While speaking to supporters at one of his rallies, Trump was reportedly "struck on his right ear, leaving it bleeding" by a bullet that whisked by his head as he spoke to the crowd. The alleged shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, according to the FBI, who was shot and killed by return fire.
After several "pop" sounds were heard through the rally's audio system, Secret Service surrounded Trump and dropped him to the ground. The former president then stood up and did a clenched fist pump while yelling "fight, fight, fight!" in front of the cameras.
Prior to the assassination attempt, Trump's odds of winning the 2024 presidential election were 8/15, meaning 65.2 percent. Post-shooting, Trump's chances of winning increased to 73.3 percent with a 4/11 in betting terms.
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An increasingly divided America
On his Truth Social website, Trump responded to the incident by offering his condolences to the family of the person at his rally who was reported killed by stray gunfire.
"It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country," Trump wrote. "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."
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"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!"
Joe Biden took to X to condemn Crooks for reportedly trying to shoot the former president as he spoke.
"I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania," Biden's X account tweeted. "I'm grateful to hear that he's safe and doing well. I'm praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await information."
"Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."
Crooks is said to be a registered Republican voter in the state of Pennsylvania, though in 2021 he reportedly donated $15 to a left-leaning political action committee (PAC).
"Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt," declared electric vehicle (EV) guru Elon Musk about the incident.
Newsweek spoke to someone named Greg Smith, a Trump supporter who was at the rally, about what he witnessed Crooks doing on the rooftop prior to the shooting incident.
"We noticed the guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away from us," Smith commented. "He had a rifle; we could clearly see a rifle."
"We're pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground, we're like, 'Hey man, there's a guy on the roof with a rifle' ... and the police did not know what was going on."
In the comments, someone lamented how the United States has "devolved into political factions by two parties that each stir the masses into a divisive nation."
"Politicians have no interest in furthering our country, but rather their own personal agenda," this commenter added. "Each side spends their days demeaning the other, finding fault and pointing out differences rather than reminding the nation that we are Americans first ... not a 'party puppet' first."
The latest news about Trump's efforts to secure another presidential term this fall can be found at Trump.news.
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