Attempt to kill President Donald Trump

With photo like this, one can’t just win elections, one makes history with gestures like Trump’s.

Former US President said he was shot in the right ear on Saturday local time at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, the AP reported, citing law enforcement officials.

The suspected shooter is dead and an attendee was killed. Two other attendees are critically injured. Trump's campaign says he is "fine" after being whisked off the stage and was checked out at a local medical facility, according to the media report.

The FBI on Sunday named the "subject involved" as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, US media reported.

A CNN analysis said that "the attempted assassination, which opens a dark new chapter in America's cursed story of political violence, shook a nation already deeply estranged during one of the most tense periods of its modern history."

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted after the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump that Washington encourages fostering of hatred toward its political opponents.

"Two months ago, I paid attention to the fact that the US was literally fostering hatred toward political opponents, as well as provided examples of the American tradition of attempts and assassinations of presidents and presidential candidates," she wrote on her Telegram channel citing her post about the history of attempted assassinations of American politicians, TASS informs.

There was a shooting at a rally of Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The Republican was wounded.

According to recent reports, he is safe, the injury was minor – the bullet pierced his right ear.

The shooter was killed by members of the US Secret Service, which is responsible, in particular, for protecting the top officials of the state.

The Associated Press reported that authorities were investigating the incident as an assassination attempt on Trump.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently running against both former President Trump and President Biden in the 2024 election as an independent candidate, also shared his concern on social media, writing: "Now is the time for every American who loves our country to step back from the division, renounce all violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family."

The United States has experienced an increasing polarization over the years right up to the assassination attempt against former US President Donald Trump, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and political consultant Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik.

"We have seen over the years the growing divisiveness within the country. Just this past week, I saw visceral comments that most likely stoke even more divisiveness," Rasmussen said, adding that such behavior and targeted actions have no place in the US and that " both political parties need to tone down the rhetoric and manage their base."

The expert also suggested that there was a security failure that allowed the gunman to get so close.

"I understand he was on a building which was outside the security zone. However, it was only maybe 150 yards away. Those buildings should have been thoroughly scrubbed and if not guarded by security/secret service they should have had continual observation on them. Moreover, the counter snipers appeared slow to react. In general while the personal security around Trump was good, there was an obvious lap in the supporting security," Rasmussen said.

Some Chinese experts said it is not uncommon for a sitting president, presidential candidate, and other political figure to be the subject of attack, shooting, or assassination throughout American history.

"This indicates that political violence has been a persistent element in American history. On the other hand, the fact that such malicious incidents still occur at political rallies attended by former president, despite security measures, highlights the ongoing rampant gun violence issue in the US and the seeming 'intractability' of the problem," Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.

On the other hand, it underscores that this election is a showdown between the former president and the current president, essentially a clash between two different visions of America. This confrontation further tears apart American society and incites more violent outbursts, Diao said.

Some experts said that this shooting incident is reminiscent of the 1972 shooting of Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace. "The current chaos in the US is somewhat reminiscent of the turmoil from the late 1960s to the early 1970s," Lü Xiang, an expert on American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The expert believes that this incident may strengthen Trump's campaign edge, especially given the image of him with blood coming from his right ear yet still raising his fist while being escorted away by security. "The Republican Party will likely work to portray it as a heroic moment for Trump," said Lü, noting that the Republican Party will emphasize that Trump remained undeterred and will continue to hold rallies.

Top Trump aides said the former president will still attend the Republican convention, which is scheduled to begin on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump is scheduled to formally accept his party's nomination and deliver remarks on Thursday night, according to US media reports.

Global Times also found that a number of Chinese e-commerce platforms were quick to offer T-shirts featuring a photo of Trump at the shooting scene. 

From the look and feel of the attack it appears to be a highly professional attempted assassination. Firing at the head is a mark of a professional shooter, notes Stephen Bryen, a former US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.

Take note of the following eyewitness report: “Shooter was bear crawling across a roof, just outside the venue, with a rifle in his hands. Eyewitness and his friends were screaming at the police and Secret Service for 2 to 3 minutes. No one did anything.”

MSNBC reported that “The shots were fired from outside the venue's security perimeter established by the Secret Service, three senior law enforcement sources said.”

One is reminded of the horrific murder of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Despite a massive coverup, Kennedy was shot in the head, most likely from the Grassy Knoll or near the roadway where his car passed by. The shot was to the front of the head as the Zapruder film clearly shows. It was clearly a professional assassination involving a number of shooters.

Reports say that the Trump shooter operated from a distance, meaning they probably had long range rifles with scopes. I watched videos of the shooting and you can clearly hear the gunfire, but the sound is far from the reviewing stand where Trump stood.

We don’t have any real information on the security at the rally, or how well the perimeter was protected (if at all).

All the recent reports say Trump is likely to win the election. Is this connected with the attempt to kill him? I would think so.

The Secret Service can help the American people by telling everything they know and all that they learn, with complete transparency. I am not so confident this will happen.

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