Donald Trump shooting latest: All eyes turn to Republican National Convention after assassination attempt against former president

Republicans will rally to make everything great, again, with the former president the star after his 'miracle' survival and statement that 'I'm supposed to be dead'; his RNC speech to now focus on national unity.

A Make America Great Again sign ahead of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Picture: Bloomberg

Welcome to The Australian's rolling coverage of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump  at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

• Trump reveals immediate response to assassination attempt, says will call for unity at GOP convention in a 'whole different speech'  
• Joe Biden appeals to Americans to 'take down the temperature' and stand together in wake of Trump shooting
• Donald Trump has landed in Milwaukee ahead of appearing at the Republican National Convention
• Top Secret Service agent says there are 'no plans' to change security measures at the Republican National Convention.
• Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has defended her team's response and will appear before a House committee on July 22.
• Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, used a firearm purchased by his father and explosive devices were found in the car he was driving.

Updates

8:10 pm July 15, 2024

LinkedIn co-founder apologises to Trump over 'martyr' comment

Staff writers

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Picture: Getty Images

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has apologised for wishing Donald Trump was an “actual martyr”, saying he was deplored and saddened by the attempted assassination of the former president.

The Democratic super-donor, in an X post, attempted to clean up the inflammatory remarks he made last week at the Allen & Company Conference in Idaho, where he and fellow tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel reportedly had a falling out due to a “moral issue” involving Mr Trump.

Mr Hoffman and frequent verbal sparring partner Mr Thiel exchanged words about the latter's support for Mr Trump, which resulted in Mr Hoffman firing off the comment: “I wish I had made him an actual martyr.”

Those words were taken out of context in reports, Mr Hoffman insisted in a lengthy tweet posted on X on Sunday (local time) following the attempted assassination of Mr Trump in Pennsylvania, which led to extra scrutiny of his remarks.

“There is no place for political violence in our society. Assassination is not only categorically wrong, but is also the assassination of democracy,” Mr Hoffman wrote.

"It is abhorrent that anyone has tried to assassinate President Trump. Everyone, on all sides of this election, should condemn political violence loudly and publicly.

“This also includes President Trump,” he continued, turning towards a critique of the former president. “Instead of calling the January 6th insurrectionists ‘heroes’ whom he intends to pardon and even hire into government, he should speak out against political violence.”

After that preamble on the news of the moment, Mr Hoffman took to clearing up his Friday remarks.

“A point of clarification on a recent comment of mine that has been reported out of context,” Mr Hoffman said. “At a recent business conference, Peter Thiel said that my lawsuit work against Trump was ‘turning a clown into a martyr.’ In that context, I replied that I wished that Trump would martyr himself – meaning let himself be held accountable – for his assaults on and lies about women.

“Of course I meant nothing about any sort of physical harm or violence, which I categorically deplore,” he added.

– Mohammad Alfares

7:05 pm July 15, 2024

Trump will 'fix, not fight': Congressman Pete Sessions

Staff writers

Veteran Republican Congressman Pete Sessions has labelled the Secret Service's handling of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump as "unacceptable" and "deeply distressing", and expects the former president to adopt a "fix, not fight" tone at this week's Republican National Convention.

Mr Sessions told the BBC's Today program that Trump was "saved by the grace of God".

When asked about Trump's tone at the upcoming Republican convention, where he will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate, Mr Sessions predicted a focus on the need to "change the dialogue" and move forward.

"We've been led down this pathway that it's OK to verbally bludgeon each other," Mr Sessions said.

"I think he should be for fix, not fight."

– Mohammad Alfares

6:49 pm July 15, 2024

King Charles sends private message to Donald Trump

Staff writers

King Charles has written privately to Donald Trump after he survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign event, Buckingham Palace said.

The contents of the letter will not be published, royal officials added.

– The Times

6:35 pm July 15, 2024 Highlight

Trump shooter spotted crawling on roof, video shows

Staff writers

The 20-year-old gunman who shot at Donald Trump during a political rally was spotted by multiple people, including a police officer, moments before the shooting.

New vision has emerged of Thomas Matthew Crooks crawling on top of the roof where he positioned himself to take aim at the former president. The video, which was just under a minute long, was captioned "plenty of time and opportunity to eliminate the threat".

One person can be heard saying "someone is on top of the roof, look, there he is right there, you see him?"

A woman responds "yeah, he's laying down", before calling an officer to investigate.

It has since emerged that a local policeman tried to confront the shooter, who pointed his gun at the officer before firing at the former president.

Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe told CNN that an officer spotted Crooks crawling up the rooftop at a critical moment on Saturday (local time) but could not engage him.

Sheriff Slupe said an officer responding to calls of a suspicious person on the roof had hoisted himself up to see what was happening, but Crooks turned his gun on him.

He said the officer let go of the ledge to save his own life before the gunman opened fire at the crowd, killing one person and grazing Mr Trump's ear.

When asked if the security lapse that led to a gunman having a direct line of sight to Trump was a failure, Sheriff Slupe said it "obviously" was.

– Mohammad Alfares

5:49 pm July 15, 2024

Trump shooter a 'comically bad' shot: classmates

Staff writers

Would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks tried out for his high school's rifle team, but was rejected for being a "terrible" shot and making "off-colour" jokes, according to his former classmates.

Crooks, a registered Republican from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, used an AR-style rifle in his failed attempt to kill former US president Donald Trump.

The 20-year-old allegedly tried out for the rifle team at Bethel Park High School, two former classmates told the New York Post.

"He tried out and was such a comically bad shot, he was unable to make the team and left after the first day," Jameson Murphy told the paper.

Another classmate, who was not named, was reported as saying Crooks "made some crass jokes that weren't appropriate when there are firearms in the school setting".

– Mohammad Alfares

5:14 pm July 15, 2024 Highlight

Republicans rally to make everything just great, again

Adam Creighton

If Make America Great Again has started to grate, don’t tune out of the Republican National Convention, kicking off this week in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

Each day of the four-day Republican political jamboree will revolve around different themes: Make America Wealthy Again on Monday, Safe Again on Tuesday, Strong Again on Wednesday and, perhaps a little repetitive, Make America Great Once Again on the final day on Thursday, when Donald Trump is expected to speak.

Trump’s confirmation as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee is not in doubt this week, after he won 2268 of the nationwide delegate count this year, defeating Nikki Haley, his closest competitor, who managed to amass 97 delegates.

The US presidential nomination process is byzantine. Based on their performance in state-based primaries, candidates win delegates according to various state-determined formulae who are then obliged to vote for that candidate at the party’s convention.

Trump’s remarkable survival at the weekend’s assassination attempt only entrenches his power in a once establishment party that he has in effect controlled since he was first elected in 2016.

But there’s still lots of politics: Trump’s vice-president pick will have significant political and ideological ramifications for any future Trump administration.

The GOP is a very broad church, and the range of potential picks have wildly different views on economics and foreign policy.

If Trump picks MAGA-loyalist senator JD Vance, expect a cry of anguish in Kyiv, given the Ohio Republican’s well-known isolationist tendencies.

If Haley gets the nod, however, expect a sigh of relief in all nations dependent on the US security umbrella.

It will be a family affair too: Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr will speak, along with their wife and fiancee respectively, Lara and Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Melania Trump, notorious for avoiding political events, will be a notable absentee, as are former White House senior advisers Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

Veteran Trump whisperer Steve Bannon would have spoken, but he’s in prison, while former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro is expected to be released from jail just in time to speak.

Expect former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who last year predicted Trump would face an assassination attempt this year, to get a large round of applause from a Republican Party base that increasingly loathes establishment American institutions.

4:15 pm July 15, 2024

Conroy calls for less heated debates in Australia

Staff writers

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy has urged Australians to be more vigilant against "extremism" and called for less heated political debates in light of the failed assassination attempt against former US president Donald Trump.

He refused to speak specifically on the US presidential campaign, but emphasised that the use of dehumanising language against politicians was a key factor in driving extremist behaviours within the community.

This came after the Biden administration pulled back all of its outbound communications, including ads attacking Mr Trump.

"We're seeing more extreme language and unfortunately that extremism often can flow into other impacts," Mr Conroy told Sky News.

"We need to take the heat out of political debate. We're seeing the debate in this country about the Middle East conflict, for example, my own electorate office has been attacked. I had four people wearing balaclavas take the windows in my office with crowbars at four o'clock in the morning.

"I think language that was subjected to Julia Gillard was probably one of the most intense recent examples of that, but you do see it when people are being accused of being complicit in genocide."

– Mohammad Alfares

3:17 pm July 15, 2024

Gunman was a member of local shooting range

Staff writers

Rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was a member of a local shooting club in Pennsylvania called the Clairton Sportsmen's club, which has a rifle range of 200 yards.

The would-be assassin was condemned by the club's attorney Robert Bootay, who said the shooting was a "senseless act of violence".

"Obviously, the club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occured yesterday. The club also offers its sincerest condolences to the Comperatore family and extends prayers to all those injured including the former president," Mr Bootay told CNN. Spectator Corey Comperatore died in the shooting that targeted Donald Trump.

Mr Bootay did not provide any additional information due to an ongoing FBI investigation.

It's not clear when Crooks last used the rifle range.

– Mohammad Alfares

2:01 pm July 15, 2024 Highlight

'I'm supposed to be dead': Trump tells in long chat

Jack Quail

Donald Trump has claimed he is “supposed to be dead” in a lengthy interview with US tabloid The New Post following his attempted assassination which left him with a wounded ear.

“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Mr Trump said, while reportedly donning a bandage over his ear while his staff refused any photos to be taken of the former president.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” he said. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

The presumptive Republican nominee also praised Security Service agents for their response to the shooting, lauding them for neutralising the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crook.

“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” the former president said, reportedly gesturing between his eyes.

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

Responding to the photo taken by AP photographer Evan Vucci which depicts Mr Trump, ear bloodied and swarmed by Secret Service agents while he pumped his fist in the air, he said: “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen”.

“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.”

Recalling his call with Joe Biden, who phoned him in the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Mr Trump said the President was “very nice”.

1:52 pm July 15, 2024

State to honour rally shooter’s victim

Agency writers

Corey Comperatore (pictured with his wife Helen) was killed at the Donald Trump rally. Source – Facebook

The spectator who died in the shooting that targeted Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, Corey Comperatore, was a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two.

“We lost a fellow Pennsylvanian last night, Corey Comperatore,” the state’s Governor, Josh Shapiro, told reporters.
“I just spoke to his wife and his two daughters.”

He said the victim was a churchgoing firefighter and an enthusiastic Trump supporter who “loved his community and most especially … his family’’.

Mr Shapiro called Saturday’s shooting, in which two other spectators were wounded, “shocking, for this Commonwealth (state) and the country”.

The other victims have yet to be identified, though NPR news affiliate WESA quoted hospital officials in Pittsburgh as saying both were local men and both remained in critical condition.

– AFP

Read the full story here.