance in blue tie, right, with Donald Trump

Donald Trump named J.D. Vance as his 2024 running mate on Monday. (Getty Images)

“Trump has selected far-right MAGA extremist JD Vance as his running mate. Vance is a 2020 election denier, supports a national abortion ban, and voted against IVF access,” Biden-Harris HQ, the Democrat’s official 2024 campaign account, posted on X after the announcement.

“Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance. He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich,” President Joe Biden said in a post on X.

Former Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democrat Vance beat for the Ohio Senate seat in 2022, also attacked the vice presidential pick as “even more extreme than Trump.”

closeup shot of President Biden, US flag in background

President Joe Biden speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School on July 05, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson)

“At best, JD Vance is a phony and a fraud. At worst, he has extremely deranged views towards women. His political agenda is even more extreme than Trump and his history of dishonesty and opportunism means he cannot be trusted,” Ryan claimed in a post on X. 

TRUMP PICK JD VANCE CELEBRATED BY GOP: ‘OPPONENT OF ENDLESS WARS’

“I was hoping President Trump would have picked a VP that had a reputation of someone who consistently reached out to find common ground,” Ryan continued. “JD is the exact opposite of that. Democrats must act quickly to expose him.”

Biden at NATO summit

President Biden has insisted he has no intention of stepping aside.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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The GOP, however, is rallying behind Trump and Vance with unified support for the 2024 ticket and implementing “America first” policies.



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Biden campaign slams JD Vance, says Trump VP pick will ‘enable’ an ‘extreme MAGA agenda’


Former President Donald Trump, the expected Republican presidential nominee, on Monday announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, and the Biden campaign is claiming he will “enable” an “extreme MAGA agenda.”

In an initial reaction to his contender’s choice as vice president, President Biden said Vance “talks a big game” about wanting to support working-class Americans but that he pushes “more tax cuts for the rich.”

“Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance,” Biden posted on X Monday. “He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.” 

“Well, I don’t intend to let them,” Biden said, asking supporters to donate to his campaign. 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE

JD Vance attends a campaign rally

JD Vance attends a campaign rally on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)

Trump hailed his vice presidential pick on Monday, saying that “after lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.”

“J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association,” he said. 

“J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country,” he said, adding that the freshman senator “has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance.”

FOX NEWS LEARNS BURGUM, RUBIO, INFORMED AHEAD OF VANCE ANNOUNCEMENT THEY WOULDN’T BE NAMED RUNNING MATE

JD Vance talks on stage with former US President Donald Trump

JD Vance talks on stage with former US President Donald Trump during a Save America rally in Vandalia, Ohio, US, on Monday, November 7, 2022.  (Joshua A. Bickel/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden-Harris 2024 Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon released a statement blasting Trump’s choice.

“Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” Dillon said.

“This is someone who supports banning abortion nationwide while criticizing exceptions for rape and incest survivors; railed against the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for millions with preexisting conditions; and has admitted he wouldn’t have certified the free and fair election in 2020,” she said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

JD Vance arrives to speak at the Dayton International Airport

JD Vance arrives to speak at the Dayton International Airport on November 7, 2022 in Vandalia, Ohio.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“Billionaires and corporations are literally rooting for J.D. Vance: they know he and Trump will cut their taxes and send prices skyrocketing for everyone else,” she said. 

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Rep. Eric Swallwell, D-Calif., also reacted to the announcement with a post on X saying, “Interesting move to go from ‘he might be America’s Hitler’ to ‘is he hiring?’” referencing a previous comment from Vance calling Trump “America’s Hitler.” 

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison also reacted to the news saying, “This is the most consequential election of our lifetimes, and with Donald Trump’s decision today to add J.D. Vance to the Republican ticket, the stakes of this election just got even higher.”

“J.D. Vance embodies MAGA – with an out-of-touch extreme agenda and plans to help Trump force his Project 2025 agenda on the American people.”

“Let’s be clear: A Trump-Vance ticket would undermine our democracy, our freedoms, and our future,” Harrison said.  

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 



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Who is Trump’s running mate JD Vance?


Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will run alongside former President Donald Trump in 2024 after being chosen as his vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket.

Vance, 39, was first elected to the Ohio Senate in the 2022 midterms, defeating Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan for the seat.

Before entering the political scene, Vance joined the Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War. Shortly after, he graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School.

Vance rose to prominence after publishing a bestselling memoir-turned Netflix film, titled “Hillbilly Elegy,” a book about American values and his Appalachian upbringing.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and JD Vance greet supporters during the rally

Former President Donald Trump and JD Vance greet supporters during the rally at the Dayton International Airport on November 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

In 2019, Vance started the venture capitalist firm Narya Capital in Ohio with the backing of former PayPal CEO and GOP megadonor Peter Thiel.

Days before revealing the Ohio Senator as his 2024 running mate, Trump likened Vance to former President Abraham Lincoln when asked about his facial hair, telling Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade “he looks good… He looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”

TRUMP LIKENS POSSIBLE VP PICK TO ‘YOUNG ABRAHAM LINCOLN’ FOR ONE SURPRISING REASON

The former president made the highly-anticipated announcement via Truth Social just minutes after the Republican National Convention (RNC) was gaveled in Monday.

JD Vance walking in to an event

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, walks to a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 27, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker)

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote. 

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“J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond….,” Trump said.



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VeepStakes: Rubio and Burgum informed they are not Trump’s 2024 running mate


MILWAUKEE — Former President Trump has decided on his running mate, and it won’t be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Multiple sources told Fox News on Monday that Rubio – the three-term conservative senator who was considered to be among the names on a short list of contenders for running mate – was informed that he wouldn’t be named as the GOP’s 2024 vice presidential nominee.

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Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is considered a front-runner for Trump's running mate

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arrives to speak before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Miami, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

And sources also told Fox News that Burgum, the two-term North Dakota governor and top Trump surrogate, was also informed that he would not be named as the former president’s running mate.

The Trump campaign says that the first time we will see the running mate in-person will be at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday, at 4:37PM ET, just ahead of the vice presidential roll call nominating process. 

Burgum and Trump together campaigning

Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a caucus night rally in Las Vegas, Feb. 8, 2024, as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum watches.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Besides Rubio and Burgum, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio was also considered to be a front-runner to serve as Trump’s running mate.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.



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‘Inclusive for all’: First-term Black Republican talks non-White voters ditching Dems for GOP


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First-term House Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, is part of a growing group of young, Black conservative lawmakers who are steadily changing the face of the Republican Party – and he believes that more non-White voters will follow.

“This is what the party is today. This is the future of the party as well,” Hunt told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Despite only being elected to Congress roughly a year and a half ago, Hunt – a retired Army captain who served in Iraq – is slated to speak at this week’s Republican National Convention (RNC), where former President Donald Trump will be formally declared the party’s White House nominee.

He’s also been instrumental to Trump on the campaign trail, co-hosting various events with Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., in a bid to raise Trump’s support among Black voters.

AMBER ROSE CONFIRMS PRO-TRUMP SPEECH AT RNC IN MILWAUKEE NEXT WEEK

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, exits the U.S. Capitol building

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, has been a top Trump surrogate trying to court non-White voters. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Hunt said it was important for more non-White Americans to join the GOP because it reflects the country’s own changing demographics. He pointed to his own home state of Texas, for instance, which is projected to be a majority-Hispanic state by the next census, Hunt said.

“I don’t like playing identity politics, and I leave that to the left. But what I do want to be is inclusive for all Americans,” Hunt said. “We all want to do better. We all want a better middle class. We all want a safe southern border. We all want to feel safer in our communities. No one wants to see the turmoil we’re seeing all over the world.”

“But I will tell you this, it’s important for Black people to see other Black Republicans, because traditionally, that hasn’t been the case.”

Hunt conceded the that GOP was and is “overwhelmingly” White, but argued that the policies it stands for, and Democrats’ handling of the White House, are driving minority voters to their side.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, MELANIA AT BARRON’S GRADUATION IN FLORIDA DURING BREAK IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

Trump NRA

Hunt is also speaking at the RNC, where Trump will be formally named the nominee. (NRA )

“The biggest issues are safety, the southern border and, of course, the economy. People are struggling. People are having a hard time putting food on the table. They’re having a hard time putting gas in their cars. And those issues are issues that are very germane to the Black community,” Hunt said.

“Traditionally, the Black community just voted as Democrats because their grandmother, their great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather before them told them to do it. Well, now America has changed tremendously. It’s not like it was during Jim Crow, as we hear the Democrats talk about it all the time.”

Hunt’s campaigning for Trump is part of Republicans’ overall effort this cycle to reach more non-White voters.

Just last month, the Trump campaign opened an outreach office in a majority Hispanic part of Pennsylvania. 

Trump has also made appearances in majority non-White parts of New York City while he was on trial in Manhattan. 

TRUMP ADDRESSES CALLS FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT OF 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: HE ‘DOESN’T WANT TO QUIT’

Hunt argues that the Biden administration's handling of the country is driving non-White voters away from Democrats.

Hunt argues that the Biden administration’s handling of the country is driving non-White voters away from Democrats. (Scott Olson)

It’s not clear yet how far that will take him, however. In 2020, Trump won roughly 8% of Black voters and 35% of Hispanic voters.

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But Hunt was hopeful that wider demographic representation could help Republicans boost their numbers.

“I’m not running per se as a Black Republican. I’m running as a Republican that happens to be Black,” he said. “But I think having faces out there like mine, faces out there like [Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Rep. John James, R-Mich.], I think it’s very beneficial for the party, for people to see that, ‘You know what? It’s not just a party of all White people. Here are some young Black conservatives that are going to be leaders for the future, that are strong conservatives.'”



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Classified docs case dismissal means ‘greatest’ legal ‘threat’ to Trump is ‘gone’: experts


A Florida judge dismissed the case against former President Trump for the handling of classified documents, and some legal experts are calling it a “strongly reasoned” opinion that eliminates the “greatest legal threat” to the presumptive 2024 GOP just ahead of the Republican National Convention. 

On Monday, Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a 93-page opinion dismissing the case on the grounds that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith to oversee the case was unconstitutional. 

“Upon careful study of the foundational challenges raised in the motion, the Court is convinced that Special Counsel’s Smith’s prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional scheme – the role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorizing expenditures by law,” Cannon wrote. 

Jonathan Turley, a defense attorney and law professor at George Washington University, told Fox News Monday that “of all of the cases that could be dismissed, this would be at the top of the list. This was the greatest threat. And for now, at least, it’s gone.”

SPECIAL COUNSEL IN TRUMP CASE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FORMER REAGAN AG SAYS

Jack Smith before giving remarks on Trumps indictment

Special counsel Jack Smith arrives to give remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former President Trump on Aug. 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump had faced charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into his possession of classified materials at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. He pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony counts from Smith’s probe, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor and director of the Ed Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, said that the case brought by Smith was the “most serious of the four criminal cases that were filed against him.” 

A representative for Smith did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment and whether the Justice Department plans to appeal the decision. 

JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP’S FLORIDA CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE

Image shows Donald Trump, Mar-a-Lago and federal affidavit

Former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida was searched by the FBI in 2022. (Getty Images)

John Yoo, a constitutional attorney, told Fox News Digital that the question of the constitutionality of special counsel has been debated for over 20 years. “We’ve been thinking and talking about this, these people who specialize in the Appointments Clause. The courts have generally been deferential to the Justice Department and how they want to appoint different lawyers.” 

“But I think because of how aggressive Jack Smith has been, he prompted close scrutiny from the courts,” said Yoo. 

Yoo said Cannon’s decision is “a very thorough, strongly reasoned, persuasive opinion [that] goes through the history of special counsels and all the statutes that are involved.”

“This decision is very well-reasoned and very well-written,” said John Shu, a constitutional attorney who served in both Bush administrations. “It’s not surprising because Congress intentionally allowed the independent counsel statute, which the Supreme Court found constitutional, to lapse, and they never replaced or amended it.”

“And thus Congress, through its inaction, just allowed the regulatory agency, in this case the DOJ, to go ahead and promulgate its own regulations in place of an actual enabling statute,” he explained.

LUNA’S BID TO FORCE GARLAND TO HAND OVER BIDEN-HUR TAPES FAILS IN HOUSE

Trump Bronx Rally

Former President Trump holds a rally in the historically Democratic South Bronx on May 23, 2024 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Monday’s decision is the latest in a string of legal victories for the former president. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that he and future presidents are granted limited immunity from prosecution for official acts in office. That decision directly impacted Smith’s separate case against Trump related to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. 

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“All of these cases seem to be collapsing of their own weight, and it’s because of lawfare,” said Jim Trusty, a former federal prosector and former lawyer for Trump. 

“This is the price of lawfare when you create different crimes and different investigative approaches, and you do it all in the name of self-righteousness that Donald Trump needs to be stopped, which is really the philosophy behind all these prosecutions.”  



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Building Trump shooter used to fire shots at president was responsibility of local police: source


Local law enforcement had responsibility for the building where Thomas Matthew Crooks fired several shots at former President Trump on Saturday, Fox News has learned.

The building Crooks fired from was a “rally point” for one of the local counter sniper teams, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the security plans. 

The source also said that a team was actually stationed in, or near, the building. There were four counter sniper teams at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, including two from the Secret Service and two from local law enforcement.

The source also added that the Butler County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that one officer climbed up onto the roof, saw Crooks armed with a rifle and retreated. Soon after that, Crooks began to fire, according to the source. Moments later, a Secret Service counter sniper fired on, and killed, Crooks.

LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP TO SOLDIER ON AT RNC AS SECRET SERVICE FACES GROWING SCRUTINY OVER ITS HISTORIC FAILURE

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally

Former President Trump pumps his fist as Secret Service agents surround him after he was struck by a bullet at a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Butler County Sheriff’s Department has declined to comment.

Trump had just begun speaking at a rally on Saturday evening when the gunman, later identified as Crooks, fired multiple shots toward the stage. 

Armed men stand over a downed suspect, whose face is blurred

Authorities approach the suspected gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, from where he fell after the U.S. Secret Service returned fire after an apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

TRUMP BREAKS SILENCE ON ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE’

Trump was seen hitting the deck as Secret Service agents rushed the stage to surround the former president. Moments later, a bloodied Trump stood up and pumped his fist before the agents escorted him off the stage.

Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event

Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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At least one rally attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. The man killed was identified as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief from the area. 



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Trump likely to announce running mate choice on day one of GOP convention


MILWAUKEE, WI – The Republican National Committee kicks off on Monday, just two days after former President Trump, the GOP’s standard-bearer, survived an assassination attempt.

And the Saturday shooting at Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania – where one spectator was killed and two more critically injured, and the former president visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear – has altered the tone and raised the stakes of the convention.

GOP CONVENTION GETS UNDERWAY TWO DAYS AFTER TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally

Former President Trump gestures with a bloodied face after multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

At the four-day confab, which is being held in swing state Wisconsin’s largest city, Trump will formally become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, and the official roll call will take place during the opening afternoon session on Monday.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RNC EMPHASIZE CONVENTION TO ‘PROCEED’ IN AFTERMATH OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

But as the convention gets underway, all eyes are on the former president as Trump’s expected to announce his choice for running mate, which would bring to conclusion weeks of vetting and intense media speculation.

The Republican National Convention gets underway on Monday with the roll call nomination of former President Trump

The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 14, 2024, on the eve of the start of the Republican National Convention. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Fox News’ Bret Baier reports that senior GOP officials indicate a running mate announcement could occur soon after the convention is gaveled into order at 1 p.m. ET. “It will be part of the hooplah today kicking things off,” officials said.  

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Considered the frontrunners for the Republican vice presidential nomination are Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota. Others thought to be in contention are Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Byron Donalds of Florida.

The Trump campaign says the former president – following his brush with death – at the convention will call for unity in the face of tragedy instead of criticizing his political adversaries as he faces off with President Biden in a 2024 election rematch.

Senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller, in an interview Sunday night on Fox News’ “Jesse Waters Primetime,” said Trump “was dictating to us some additional things that he wants in his speech as he looks ahead to Thursday. And I think the tone is really going to impress people. He knows that this is a key moment. He’s the only one who can step up and lead in this time. And this country is desperate for leadership.”

And Trump, in an interview Sunday with the Washington Examiner, said, “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”

“It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance,” he said.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.



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Biden-Trump poll shows nearly 80% of voters worried about president’s mental, physical fitness after debate


A new national poll conducted in the wake of the Biden-Trump presidential debate has found that nearly 80% of voters are concerned about Biden “not having the necessary mental and physical health to be a president for a second term.” 

The NBC News survey of 800 registered voters, which was conducted over July 7-9 and before the assassination attempt against former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania this past weekend, has Trump leading Biden by 45% to 43% in a head-to-head race. 

While the matchup remains close, the poll found that 62% of Democratic voters wish someone else was at the top of their party’s ticket instead of Biden and that 79% of all voters are worried about the 81-year-old Biden’s mental and physical capabilities.

Only 50% of respondents had the same mental and physical fitness concerns about Trump, who is 78.

President Biden speaks in Oval Office

President Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, July 14 about the assassination attempt against former President Trump. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

FOX NEWS POLL: POST-DEBATE, TRUMP IS BACK ON TOP IN HORSE RACE 

Meanwhile, 58% indicated they had major or moderate concerns regarding Trump being found guilty by a jury in New York “on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a hush money case and Trump facing additional felony charges, including related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.” 

TRUMP LEADS BIDEN BY DOUBLE DIGITS ON THREE KEY ISSUES: PEW RESEARCH SURVEY 

Joe Biden, Donald Trump

President Biden, right, and former President Trump debated on June 27. (Getty Images)

As for the debate, 71% of respondents said it “made no difference” in terms of which candidate they support.  

President Biden’s widely criticized performance at the June 27 debate had shifted the trajectory of the race, with some congressional Democrats calling for him to step aside. 

Trump holds fist

Former President Trump is seen with blood on his face and surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

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In a potential head-to-head matchup with Vice President Kamala Harris – whose name has been floated as a potential replacement for Biden if he drops out of the race – Trump leads her 47% to 45%, according to the NBC poll.



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Jill Biden spoke with Melania Trump following Pennsylvania rally shooting: report


First lady Jill Biden reportedly spoke with former first lady Melania Trump in the wake of Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Details of their conversation, which was first reported by NBC News, were not immediately available Monday.  

The White House, the Office of the First Lady of the United States, a spokesperson for Melania Trump and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Fox News. 

“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of a devastating change,” Melania Trump said in a statement on Sunday. “I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.”

TRUMP BREAKS SILENCE ON ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE’ 

Jill Biden and Melania Trump split

First lady Jill Biden, left, reportedly spoke by phone with former first lady Melania Trump in the wake of Saturday’s shooting. (AP/Susan Walsh/Alon Skuy/Getty Images)

President Biden spoke with the former president on Saturday night following the shooting, a White House spokesperson told Fox News. 

The former president suffered injuries to his ear after the shooting, appearing with blood on his face. He was discharged from Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh late Saturday night. 

Later, former President Trump told the New York Post in an interview that his call with Biden was “fine” and “very nice.” 

BIDEN SAYS POLITICS MUST NEVER BE ‘A LITERAL BATTLEFIELD’ OR ‘KILLING FIELD’ IN POST-TRUMP SHOOTING ADDRESS 

Trump holds fist

Republican candidate former President Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden then addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday night, saying the attempted assassination of former President Trump is forcing Americans to “take a step back” and calling on all sides to “lower the temperature in our politics.” 

“My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.” 

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House

President Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, July 14, 2024 about the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

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The incident “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are,” he added. 



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Conservative lawmakers unleash on CNN initially downplaying Trump assassination attempt


CNN initially reported the Saturday assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as if the former president had merely fallen off a stage – a characterization that swiftly earned condemnation from conservative lawmakers and those commenting on social media.

“Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally,” CNN’s headline read shortly after news broke that there was possible gunfire at a Pennsylvania Trump rally. 

The headline angered conservative lawmakers, as well as others on social media, who described the headline as “conscious deception” and “disgraceful.” 

“‘Falls at rally’? Is this a real headline? This is disgraceful,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted to X on Friday evening. 

SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY BEING INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT 

Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by U.S. Secret Service personnel after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

“Even in a horrifying moment such as this they just can’t help themselves,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., posted. 

While addressing the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, Trump was seen abruptly grabbing his right ear before ducking and he hit the ground on stage. Secret Service personnel quickly surrounded Trump before he was escorted off the stage, with his right ear covered in blood. 

FAITH LEADERS SHARE URGENT PRAYERS FOR FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AFTER PENNSYLVANIA RALLY SHOOTING 

Before he was ushered out, Trump appeared to yell “Fight!” while giving a fist pump to the crowd to indicate he was alright.

The shocking assassination attempt came just two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump will officially become the party’s presidential nominee. 

Donald Trump Jr. also took issue with CNN’s live coverage on Saturday evening, calling the network out for focusing on Trump saying “fight!” to the crowd after he was injured by the shooter. Trump was taken to a local hospital before traveling to New Jersey. 

WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN 

“Someone attempted to assassinate my father tonight and this is what @CNN is focused on. These people are vile,” Trump Jr. posted. 

The headline was “published before we had 100% confirmation of details surrounding the assassination attempt on former President Trump,” a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The piece was updated as more details emerged about the assassination attempt. 

SHOTS FIRED DURING TRUMP RALLY 

Other commenters and media critics also slammed the Washington Post for a headline stating: “Trump escorted away after loud noises at Pa. rally.”

TRUMP JR. SAYS FATHER ‘IN GREAT SPIRITS’ AT HOSPITAL AFTER SHOTS FIRED DURING PA RALLY 

Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Fox News confirmed the shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service, and identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man. No motive has yet been released.

One rally attendee was killed. 

Attendees scatter after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump

Attendees scatter after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump slumped before being whisked away by Secret Service with injuries visible to the side of his head. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter and one audience member are dead and another was injured.    (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

“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,” the FBI said in a statement on Saturday night that was obtained by Fox News Digital.

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The bureau added: “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.”



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Trump breaks silence on assassination attempt: ‘I’m not supposed to be here’


Former President Trump is now breaking his silence on the assassination attempt against him during a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump also told the newspaper onboard his private plane while heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for this week’s Republican National Convention. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”

Trump told the Post that had he not turned his head slightly to the right to read a chart on illegal immigration, the bullet that grazed him would have been fatal. 

WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN

Donald Trump is moved from the stage at a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is moved from the stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

He described the Secret Service agents that rushed at him like “linebackers,” mentioning another one eliminated the gunman with “one shot right between the eyes.” 

“They did a fantastic job,” he told the Post. “It’s surreal for all of us.” 

As Secret Service agents rushed Trump off the stage, he was heard saying he wanted to get his shoes.

“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” he explained to the Post. 

Trump, reacting to images of him raising his fist and being surrounded by Secret Service agents in the seconds following the shooting, said, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen.” 

REPUBLICAN CONVENTION GETS UNDERWAY 2 DAYS AFTER TRUMP SURVIVED AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service

Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

“They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture,” he added. “I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot.” 

Trump also told the New York Post that he appreciated the “fine” and “very nice” call he received from President Biden in the aftermath of the event, noting – without specifics – that the race between them could be more civil going forward. 

He praised his rally audience for staying calm during the entire incident.

Trump holds fist

Trump is describing photos of him raising his fist following the shooting as “iconic.” (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

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“A lot of places … you hear a single shot, everybody runs. Here there were many shots and they stayed,” Trump said. “I love them. They are such great people.”



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Biden’s Cabinet condemns attempted assassination of former President Trump


Amid a sea of inflammatory political rhetoric this election season, President Biden and White House Cabinet members unequivocally condemned political violence after the attempted assassination of former President Trump over the weekend, with many also expressing sympathy for Trump and condolences to the family of a spectator killed during the attack.

Vice President Harris wrote on X that “assassination attempts have no place in our nation,” adding that she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were praying for the family of the deceased victim, identified as a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore.

“As @POTUS said, we must work toward unity as Americans. Assassination attempts have no place in our nation, or anywhere. Doug and I pray for the family of the victim who was senselessly killed yesterday and hope for a speedy recovery for those injured.

TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY

Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump is assisted by security personnel after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also condemned “political violence in America.” 

“I’m shocked and saddened by the shooting at former President Trump’s rally and grateful that he is safe. As @POTUS said, there is no place for political violence in America and we must all condemn it,” Blinken posted to X on Saturday night.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SHINES LIGHT ON RALLY SECURITY

Attendees scatter after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump

Attendees scatter after gunfire erupts during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Austin said 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,” he said.

Garland – who caught the ire of House Republicans this year who voted to hold him in contempt of Congress over the Biden-Hur audio recordings – released a lengthy statement on Sunday offering condolences to the victim’s family and thanking law enforcement officers who responded to the attempted assassination.

“I want to reiterate that the violence that we saw yesterday is an attack on our democracy itself,” Garland said. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for such violence. And as Americans, we must have no tolerance for it. This must stop.”

SUSPECTED TRUMP SHOOTER MAY HAVE BEEN CONFRONTED BY AN OFFICER ON THE ROOF

Donald Trump greets the crowd during a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc

Former President Trump greets the crowd during a campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Becerra, who previously brought a lawsuit against Trump during his presidency over allegedly violating the Clean Air Act, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, said he was “relieved” to hear that Trump was safe.

“Political violence is never acceptable. While we learn more about what happened, there is no escaping the fact that gun violence is an urgent public health crisis in this country,” Becerra’s post on X read.

Buttigieg, who has been one of Trump’s vocal critics over the years, called the incident a “horrible moment” and said he was “encouraged” that Trump was doing well.

“An entire nation must speak with one voice today to completely and unequivocally reject all political violence,” he wrote on X. 

Other Cabinet members offering sympathies include Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis McDonough and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“My prayers are with all of the victims who were injured or killed during yesterday’s attack, and with those traumatized by the violence. Such acts ought not to happen at a political rally, or any place else, in our country,” Vilsack wrote on X. 

BIDEN VOWS SECRET SERVICE WILL PROVIDE TRUMP WITH ‘EVERY RESOURCE’ TO ENSURE ‘CONTINUED SAFETY’

Donald Trump is moved from the stage at a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms and commend the Secret Service for their swift action today,” Mayorkas – who has also been the subject of House GOP impeachment inquiries – wrote on X. “We are engaged with President Biden, former President Trump, and their campaigns, and are taking every possible measure to ensure their safety and security.”

Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face and surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

He added that maintaining the safety of presidential candidates is one of the department’s “vital priorities.”

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The statements come just a day before the Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin on Monday in Milwaukee, where delegates will officially select Trump to be the presumptive GOP presidential candidate. Biden said early Sunday he instructed the Secret Service to thoroughly examine all the Republican National Convention’s security measures ahead of its start time, but the agency said it will not change its current protocol for the weeklong event.



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Republican convention gets underway two days after Trump survived an assassination attempt


MILWAUKEE, WI – The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday, just two days after former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s standard-bearer, survived an assassination attempt.

And the Saturday shooting at Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania – where one spectator was killed and two more critically injured, and the former president visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear – has altered the tone and raised the stakes of the convention.

U.S. Secret Service and other officials announced on the eve of the convention that there are no plans to expand the security perimeter and that there are no known threats.

“The arena’s set, the security is here and we feel very comfortable that we’re working with the Secret Service,” Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RNC EMPHASIZE CONVENTION TO ‘PROCEED’ IN AFTERMATH OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

The Republican National Convention gets underway on Monday with the roll call nomination of former President Trump

The Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 14, 2024, on the eve of the start of the Republican National Convention (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Whatley emphasized that “this is going to be a facility where we’re going to be able to have 50,000 delegates and alternates and guests and members of the media who are going to be here and who are going to be safe. That’s very critical for us.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, said that he was going to delay his trip to the convention in the wake of the shooting, but decided against allowing a “potential assassin” to alter his plans.

The former president arrived in Milwaukee, swing state Wisconsin’s largest city, a couple of hours later.

Donald Trump arrives on Trump Force One in Milwaukee

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives on Trump Force One in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 14, 2024 a day after he survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.   (REUTERS/Cheney Orr)

At the four-day confab, Trump will formally become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. 

And as the convention gets underway, all eyes are on the former president as Trump’s extremely likely to announce his running mate.

The first order of business, as roughly 2,400 Republican delegates from across the country gather at the Fiserv Fourm in downtown Milwaukee, will be officially nominating Trump during a roll call of the states during Monday afternoon’s session.

Trump is scheduled to accept the nomination as he delivers his address to the convention on Thursday night.

The gathering, which is expected to attract roughly 50,000 attendees, is scheduled to maintain its original programming despite Saturday’s shooting. And speakers were asked not to alter their speeches.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage

Former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage after shots were fired during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republicans are aiming to use the convention as a venue to reunite the party and energize delegates and activists ahead of the final stretch of the campaign in Trump’s 2024 election rematch with President Biden.

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As part of that push for unity, Trump’s final rival in this year’s GOP presidential nomination race will now speak at the convention.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, will address the convention on Tuesday, a person familiar with the decision confirmed to Fox News on Sunday.

Haley, who was engaged in a bitter two-candidate battle with Trump from late January through early March, when she ended her White House bid, wasn’t originally invited to the convention.

Also on tap on Monday as the convention gets under way – A new slimmed-down Republican Party platform that won quick and overwhelming initial approval last week is expected to be passed during the opening session.

While the platform – which softens longstanding Republican Party language in support of a federal ban on abortion – was praised by a number of top social conservative leaders, not all evangelicals were happy with the new document.

Its expected passage is the latest sign of Trump’s expanding ideological grip over the GOP.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.



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HOWARD KURTZ: Trump survives shooting, but politically charged blame game never fades


The assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Pennsylvania was a chilling and frightening moment in the history of a country that has seen too many such shootings.

We are all grateful, of course, that the former president was not wounded more seriously and for the Secret Service agents who protected him.

I am especially grateful that President Biden, who called Trump Saturday night, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and many other Democrats have united in declaring that political violence is absolutely unacceptable, in wishing Trump well, in praying for him, and in immediately putting partisanship aside.

Trump having the instinct to pump his fist several times in efforts to reassure his supporters that he was all right despite the blood on his face – an image that may have changed the campaign – is naturally part of the story.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY LEAVES 2 HURT, 2 DEAD, INCLUDING SHOOTER

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally

The image of a defiant former President Trump, pumping his fist as he’s escorted offstage with blood streaming across his face, is one capable of reframing an entire campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

But some ugliness also emerged in the wake of the bullets fired by the 20-year-old, who was killed, and that needs to be forcefully called out as well. 

We have had enough of the cynical attempts to blame horrific shootings on the left or right, or on public figures who had nothing to do with it, by exploiting a tragedy to score cheap political points. 

While Trump was fortunate to have only his ear grazed by a bullet, spared by perhaps an inch, one person in the Pittsburgh-area crowd was killed.

Those who peddle the mean-spirited “blood on his hands” theories, especially on places like X, should just be ignored. The media shouldn’t take the bait, even if it generates clicks and ratings. The blame game is corrosive and irrelevant.

Even those who can’t stand Trump decried the attempt to kill him, and I hope that brief interlude of honesty and humanity would be the same if the target was Biden or Vice President Harris.

PRESIDENT BIDEN DELIVERS REMARKS DAY AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP

Whether it’s a mass shooting or a targeted one, the only person to blame is the one who pulled the trigger. Our country has lost four presidents to assassins: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and JFK. Two other presidents have been injured by would-be assassins, Teddy Roosevelt and, more than four decades ago, Ronald Reagan.

The connective tissue here is that the murderers and would-be murderers are crazy. You have to be insane to risk death or life imprisonment by firing upon innocent people, or heavily protected leaders. Unless there is evidence of a wider conspiracy, these nutjobs acted alone. 

And I don’t really care, in the inevitable profiles, how angry or disaffected they are. That’s why, as in this case, I long ago stopped using their names, so as not to inspire others to seek such infamy.

Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump

Former Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump each survived shootings by would-be assassins, in 1912, 1981 and 2024, respectively. (Getty Images)

The killer, who also had explosives in his car, was a registered Republican, but also donated $15 to a progressive group, leaving the question of motive a muddle.

Trump said after the shooting that we must “stand united” and “remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.” Biden called the violence “sick” and said “we cannot condone this,” adding yesterday: “It’s not America.” Speaker Mike Johnson said “we’ve got to turn the temperature down in this country.”

Those are welcome words, but such pleas didn’t stop Rep. Lauren Boebert and Sen. J.D. Vance from blaming the shooting on Biden’s rhetoric.

JOHNSON ASKS PARTIES TO TURN DOWN RHETORIC AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

If the president had wanted to capitalize on the shooting, he could have noted that hours earlier he had called for gun control, while accusing Trump of doing the bidding of the NRA. Some Trump supporters, though, ripped Biden for saying he would put Trump in a “bullseye,” though he was obviously using a political metaphor. 

Trump himself has often been accused of fomenting violence with some of his harsher language at rallies, so it’s ironic that he came close to being a victim.

Yet it’s also true that Trump has been pounded by the press for nine long years, particularly after Jan. 6, and castigated as an aspiring dictator and danger to democracy, even going so far as morphing his face into that of Hitler on a recent The New Republic cover.

Donald Trump speaking

Irresponsible depictions of former President Trump as an insurgent fascist and looming threat to democracy seemed to be fodder for any would-be assassin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Such demonization could easily convince a mentally unbalanced person that the world would be better off without him.

The left has certainly employed the tactic. After the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Bill Clinton, who had used his presidential pulpit to criticize Rush Limbaugh, denounced “reckless speech” and said the airwaves are too often used “to keep some people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other.” As part of my front-page story, I reported that the radio talk show host was accusing liberals of trying to whip up a “national hysteria” against the conservative movement.  

The 1981 shooting of Reagan was done outside the Washington Hilton by a maniac who wanted to impress Jodie Foster. (I had to knock on doors to find a phone after racing to the hospital, and later reported from paramedics that Reagan had lost far more blood than the White House had acknowledged.)

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT STIRS MEMORIES OF SIMILAR ATTACK ON REAGAN

The 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabby Giffords in Tucson sparked an irrational attack blaming Sarah Palin because her campaign had released a political map with crosshairs marking the Democratic districts being targeted. 

I wrote a piece calling this ludicrous, and critical colleagues eventually concluded I was right, as the lunatic who wounded the then-congressswoman and killed six others had never seen the map before the massacre. Palin unsuccessfully sued the New York Times after a sloppy editorial revived the smear.  

Trump holds fist

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

And in Virginia in 2017, a gunman opened fire on a Republican baseball practice, nearly killing House GOP Whip Steve Scalise. Since the shooter was an unabashed liberal and Rachel Maddow fan, the right went on offense and the left said ideology had nothing to do with the tragedy.

As for the motivations of mass shooters – in Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde and others too numerous to recount – think of the utter remorselessness and detachment from reality required to kill large numbers of strangers, including children, in a ballroom or classroom.

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The miraculous survival of Donald Trump, while electrifying this week’s Republican convention, is a stark reminder that real human beings are engaged in what we euphemistically call political warfare. 

Though, if history is any guide, the finger-pointing and gun-control debating will quickly resume as so many of us wonder why political violence in our society seems like an unfixable problem.



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Trump assassination attempt draws comparisons to attack on Reagan


This weekend’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump shook the nation as the press searchs for answers and the political class manages boiling tensions within the two political parties.

Naturally, many have compared the nearly fatal incident to the most similar past attempt on a president’s life — the shooting of President Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was shot in the chest by deranged gunman John Hinckley on Mar. 30, 1981, approximately two months into his first term in office. He was 70 years old when the attack took place outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY BEING INVESTIGATED AS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

The Trump campaign has leaned into the comparisons, bolstered by Trump’s unexpected gestures of strength to the crowd following the shooting.

“I compare President Trump to President Ronald Reagan. You get historic respect for this. This is a historic moment in a historic campaign,” Trump pollster John McLaughlin told the New York Post.

Reporters and commentators scrambled to compile accurate information regarding the shooter, his motivations, and whether Trump was critically wounded.

“I just spoke to my father on the phone and he is in great spirits,” Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital in a statement on Saturday as the situation became more clear. “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.” 

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDS SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS

Reagan assassinations' attempt

View of police officers and Secret Service agents as they dive to protect President Ronald Reagan amid a panicked crowd during an assassination attempt (by John Hinckley Jr) outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Patti Davis, daughter of the former president, published an essay in the New York Times on Sunday explaining the effects an assassination attempt can have on a family tied to politics.

In her piece, Davis recalls the moment she was informed of the attack on her father’s life. She described her assigned Secret Service agents entering her therapist’s office during a session and seeing the look of concern on their faces.

“The day was one of the longest of my life,” Davis wrote. “I didn’t know if my father, Ronald Reagan, would live, and I found out later that the doctors searching for bullet fragments in his chest didn’t know, either.”

After being shot in the ear and ducking to the ground, Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents ordering him to move towards a van to evacuate the area. 

TRUMP RALLY VICTIM IS A FORMER FIRE CHIEF WHO HEROICALLY SHIELDED WIFE AND DAUGHTERS FROM BULLETS

Ronald Reagan assassination

President Ronald Reagan views a giant get-well card while recuperating at George Washington Hospital from a gunshot wound suffered in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. ((Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images))

In an instantly iconic moment, Trump briefly halted his exit to pump his fist at the audience in a gesture of solidarity. Blood was visible on his face as he shouted “Fight!” repeatedly.

Reagan, who did not have such a massive audience to witness the shooting as Trump did, instead made headlines for his disposition entering the emergency room. 

“Honey, I forgot to duck,” he famously told his wife Nancy as he arrived at the hospital, quoting famous boxer Jack Dempsey’s remark to his wife after losing the World Heavyweight title to Gene Tunney.

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

While Reagan’s brush with death is the most common comparison, it was not the most recent attempted assassination of a president. 

In 2005, Georgian citizen Vladimir Arutyunian tried to assassinate former President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili during the former’s appearance in Tbilisi during a state visit.

The grenade was live and intended to explode, but failed to detonate. Arutyunian was eventually found and arrested by Georgian authorities. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Only four sitting presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.



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Dem congressman says staff member no longer employed for ‘don’t miss next time’ post after Trump shooting


A staff member of Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson is “no longer” in the congressman’s employment after allegedly posting “don’t miss next time,” after the apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday evening.

“I was made aware of a post made by a staff member and she is no longer in my employment,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement.

The post, which has since been deleted, was allegedly posted by Thompson’s now-former field director Jacqueline Marsaw. The post read, “I don’t condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking.”

Trump had just begun speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening when a gunman on a nearby roof outside the venue fired multiple shots toward the stage.

LIVE UPDATES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDs SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS

Bennie Thompson in hearing

Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement that a staffer was no longer employed by him after becoming aware of a social media post in the wake of an apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images, File)

Trump was seen hitting the deck as Secret Service agents rushed the stage to surround the former president. Moments later, a bloodied Trump stood up and pumped his fist before the agents escorted him off the stage.

Trump with bloody ear pumps first at Pennsylvania rally

Former President Trump pumps his fist as Secret Service agents surround him after he was struck by a bullet at a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

At least one rally attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. The man killed was identified as 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore.

EMOTIONAL GRAHAM DELIVERS MESSAGE OF ‘LOVE’ FOR TRUMP, SAYS US NEEDS ‘SOUL-SEARCHING’

There were multiple calls for Thompson to fire the staffer following the social media post.

Trump pumps fist at Pennsylvania rally shooting

Former President Trump had just begun speaking at the rally when the shots were fired. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Marsaw joined Thompson’s staff in July 2023. She is a native of Natchez, Mississippi, and an alumna of Jackson State University. She served as secretary, vice president and president of her local NAACP and as the former field director for the National Action Network. 

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Thompson chairs the Homeland Security Committee. As Trump was on trial in New York City, he introduced legislation to block Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to prison.

Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.



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How the U.S. Secret Service has changed regarding assassinations, assassination attempts


On Saturday evening, July 13, 2024, Republican candidate former President Trump was shot and a bullet pierced his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Secret Service agents surrounded Trump following the assassination attempt and quickly escorted him from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds. Trump covered his ear and ducked after he was struck by a bullet on the side of the head.

He had only been speaking for several minutes before the gunman, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, fired at him.

MAJOR DEMOCRAT DEMANDS SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION FOR RFK, JR AFTER SUSPECTED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Trump holds fist

Donald Trump, with blood on his face, is surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, “An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. 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.”

The gunman was on top of a building within proximity of the event and the stage Trump stood on. Rally attendees have revealed to reporters that they notified local police of a gunman and tried to cause enough commotion to flag the Secret Service down. Many Americans are wondering about the details of the Secret Service’s protocol in the event of the assassination attempt.

The law enforcement agency’s website reads: “Our protective mission dates back to 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley. Following the tragedy, the Secret Service was authorized to protect the President of the United States. In 1906, Congress passed legislation and funds for the Secret Service to provide presidential protection. Over the years, the number of our protectees and the scope of the protective mission has expanded in response to the evolving threat environment.”

Donald Trump is moved from the stage at a campaign rally

Former President Trump is moved from the stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING

Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the executive order, President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, referred to as the Warren Commission, on Nov. 29, 1963. The summary of the order concludes that people everywhere are to receive “full and truthful knowledge” of assassinations and assassination attempts, according to the National Archives.

The order prescribed modifications to Secret Service procedures and afforded future presidents the ability to be up close and personal with constituents, as JFK was, while also protecting the POTUS and the first family and anticipating possible threats.

In addition to this, new inspection techniques were deployed for buildings along a motorcade route. Other government agencies are requested during presidential visits where agents are stationed.

While there were no errors found within the U.S. Secret Service during the investigation of JFK’s assassination, it was concluded that the agency was understaffed and underfunded, according to the National Archives. Subsequently, more money was added to the budget, which resulted in heavily armored cars and motorcades.

Additionally, the Secret Service is authorized to protect the first family, including the president, all immediate family members, the vice president, others in order of succession of the Oval Office, former presidents until the end of their lifetime, unless declined, their spouses and the children of former presidents up to age 16, among others.

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Because of this, Donald and Melania Trump are the only family members of the former president required to receive Secret Service personnel.

On the official agency website, major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses are required protection within 120 days of an election. However, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is urging President Biden to provide independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. with a Secret Service detail immediately following the assassination attempt on Trump.

Polis took to X to write, “I encourage [Biden] to immediately provide Secret Service protection for [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.].”

Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley also requested Secret Service agents in February following “swatting” incidents at rally events.

Presently, the Secret Service employs 3,200 special agents, 1,300 uniformed division officers and more than 2,000 other professionals, according to the official agency website.



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Nikki Haley to speak at Republican convention as GOP unites around Trump after assassination attempt


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MILWAUKEE — Former President Trump’s final rival in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race will speak at this week’s Republican convention in what appears to be a move toward party unity in the wake of the unsuccessful assassination attempt against Trump.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, will speak at the convention on Tuesday, a person familiar with the decision confirmed to Fox News on Sunday.

As of last week, Haley wasn’t planning to attend the convention, which kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.

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Republican National Convention Milwaukee

Fiserv Forum is shown in Milwaukee on July 12, 2024. (Patrick T.Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

“She was not invited, and she’s fine with that,” Haley aide Chaney Denton said last week. “Trump deserves the convention he wants. She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.”

HALEY URGES HER DELEGATES TO VOTE FOR TRUMP AT THE GOP CONVENTION

But following Saturday’s shootings at a Trump rally in western Pennsylvania, where the former president was visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear and where one spectator was killed and two critically injured, the GOP has rallied around its standard-bearer.

Trump holds fist

Former President Trump is seen with blood on his face and surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is rushed from the stage after an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Haley launched her presidential campaign in February last year, becoming the first major candidate to challenge Trump, who had announced his candidacy three months earlier. She was the final rival to Trump, battling the former president in a contentious two-candidate showdown from the New Hampshire primary in late January through Super Tuesday in early March.

AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE, HALEY SAYS WHO SHE’LL VOTE FOR IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Haley announced that she was suspending her White House campaign on March 6, the day after Trump swept 14 of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday.

Nikki Haley announces she is suspending her campaign for president

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley announces the suspension of her campaign in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 6, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

As she departed the race, Haley made it clear that she intended to keep speaking out. And Haley continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in Republican presidential primaries in the months after she dropped out.

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In late May, in her first public comments since announcing the end of her 2024 campaign, Haley said she would vote for Trump.

Haley won a total of 97 delegates during the Republican presidential primaries. And last week, Haley released all of her delegates and urged them to support Trump.

Fox News’ Sandra Smith contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.



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Trump ‘extremely lucky’ to be alive after assassination attempt, former special forces soldiers say


Former President Trump is “extremely lucky” to be alive after a deadly assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to two special forces soldiers.

“He is extremely lucky to be alive,” James Pechi, a Marine veteran who later served as a Green Beret, said of the former president in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“I was trying to look at this, trying to figure out what was the shot, what was going on,” he added. “It sounded like he shot five times, and then it looked like he grazed [Trump’s] ear or something. … It obviously did some damage.”

Pechi – who took part in the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC), now known as the Special Forces Sniper Course, during his tenure in the military – insisted “there’s no ifs, ands or buts about” the fact that Trump could have lost his life at the rally if the bullet had come into closer contact.

SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND SECURITY FAILURE

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally

Former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa., following an assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Echoing Pechi, Gary Seideman, a former Green Beret chief warrant officer, said Trump was the beneficiary of “good fortune” after surviving the shooter’s attempt to take his life.

“The biggest thing is the way he turned, the way it hit his ear and everything, it was just good fortune, and that’s all it was,” Seideman said. “It’s unfortunate the other person was killed there.”

“So basically, how Trump was [positioned], if it was at a different angle … Trump’s head would have exploded,” he added.

PHOTO GALLERY: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

Regarding the shooter – identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from western Pennsylvania – Pechi said, “This was someone that has, obviously, some serious mental health issues.”

Crooks reportedly shot at Trump from a rooftop perch some 130 yards away during a rally in the small town, striking the upper part of Trump’s right ear while the former president was speaking to rallygoers ahead of this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

One attendee was killed and two others were injured during the incident, the agency said, and Crooks was shot dead.

The Pennsylvania State Police identified the victims on Sunday: 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who was killed; 57-year-old David Dutch, who is in stable condition; and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who is also in stable condition.

“Regardless of what anyone says, how mentally unhealthy they are, you would never shoot into a group of people like that and not expect to kill someone,” Pechi said.

“It almost sounded like it was a .22 style instead of a .223, 5.56, almost like a range gun,” Pechi added, speculating about the type of weapon that Crooks may have used. “But with the audio and everything else going on there, you know, it could have been bigger.”

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage

Former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Crooks was from Bethel Park, which is a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south from where the assassination attempt took place.

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Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. He was one of nearly two dozen students from the school to earn a $500 “star award” from the National Math and Science Initiative.

An online recording of his graduation ceremony shows him walking the stage to minimal applause and briefly posing with a school official, the New York Times reported.

Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano and Scott McDonald contributed to this report.





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