US - Shots fired at Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania as former president is seen with blood across his face, 13 July 2024

[spunkyunion]

Is it dereliction of duty or DARVO? Both? Was Crooks a martyr, or a pawn?

This isn't making sense.

AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT WAS SHOT TODAY IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. And innocent bystanders were hurt and killed!

This is never ok. With the amount of surveillance we are all under with cell phones and cameras everywhere, this is a never event. It simply shouldn't have happened.

SS should have been on any nearby rooftop - especially those within distance to shoot a president! Every dereliction of duty in not protecting President Trump and the people at the event needs to be examined. Phone calls, texts, etc.

Everyone has an opinion. But those are legit facts.

Presidents receive lifetime security from Secret Service. And this is a special case, where a previous president is running. This should provide for double security as a candidate and what he receives in protection for his lifetime.

We must denounce all violence in the name of democracy. We, The People, deserve a thorough investigation and complete transparency, without rhetoric or bias.

Lets pray for this country. Lets pray for our children who saw the news. Lets pray for President Trump and the families of everyone who was afflicted.

And let us get to the bottom of this. Party lines aside. We need the truth here.

 

[Knox]

We have been watching & reading news & discussing this ever since it happened. MOO follows...

1. The Secret Service should have made an appearance at the presser tonight. Instead the FBI & Pennsylvania LE were the ones there addressing the events & attempting to answer what questions they could. SS messed up big time but it feels like they really, really needed to be at that presser or hold a separate one tonight. Instead, it has been crickets from them.

2. This feels like a massive security failure. Not a small hole where someone found the only vulnerability that existed. It seems like the SS planned poorly, didn't respond to a possible threat (random people trying to point out that there was a guy on the roof with a gun), responded slowly to take the shooter out (he managed to shoot 4 people -- Trump, the man who died, & two others who are in critical condition), & also had serious gaps when trying to "cover" Trump as they made their way from the podium to the vehicle. He was exposed numerous times, there is recording/transcript of them talking when huddled down with him & it seemed like they didn't easily coordinate for a "1, 2, 3, move" type of count.

3. Considering their one job, really, is to protect the person they are in charge of, based on all the things from my previous point, this feels like a massive failure across the board. Imo. Utterly unprofessional, unprepared, and underwhelming to put it mildly.

4. Imo, of all groups, the Secret Service is an elite team. The best. Very, very few make the cut to protect a former President. There is almost an American mythos around this elite team. (Just look at movies & tv too, further burnishing the image of cool professionalism & action.) And today, they have completely blown that mythos away & replaced it with an amateur, unprofessional image that resulted in one person dead, two critically wounded, & a public leader almost assassinated.

I'm sure they also lead security when leaders of other countries come to the US for official visits with the President; if I were a leader from another country, I'd be cancelling any future official trips to the US. I would have zero confidence in the security apparatus surrounding the office of the President & former Presidents.

It just feels like such a massive failure on the part of the Secret Service, from planning, through execution, through evacuation that I don't know how they as an organization will recover. It truly boggles my mind.

MOO.

I’ve seen comments from some saying the level of security at this function wasn’t as high as it would be if he were a POTUS. But Trump is a paat President.

I’d like to see some commentary on formal policies. So because he isn’t A seated President, the radious of security around the event is smaller? I’m really trying to understand the standards of protection.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

“Pennsylvania voter records listed a Thomas Matthew Crooks with the same address and birth date as a registered Republican, though it was not clear from the records when that was put in place.”

Trump rally shooter identified as 20-year-old Pennsylvania man

The FBI identified the shooter, who is dead, as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. A motive was not clear.

www.nbcnews.com

Thanks.

 

[clorenc]

“When reached by CNN late Saturday night, Thomas Matthew Crooks’ father 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.”

I cannot begin to fathom how this will forever impact his family.

How can his father even be talking to the media at all right now? I’d be crawling into a cave and never coming out. I wouldn’t be able to process or cope.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/election-biden-trump-07-13-24/index.html

 

[clorenc]

Side note, watching the video clip play over and over . . . I’m impressed by how many of these Secret Service agents are women. Pretty rad.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812339591669539278

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812341776549581195

 

[spunkyunion]

I’ve seen comments from some saying the level of security at this function wasn’t as high as it would be if he were a POTUS. But Trump is a paat President.

I’d like to see some commentary on formal policies. So because he isn’t A seated President, the radious of security around the event is smaller? I’m really trying to understand the standards of protection.

I can't imagine why he wouldn't have double security! As you stated, ge is not only a candidate but a former president. There's several layers to an onion that's starting to stink. I keep an open mind, but either the Secret Service is useless and corrupt or they were acting on orders. This simply shouldn't have happened if everyone was doing their job.

 

[Seattle1]

Could you post a link for MSM that Crooks is a registered republican?
I have seen a couple of social media comments from individuals but can’t find anything being reported on a news site.

From the same MSM live link below, news reporter stated the shooter's voter registration was Republican but that he financially supported Dem candidates via DNC or ActBlue.

Trump rally shooter identified as 20-year-old Pennsylvania man

The FBI identified the shooter, who is dead, as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. A motive was not clear.

www.nbcnews.com

Pennsylvania voter records listed a Thomas Matthew Crooks with the same address and birth date as a registered Republican, though it was not clear from the records when that was put in place.

 

[Mack the Knife]

Besides,
There were masses of people there.
Innocent people.
American voters.
Why to organise massive rallies if people are not safe there?
Who in their right mind will attend if they could be killed?

You can be killed anywhere, really.

There is an inherent tension between liberty and security and American history especially is rife with struggle to balance the two.

 

[Fidobell]

Thanks to all in US for posts . 8AM here in Scotland . Joining you all in condemnation of this act .

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812287213800919493

 

[vls12345]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812339591669539278

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812341776549581195

I also was stunned that the Secret Service was not at the presser. Definitely shocking. We should not be getting crickets from them at this point. They need to be visible & providing information.

 

[spunkyunion]

From the same MSM live link below, news reporter stated the shooter's voter registration was Republican but that he financially supported Dem candidates via DNC or ActBlue.

Trump rally shooter identified as 20-year-old Pennsylvania man

The FBI identified the shooter, who is dead, as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. A motive was not clear.

www.nbcnews.com

Pennsylvania voter records listed a Thomas Matthew Crooks with the same address and birth date as a registered Republican, though it was not clear from the records when that was very young man who seemingly supported both parties.

 

[clorenc]

There is an inherent tension between liberty and security and American history especially is rife with struggle to balance the two.

+1

 

[Dotta]

.

You can be killed anywhere, really.

There is an inherent tension between liberty and security and American history especially is rife with struggle to balance the two.

Well,
Checking THIS specific ROOF
(opposite the stage)
didn't need knowledge of "history/balance/ struggle".

Simply common sense.

And Respect for those who attended this presidential rally.

And Professionalism.

JMO

 

[spunkyunion]

A very young man who historically supported both parties. How to make a decision like this - to shoot an unarmed man at a political rally? I hope there's more info to come. How disturbing to never understand motive.

 

[clorenc]

How disturbing to never understand motive.

Until some kind of manifesto is discovered, and then it will be, “How was this missed, there were signs all along?”

 

[vls12345]

Well,
Checking THIS specific ROOF
(opposite the stage)
didn't need knowledge of "history/balance/ struggle".

Simply common sense.

I snipped & bolded part of your post.

I think that's what the most stunning piece of this is -- almost anyone would have said that the Secret Service should have ensured that roof/building was secure. Anybody who has ever watched a movie or tv show that depicted the Secret Service or even anything with bodyguards would have easily known that.

The level of incompetence is shocking.

 

[Seattle1]

“When reached by CNN late Saturday night, Thomas Matthew Crooks’ father 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.”

I cannot begin to fathom how this will forever impact his family.

How can his father even be talking to the media at all right now? I’d be crawling into a cave and never coming out. I wouldn’t be able to process or cope.

In rolling NBC live coverage, there was a reporter set up blocks away from the family residence in Bethel Park who said it was the closest they were allowed to set up, and that LE was assembling to execute a search warrant on the shooter's home -- and it was like 3AM!

I agree about the father-- not a burden I'd wish on any mother or father. Nobody raises their child to be an assassin.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/live-blog/trump-biden-rnc-election-live-updates-rcna161404

 

[indicolite22]

The shooter must have known that he would not get out of it alive. Who is ready to give up their life for politics? Nobody sane, IMO.