Another Unbelievable Development in the Trump Assassination Attempt Just Dropped

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It keeps getting worse. As the Secret Service stonewalls the media and elected lawmakers regarding the glaring security breaches at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Fox News is reporting that federal agents knew there was a threat to the former president’s life ten minutes before he took the stage. They still allowed him to proceed with the rally and had identified the shooter an hour before the attack because he was spotted with a rangefinder by authorities. Former President Donald Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt on July 13, where a bullet grazed his right ear, missing a fatal headshot by millimeters.

The agency has been subjected to extreme scrutiny over the glaring security lapses during the attack, specifically how a rooftop with a clear vantage point to the stage, less than 200 yards away, wasn’t secure. There were reportedly sniper teams inside the building when shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire. To add to the incompetence, Secret Service sniper teams had spotted Crooks two minutes before he fired the first shot at the former president.

(Read more from “Another Unbelievable Development in the Trump Assassination Attempt Just Dropped” HERE)

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Insane: Sniper Took Picture of Trump Rally Shooter, Saw Him Use Rangefinder Before Assassination Attempt, Source Says

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A sniper from a local tactical team deployed to assist the U.S. Secret Service at former President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday took a picture of the gunman and saw him looking through a rangefinder minutes before he tried to assassinate the former president, a local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the events told CBS News.

The sniper was one of three snipers, members of local tactical teams, who were stationed inside the building that the shooter used in the attack, the officer said. The operations plan had them stationed inside, looking out windows toward the rally, scanning the crowd. The details about the three snipers were first reported by the local news outlet BeaverCountian.com.

One sniper inside spotted the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, outside and looking up at the roof, observing the building and disappearing, according to the officer who spoke to CBS News. The sniper observed Crooks as he returned to the building, sat down and looked at his phone. At that point, one of the local snipers took a picture of Crooks.

Next, the local sniper observed Crooks looking through a rangefinder, an instrument routinely used by marksmen to determine the distance of a target, and he immediately radioed to the command post, according to the local law enforcement officer. The local sniper also attempted to send the photo of the gunman up the chain of command.

The command post, according to multiple law enforcement officials, served as a central hub to streamline communications between U.S. Secret Service and the local officers from nearby state and county police forces. It is unclear if the command post received the alert. (Read more from “Insane: Sniper Took Picture of Trump Rally Shooter, Saw Him Use Rangefinder Before Assassination Attempt, Source Says” HERE)

RFK Jr Apologizes After Leaked Phone Call in Which Trump Seems to Offer Deal

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The independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr apologized to Donald Trump on Tuesday, after Kennedy’s son posted video and audio of a call between the two men in which Trump made bizarre remarks about vaccines and babies, as well as appearing to offer Kennedy some sort of political deal.

“When President Trump called me I was taping with an in-house videographer,” Kennedy said. “I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.”

The call was apparently made before Trump and Kennedy’s later meeting on Monday at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, reportedly to discuss the possibility of Kennedy endorsing Trump.

The recording was posted online by Kennedy’s son, Bobby Kennedy III, with the message: “I am a firm believer that these sorts of conversations should be had in public. Here’s Trump giving his real opinion to my dad about vaccinating kids – this was the day after the assassination attempt.” . . .

In posting the recording, Bobby Kennedy III also suggested Anthony Fauci, formerly Biden’s chief medical adviser, should be in prison; appeared to suggest his father should have been Trump’s running mate on a “unity ticket” rather than “JD ‘fire all the unvaccinated nurses’ Vance”, the Ohio senator named on Monday; and implied Republicans and Democrats were subordinate to Pfizer, a multinational vaccine producer. (Read more from “RFK Jr Apologizes After Leaked Phone Call in Which Trump Seems to Offer Deal” HERE)

Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks’ Family Includes ‘Hardworking’ Big Sister Who’s ‘Real Friendly’ — as Feds Still Search for Motive

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Details are beginning to trickle out about the family of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks — as federal investigators struggle to determine a clear motive for the attack that shocked the nation. . .

A neighbor of Katie Crooks, Thomas’ sister, described her as a “hardworking” woman who juggled two jobs who moved into their apartment building in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with the help of her brother three years ago.

“The person who helped her, I couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female,” the neighbor told the Post of his initial reaction to Thomas, 20.

“A couple of days later I asked if it was one of her siblings and she said it was her brother. The one who shot Trump… He was real scrawny,” he added.

The neighbor noted that Katie’s father, Matthew Brian Crooks, appeared to be too heavy to help her move and instead opted to drive the moving truck while Thomas helped his sister settle in. (Read more from “Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks’ Family Includes ‘Hardworking’ Big Sister Who’s ‘Real Friendly’ — as Feds Still Search for Motive” HERE)

Notice Anything Different About Trump’s Secret Service Detail?

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Former President Donald Trump walked out at the RNC convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday with a bandaged ear and an all-male Secret Service detail following his attempted assassination on Saturday in Pennsylvania.

The former president walked out surrounded by the “A-Team” of secret service who all happen to be males, presumably following the scrutiny that was put towards their fellow female agents, as seen in a tweet by the account DC Draino.

(Read more from “Notice Anything Different About Trump’s Secret Service Detail?” HERE)

What Many on the Left (And Some on the Right) Are Warning About JD Vance

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The San Francisco Standard. [JD] Vance isn’t just a friend of Silicon Valley’s worst billionaires; he is their creation. Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech investor turned digital defense contractor, enabled his entire political career.

It was Thiel who, in 2017, hired Vance to work at his Mithril Capital firm (Mithril is a metal featured in “The Hobbit”) and later invested heavily in Vance’s fund Narya Capital (Narya is a ring in “The Lord of the Rings”). Thiel then donated more than $15 million to Vance’s Senate campaign and personally escorted Vance to Mar-a-Lago to patch over his former “Never Trump” stance.

Before Thiel announced that he was taking a break from democracy, he introduced Vance to David Sacks, his old PayPal Mafia colleague. Sacks promptly donated $1 million to a pro-Vance Super PAC and hosted a fundraiser for him. Sacks and Vance later worked together to organize Trump’s only San Francisco campaign fundraising event, aimed at nudging the candidate to further embrace and deregulate cryptocurrency. Thiel has reportedly made more than $1.8 billion from Bitcoin and other currencies.

Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Thiel and his cronies have tried to buy an outsize role in Trump’s legislative agenda. After all, it was Thiel who rescued Trump’s 2016 campaign with a $1.25 million donation a week after the “Access Hollywood” tape, in the apparent hope of gaining influence in a future administration. . .

But [JD Vance] is perhaps best known today as co-founder of surveillance tech company Palantir (named after a crystal ball in—what else?—“The Lord of the Rings”). The company makes intelligence-gathering tools for the CIA and the NSA. Even more fun, it builds software that directs drones and artillery strikes to shorten the “kill chain” in war zones around the world.

(Read more from “What Many on the Left (And Some on the Right) Are Warning About Jd Vance” HERE)

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JD Vance Said Dinner With Elite CEOs Fueled His Political Evolution

By Business Insider. A month before former President Donald Trump tapped Sen. JD Vance to be his running mate, the Ohio Republican — and Trump-critic-turned-loyalist — cited a 2018 dinner meeting with CEOs as a turning point in his political evolution.

In an interview with The New York Times published in June, Vance explained a bit about how he came around to Trump and how his politics evolved.

Vance told the outlet that in 2018, he was invited to an event hosted by the Business Roundtable, a nonprofit lobbyist group made up of CEOs. It had been about two years since Vance entered the national stage when his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” — which offered an explanation for the embrace of Trump-like views among the white working class — shot to the top of The New York Times bestseller list.

Vance said he was seated next to a CEO of a major hotel chain at dinner whom he described as a “caricature of a business executive, complaining about how he was forced to pay his workers higher wages.” . . .

Vance told the Times the CEO then turned to him and said, “Well, you understand this as well as anybody. These people just need to get off their asses, come to work and do their job. And now, because we can’t hire immigrants, or as many immigrants, we’ve got to hire these people at higher wages.” (Read more from “JD Vance Said Dinner With Elite CEOs Fueled His Political Evolution” HERE)

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Why Did a Nursing Home Aide Try to Kill Trump? the Unanswered Questions From the Rally Shooting

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In the two days since Donald Trump’s right ear was grazed by a gunman’s bullet at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday, a complete picture of the 20-year-old suspect is yet to emerge publicly—and details of what led up to the stunning event remain unclear.

Thomas Matthew Crooks had no criminal record, no known history of mental illness, and “was not known to the FBI prior to this incident,” the bureau said. The nursing home dietary aide’s family is working with investigators, who say they have not discovered any evidence of Crooks’ involvement with a broader plot, but are still treating the unsuccessful assassination attempt as a potential case of domestic terrorism.

In an email on Monday to The Independent, administrator Marcie Grimm of the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, said, “We are shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement as Thomas performed his job without concern and his background check was clean.”

Crooks, who was shot dead on a rooftop near the rally site by a Secret Service sniper, is a registered Republican who donated $15 to a Democratic voter-turnout group several years ago, public records show. His father, a licensed behavioral therapist, is a Libertarian. His mom, also a behavioral therapist, is a Democrat. Speaking to The Independent, Crooks’ uncle said he had “no idea” what might have inspired his nephew to take up arms against a major presidential candidate.

The FBI, which has primary jurisdiction over the case, has so far received more than 2,000 tips from members of the public, according to Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the bureau’s Pittsburgh Field Office, who said investigators continue to search for answers to the myriad questions that remain. (Read more from “Why Did a Nursing Home Aide Try to Kill Trump? the Unanswered Questions From the Rally Shooting” HERE)

Billionaire Publicly Endorses Trump Following Assassination Attempt

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Billionaire Bill Ackman “formally” endorsed President Trump after his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

More than 19 million people have viewed Ackman’s endorsement post since it went out late Saturday night.

“I came to this decision some time ago as many @X followers have already understood from my supportive posts of Trump and my criticisms of @POTUS Biden,” Ackman said. “The reason why I have not yet formally done so is that I want to explain my thinking in detail and address the arguments put forth by others against Trump.”

Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, said it would take a “long-form post” to explain his thinking. He said he did not have the time “nor felt the urgency” to write the post prior to the shooting that took place at a Trump rally that injured the upper part of Trump’s ear, left one rally attendee dead and two spectators critically injured.

Ackman believes the upcoming presidential election is one of the “most consequential” in his lifetime, and says he has spent a few hours recently with Trump. He asked voters to “keep an open mind.” He said a more detailed post explaining his position will come in the future. (Read more from “Billionaire Publicly Endorses Trump Following Assassination Attempt” HERE)

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Trump Shot; Photo Captures Pic of Bullet; Secret Service Was Warned; Donald Trump’s Response; Some Claim Biden is Responsible; Shooter Identified?

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An assassination attempt occurred Saturday at an outdoor Pennsylvania rally for President Donald Trump. The shooter, positioned on a rooftop outside the venue, opened fire, resulting in a grazing injury to President Trump and the death of a rally attendee.

Here’s a remarkable image of (likely) a another bullet that almost struck President Trump:

According to the Secret Service, the shooter was “neutralized,” but according to other officials, it is unclear whether his death was self-inflicted or at the hands of law enforcement. An eyewitness, however, claims the Secret Service “blew his head off” only after President Trump was shot, and after ignoring repeated warnings that a shooter was on the roof:

Multiple sources, including the Pennsylvania Butler County District Attorney, Richard Goldinger, have confirmed this eyewitness report that the shooter was on a building adjacent to the property, using a rifle to fire from several hundred yards away from President Trump. District Attorney Goldinger also suggested that the dead shooter has yet to be identified because of a chaotic crime scene. He reported to CNN that “it’s really crazy right now.” Assuming the accuracy of the eyewitness report, the trauma to shooter’s head is likely contributing to the difficulty in identifying him (see the update below on the shooter’s alleged identity).

Here’s a video of the apparent shooter firing on Trump:

Here is another video from a rally-goer showing the apparent body of the shooter on the roof of a metal building:

Another rally-goer took a video of Trump supporters yelling, “He’s got a gun, he’s got a gun!!!” before shots rang out. You may access that video on X HERE.

Here’s a video of the Secret Service attempting to engage the shooter:

President Joe Biden, briefed by key security officials, supposedly expressed relief at Trump’s safety. International leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, extended their support and prayers.

In response to the shooting, the New York City Police Department heightened security at Trump Tower and other significant locations. Given Biden’s apparent dementia, Vice President Kamala Harris, returning from a campaign stop, was also briefed on the incident.

The Biden campaign has halted its largely ineffectual TV ads following the shooting, and condemned the violence.

Former President George W. Bush called the attack a “cowardly” act, but went on to commend the Secret Service despite the agency’s obvious failure in keeping President Trump safe. Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, called the agency’s conduct at the rally “an abysmal failure.”

Senator JD Vance, a leading contender for President Trump’s Vice President, places the blame for today’s events squarely on Biden:

Here’s Donald Trump’s statement on the assassination attempt, texted to supporters at 9:45 EST, this evening:

I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.

It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.

I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.

I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.

Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States

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Authorities Claim Shooter was 20-Year Old Pennsylvanian

By Social Links forJoe Marino and Katherine Donlevy. The gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump Saturday was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, sources told The Post.

Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pa., squeezed off shots — one of which grazed Trump in the ear — at an outdoor rally in Butler, just outside Pittsburgh.

Sources said Crooks was planted on a roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds.

He was killed by Secret Service snipers. An AR-style rifle was later recovered. Read more from this story about Trump shot HERE.

And from CNN:

Crooks was registered to vote as a Republican, according to a listing in Pennsylvania’s voter database that matched his name, age, and a Bethel Park address that law enforcement was searching Saturday night and is linked to Crooks in public records. This year’s presidential election would have been the first he was old enough to vote in.

Federal Election Commission records show that a donor listed as Thomas Crooks with the same address gave $15 to a Democratic-aligned political action committee called the Progressive Turnout Project in January 2021.

When reached by CNN late Saturday night, Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, said he was trying to figure out “what the hell is going on” but would “wait until I talk to law enforcement” before speaking about his son.

The shooting: Crooks fired on Trump while perched on a nearby building rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter, before being killed by Secret Service agents, according to law enforcement officials.

He didn’t have any identification on his body, so agents had to “run his DNA and get biometric confirmation,” Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said at a press conference Saturday night before Crooks was named.

Shock Congressional Report Exposes Advertising Cartel’s Role in Silencing Conservative Media

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A recent congressional report has uncovered troubling actions by a powerful advertising cartel, the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which allegedly sought to defund news outlets and platforms. This cartel, controlling 90% of global marketing spending, urged its members to blacklist certain media outlets using a list compiled by a shadowy, government-funded group aimed at guarding against “misinformation.”

The WFA represents 150 of the world’s largest companies, such as ExxonMobil, GM, General Mills, McDonald’s, Visa, SC Johnson, and Walmart, along with 60 ad associations. The House Judiciary Committee’s interim report, released on Wednesday, reveals that the WFA’s Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) initiative was instrumental in suppressing online free speech.

“The extent to which GARM has organized its trade association and coordinates actions that rob consumers of choices is likely illegal under the antitrust laws and threatens fundamental American freedoms,” the Republican-led panel stated in its 39-page report based on internal organizational records. “The information uncovered to date of WFA and GARM’s collusive conduct to demonetize disfavored content is alarming.”

House Republicans have previously investigated how the U.S. government bypassed free speech norms by directly pressuring platforms to censor content through the Biden White House and the Department of Homeland Security. This was often done by funding outside groups that created blacklists of outlets for advertisers to avoid. The new report’s allegations of potential antitrust violations suggest a possible course of action for the Justice Department, particularly if Donald Trump wins back the White House on Nov. 5.

The report links the WFA’s “responsible media” initiative to the taxpayer-funded Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a London-based group that, in 2022, released an ad blacklist targeting 10 news outlets with conservative or libertarian leanings, including The Post, RealClearPolitics, and Reason magazine.

Documents obtained by Congress reveal that even some GARM members doubted the validity of the GDI’s blacklist. One employee described it as “bewildering” that the GDI had labeled The Post as the “at most risk” paper in the USA for disinformation. Despite these concerns, additional documents show that the GDI’s blacklist was still promoted to WFA members as a tool to identify and suppress misinformation and disfavored outlets.

“[W]e do advise that platforms, ad-tech, agencies, use independent fact checkers to weed out mis-and-disinfo from supply chain and ad buys. GDI is one of many — NewsGuard, IFCN, etc,” wrote Rob Rakowitz, the WFA’s initiative lead for the GARM program, in response to the employee’s complaint.

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