It’s all over the news. Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Shots rang out, and one of them seemed to graze his right ear. He went to the ground and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents, who hustled him away to safety in an armored limousine.
At this point, no one has been identified or apprehended as a suspect.
Two points:
1. America needs gun control, which Trump opposes.
2. Political violence is horrifying. Gun violence is horrifying. No candidate has done more to encourage violence for political ends than Trump, whether it is his alliance with the Proud Boys or a dozen other extremist, militant white Christian nationalists that have rallied to his cause.
All that said, I am deeply saddened that Trump was targeted by a shooter. I wish him a speedy recovery, good health, and a new understanding of the importance of comprehensive gun control
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I watched the beginning of his speech and saw him get shot. Trump has a long history of advocating violence. Was it simply a matter of time before Trump would be the real victim of a violent act as we witnessed at the rally? We should never condone anything such as this from happening. But, I am concerned that this will raise the level of violence in American politics.
LikeLike
C’mon, this was a Trump stunt. He ducked BEFORE the Secret Service got to him, then pops up showing his face and pumping his fist. Did they find the shooter among all the armed MAGAs??? Watch him play this for all it’s worth, but remember he had three (3) sets of barriers for the BLM rally and hid in a bunker. This guy is a coward. It’s like his stunt after COVID coming out like Superman on the balcony. A big fraud.
LikeLike
Trump stunt?!!!??? One man was shot in the head and died and a woman was wounded. This was no stunt plus the shooter was killed. People being killed and wounded is hardly a stunt.
I am against violence, period.
LikeLike
CNN reports that the shooter and another attendee are dead.
LikeLike
The shooter was apparently a registered Republican. And Trump has a long history of sacrificing his supporters for a good meme. So yeah, this has MAGA and Trump all over it.
LikeLike
I’m hoping to hear from Alex Jones that the whole scenario was a hoax staged by Democrats to support gun control. That wasn’t Trump you saw. It was a “crisis actor.”
LikeLike
Haaaaaa!!!!
LikeLike
And hid in a bunker? And is a coward. What planet are you living on? Anybody under the protection of the Secret Service goes where the detail guarding him orders him to go; there is no debate, no discussion, no arguing, etc. The Secret Service took the then President Trump to the bunker and that was that, as he had no say in the matter.
LikeLike
true
LikeLike
Have the decency to apologize for your crackpot comment and then disappear forever from this blog and the entire Internet.
LikeLike
In the video on Twitter/X, you can hear him saying “Wait, wait,” (while the Secret Service agents are trying to get him off the stand, and while they are exposed to possible gunfire) so he can raise his fist and get the photo op. Then he points off stage as if leading a charge. The Twitter/X responses range from “That photo wins the election” to “My badass President.”
LikeLike
A friend of mine took me to Butler back in 1986. It was then a decaying steel town with rusty cranes and idle smelting factories. One side of town featured Eastern Europeans. There were five large churches, all of which were eastern rites churches. Over on the other side of town were the Irish and Italians, each with their own church.
I found it hard to avoid the image of America as the melting pot, juxtaposed with the rust of the iron industry that had gone away by then. Old men came into the bars we went to, swapping stories and laughing.
LikeLike
Roy Turrentine – I grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania. And for you to write a two paragraph comment on an assassination’s attempt to kill a former president by criticizing the city – well, it’s just plain unnecessary. A compilation of your favorite cities would have been more interesting.
LikeLike
I don’t see any criticism there. It’s just a description. I don’t know Butler specifically, but I grew up in a place that would probably be described in similar terms, even by its residents. I wasn’t Catholic, but I thought it was interesting that the names of the churches were often those of saints of the same ethnic background. Unfortunately, those towns were decaying in the 1980s, with factories closing. I know some of them have finally started to recover economically and hopefully Butler is one of those.
LikeLike
Truly frightening. As much as I agree with extending sympathy to Trump I fear this will now embolden him in calling for violent “retribution” whether or not he wins the election.
LikeLike
This is horrifying and appalling for our nation. Trump was nearly assassinated on live TV, he was incredibly lucky that he wasn’t killed or seriously wounded. One spectator was shot in the head, killed and a woman was wounded. We have too many insane people with guns and evil intent. We must all condemn this violence, it’s not the way to go; violence begets more violence.
This event will probably get Trump elected.
LikeLike
Correction: All the critically wounded are men, not women.
I would say that the police, Secret Service and FBI dropped the ball on this incident.
It’s a miracle that the crowd didn’t stampede off of the stands; if they had rushed off the stands many more people would have been injured and maybe killed.
LikeLike
Good points. I would not necessarily criticize the law officers, but there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong. One thing is that, for the most part, the disaffection in the country has not aligned itself with a gun toting radical opposition to Trump. Disaffected people seemed to be in his camp. What if the shooter had been crazy enough to think he could kill all the Trump supporters he could? This could have been a very different tragedy.
LikeLike
Terrible that there is so much gun violence.
The latest reporting is that it was a sniper on a building outside the venue. The video on the NYT website was weird — there were rows of people behind Trump and a bunch of bangs. Presumably the bullets that missed Trump will be found somewhere – they seemed to miss everyone in the crowd behind him. (There was a report that an audience member was killed, but no one in the audience behind him looked like they were shot, so not sure if the bystander was killed by the armed security who killed the gunman.
One woman on the right side of the audience behind Trump was holding up her phone presumably to videotape! Couldn’t believe she wouldn’t take a bit more cover if there were bullets flying in that direction from a gunman, so hopefully we will learn a bit more as to what exactly happened.
LikeLike
^^^ Also, I realize the crowd of Trump supporters like to wave their signs, but it was in very bad taste to see a couple Trump supporters in the crowd behind Trump still holding up their “You’re Fired” signs. Really, after a shooting, put those signs away.
LikeLike
Horrific. Trump should be removed to a place of safety for the rest of his life. I would suggest an institution for the criminally insane.
LikeLike
Trump and the GOP are reaping what they have sown.
He’s a despicable man who have cheered for violence against his opponents and defended “very fine people” who happened to be bigots.
He is a bully and a coward. How many more ” assassinations” will he and his campaign stage?
LikeLike
I agree with you, Bob. Watching the scene unfold showed Trump at his usual, fist and the fu** word as he was dragged off the stage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just visited (and subscribed to) Theo’s Art Space. Wow. Your work is breathtakingly beautiful.
LikeLike
Beautiful art works. Jack has found a new career!
LikeLike
Others. Check it out.
Theo’s Art Space (theosart.space)
LikeLike
nice painting. Interesting to me personally since my old Mentor, Barton McCash, wrote the history of Jekel Island some years ago
LikeLike
Thank you, Bob and Diane. It’s a fun hobby that started when I turned 76—all courses are online.
LikeLike
This is the Reichstag fire. Or the killing of vom Rath in Paris in 1938. This may win him the presidency.
i am in grave fear for our country .
LikeLike
That too.
LikeLike
I’m afraid Jan. 6 was basically our Night of the Long Knives.
LikeLike
Seriously, you are saying that Trump allowed himself to be shot in the ear to get sympathy from the public? In the video of the shooting, you could see (if you looked very carefully, multiple times) the spray from the shooting behind Trump’s head and in the direction of the audience, so it was not a fake shooting. His ear was really hit by a bullet. Assassination attempts are not unheard of in this country. One man was killed and 2 others seriously injured from the spray of bullets, not faked. A few millimeters further and Trump would have suffered a head shot.
Sadly this will get Trump the sympathy vote and energize the Trump mob.
LikeLike
We now have an official response from Donald Trump himself. He says in his stable genius way, and I am not making this up, “I was shot with a bullet.”
LikeLike
I want Trump to change his views about gun control. Guns are a menace in this country.
LikeLiked by 1 person
i am not saying this was staged. I AM saying that Trump will use it to demand authoritarian “reforms.” And a good portion of the American public will cheer those “reforms.”
That’s why I referenced the shooting of vom Rath, which led to Kristallnacht. That shooting wasn’t planned, but the Nazis used it to justify their brutality. This shooting wasn’t planned, but you can bet Trump will use that image of him m raising his fist and the “danger” to demand an even more imperial presidency.
And Americas will support it. Because we have not learned from history.
LikeLike
Whoops, sorry, Threatened Out West. I misunderstood your point. You are right, Trump and the right wing will milk this attempted assassination for all it’s worth 24/7, non stop. They are doing it now, as we “speak,” trying to put the Blame on Biden and his supposedly fiery rhetoric. Baloney on that. The Trumpers will get more ugly and more aggressive, it’s a volatile situation.
LikeLike
All good , Joe. Tensions are high right now.
LikeLike
Some bilious thoughts.Biden tried to kill T***p in the Mar-a-Lago raid, according to T***p’s diseased mind. Is Ladbrokes taking bets on how long it will take for him and his minions to blame this incident on Biden?
Of course, the real blame lies with Judge Cannon and the illegitimate Supreme Court. The shooting wouldn’t have happened if T***p were in the federal pen where he belongs.
Anyone who votes for T***p because of this event is———I have no words.
I apologize for my unkindness. Although I wish T***p no physical harm, I am unable to muster a nano-scintilla of sympathy for a person who knew that the mob he incited erected a gallows and chanted, “Hang Mike Pence,” and who did absolutely nothing, except for musing, “Maybe he deserves it.”
LikeLike
Although I wish T***p no physical harm, I am unable to muster a nano-scintilla of sympathy for a person who knew that the mob he incited erected a gallows and chanted, “Hang Mike Pence,” and who did absolutely nothing, except for musing, “Maybe he deserves it.”
My thoughts exactly.
LikeLike
Thoughts and prayers. We truly must do something about mental health in this country!
LikeLike
A man who says he intends to be a dictator, a man who instigated Jan. 6, a man who celebrated the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, a man who said shootings are something we just need to get used to… etc., etc.
Of course, you can’t have a shooting without a gun.
For a long time, I’ve thought people who support Trump are apparently okay with Jan. 6. But I never ever thought I’d see the day where I struggle to even have sympathy for this happening to a former president.
LikeLike
Some pretty disturbing comments in this blog . The rhetoric of lies and saying trunk is a fascist , dictator doesn’t help .Trump was an inch of dying and a civil war starting. Someone died and people here think it’s staged. Thought Trump supporters handled themselves incredibly given the circumstances. Tucker and many truther podcast have spoken that assasiantion in imminent since they can’t take down Trump.
LikeLike
Ms. Right,
With all due respect, Trump did say he intends to be a dictator on day one. Jan. 6 happened, andTrump should have been persona non grata after that.
LikeLike
Trump is a horrible human being and should never be the president BUT I do not wish any violence on him and his attempted assassination is vile, wrong and should never have happened. I repeat, I abhor and condemn any kind of violence against Trump or Biden.
LikeLike
same
LikeLike
I was thinking of other high profile assassinations and attempted assassinations. Four successful presidents’ assassinations. Multiple failed plots. Some near misses. Reagan was probably wounded worse than Garfield, but we knew more about bacteria. Huey Long was killed, perhaps on his way to a presidential victory as was Robert Kennedy. Of course the King assassination comes to mind.
In some ways, it is a wonder this has not happened before. Especially since Trump famously told those checking for guns that people with guns were friendly to him back on Jan 6. He probably does not pay particular attention to the directions the Secret Service gives him. I have not read that he will need a speedy recovery, since he seems to have escaped unscathed. What will take a few moments will be countless conspiracy theories.
LikeLike
I would lay this squarely at the feet of George Soros and CRT and the shade of the dead dictator of Venezuela having planned this in Hillary’s pedo pizza parlor using a hired Gatling gun in space controlled by Marxist shape-shifting reptilians aliens from Alpha Draconis, following directions accidentally left on Hunter’s laptop.
LikeLike
Bob: He really didn’t get shot, and, anyway, it had nothing to do with that noose. CBK
LikeLike
From wikipedia: On October 14, 1912, former saloonkeeper John Schrank (1876–1943) attempted to assassinate former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt while he was campaigning for the presidency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Schrank’s bullet lodged in Roosevelt’s chest after penetrating Roosevelt’s steel eyeglass case and passing through a 50 page thick (single-folded) copy of his speech titled “Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual”, which he was carrying in his jacket pocket. Schrank was immediately disarmed and captured; he might have been lynched had Roosevelt not shouted for Schrank to remain unharmed. Roosevelt assured the crowd he was all right, then ordered police to take charge of Schrank and to make sure no violence was done to him.
As an experienced hunter and anatomist, Roosevelt correctly concluded that since he was not coughing blood, the bullet had not reached his lung; he declined suggestions to go to the hospital immediately. Instead, he delivered his scheduled speech. His opening comments to the gathered crowd were, “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot—but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”[1]
Afterwards, probes and an x-ray showed that the bullet had lodged in Roosevelt’s chest muscle, but did not penetrate the pleura. Since Doctors concluded that it would be less dangerous to leave it in place than to attempt to remove it, Roosevelt carried the bullet with him for the rest of his life.
LikeLike
Fascinating, Joe.
LikeLike
Joe: this was less than a month before Woodrow Wilson beat a split Republican ticket of Roosevelt and Taft to become a minority of the vote president. While it did not win the presidency for old TR, it helped seal him in the historical mind of the country as the bull moose.
LikeLike
They’re going to be milking this one. Case in point:
TimboAbwe66 on Gab: ‘@YargBarkley @SSolek @EthanJenkins @magicmikey @M…’ – Gab Social
LikeLike
Yes, the GOP will use this. They are already blaming Biden for encouraging violence. Projection much?
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the worst possible event for those of us who love this country. Because Trump is now a martyr. And he will play it for all its worth. I wish no harm on Trump, because any harm will further deify Trump to the masses who believe he is God.
LikeLike
One of the news stories says his favorite role is victim/martyr. This allows him to play it to the hilt. I am very upset that he was shot. I don’t want him to be injured or hurt in any way. I want him to lose in a free and fair election.
LikeLike
I want him to lose in a free and fair election and then spend the rest of his life in prison.
LikeLike
I too fear that Trump will play this for all it’s worth, as instinctively did the second he rose to this feet and gave the now infamous fist pump to that crowd, followed by another first pump before being driven off the premise.
Admittedly, a small part of me thought this was an elaborate conspiracy meant to garner sympathy, show his power, appeal to the lowest common demonstrator, etc. but it appears to the real deal, as evidenced by the reporting linked below…
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/politics/photo-appears-to-capture-path-of-bullet-used-in-assassination-attempt.html?smid=url-share
While I appreciate the comparison and see some of actions/speech/policies of Trump and those in his orbit as analogous to those of the Nazis, I personally think that calls comparing this to the Reichstag fire are premature. Which, macabrely, is reassuring. For one, it appears to be a legit attempt on his life, not something that’s been staged. Second, Hitler had been sworn in a chancellor about a month before the fire; fortunately, Trump isn’t the sitting president. He doesn’t any real power…yet. Retribution will come – as he’s routinely said for years since losing the 2020 election, as made clear by the Mandate for Leadership (Project 2025), and now greenlit by the decision of Supreme Court in the Trump vs United Stares immunity case – should he be reelected but he can’t do much at the moment. I can’t imagine would have happened were this attempt made between 2016-2020 when he was head of state.
Because I like to have intel on the plans of the opposition, I sign up to get updates from various Trump-supporting groups. Has anyone received any solicitation emails based on this event? If not, count down from 3,2,1…
LikeLike
Look at how Trump got, SHOT, and he’s still, AGAINST passing a gun control law, because, the NRA is, funding the legislators of the, Republican, Party, and, don’t tell me you can’t see the, ironies in that, and, his, getting shot will, probably, gain him the, “sympathy votes” from those who are still, “undecided”, and I’m sure, that Trump will, make this, ALL about him, as he enjoyed the attention too much.
LikeLike
Thoughts and prayers…
LikeLike
I do not believe this was a stunt.
Sadly, when first reported, I did wonder whether perhaps it was one. That’s where we are.
LikeLike