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Bullet Grazes Trump's Ear, Media Freaks Out

A 20 year-old named Crooks used his father's semi-automatic weapon to take a sniper shot at Donald Trump at a rally last night.

I'm not going to say "too bad he missed" but I wonder what percentage of the public is thinking that today. (In fairness, the shot grazed his ear and a little trickle of blood was seen.)

Interesting that Trump's comments on his website today were all about "the almighty" saving him. Maybe he has found religion and "the almighty" will tell him next that he's better off making money during these last few productive years of his life than he is having a desk in the oval office with nothing to do but twiddle his small thumbs since leaders of countries all over the world think he's a dangerous cartoon of a leader. On the news this morning, one anchor said other countries are "already preparing" for his ascendancy by making self-protecting plans.

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    I, for one, am glad the shooter missed. (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by vml68 on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 11:50:08 AM EST
    I would not want Tr*mp to meet his end so quickly.
    A long life spent in jail would be my preference.

    What boiled my blood was the clip of Tr*mp with his tiny fist in the air saying "Fight" mutiple times, while being propped up/surrounded by Secret Service agents.
    No calls for calm, peace, or concern for the rally attendees, one of whom has died and two are said to be critically injured.

    I expect that (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:06:12 PM EST
    To be the centerpiece of the campaign going forward.

    Parent
    Sure not wasting any time blaming Biden. (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by vml68 on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:26:35 PM EST
    Actually, (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:47:49 PM EST
    it is the fault of the Supreme Court.  If they did not issue that immunity opinion, Trump's sentencing in the NY election interference/porn star hush money case would not have been postponed and Trump would have been safely in jail out of the way of the assassin's AR 15.   How's that for good Republican logic?

    Parent
    Of course they will say this (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:56:52 PM EST
    And of course it's ridiculous on its face.  for the record

    These are all the calls to violence from prominent American presidential candidates in recent years

    Hint
    It's all Trump

    Parent

    The Spectator | July 14, 2024
    Today, We're All MAGA - "We don't know the full details of the shooting yet, but from what can be seen on the video footage, it's clear that the former president is very lucky to be alive. There is only one appropriate response to such horrors. Today, we are all MAGA."

    Why, bless your dust-filled heart, Kate Andrews, but no, we're not.

    Speaking for myself only, I'm very sorry for Saturday's events in Butler, PA. Honestly, as President Biden reiterated in last night's Oval Office address, there should be no place or tolerance for political violence in this country. But when:

    • GOP nominee Donald Trump set in motion and attempted coup d'état against his own government while president in 2020-21, and now promises a bloodbath if he loses once again this time around;
    • MAGA Republicans deliberately mischaracterize their fellow Americans - particularly LGBTQ Americans and people of color - as an enemy, which prompted multiple mass shootings targeting those besieged communities in Charleston, Orlando, Buffalo and El Paso;
    • Trump and Republicans chuckle off the near-deadly assault on the House Speaker's husband as a political punchline and joke;
    • Then-President Trump evoked violent rhetoric and imagery to incite themselves and their fellow MAGAts to sedition, insurrection and a violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol;
    then no Republican, from the presidential nominee on down the ticket and beyond local candidates and convention delegates, has any moral standing to now cloak themselves in the mantle of victimhood, when that violence they sought, welcomed and precipitated with their toxic rhetoric inevitably arrives on their own doorsteps.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It only Monday (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:36:55 PM EST
    :-(

    Parent
    "Ha ha!" we chuckled ruefully. (5.00 / 2) (#58)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:01:23 PM EST
    Future historians will have a veritable field day with the Fourth Estate's repeated and self-documented failures - and in particular, the New York Times - to confront the threat posed to American democracy from the GOP's fascist elements by rising to the occasion and meeting the moment.

    Parent
    Armando (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 02:51:53 PM EST
    says this puts the GOP in a bind. With all the press screaming about "tone it down" the last thing they will should do is American Carnage but American Carnage is exactly what they will do.

    And everyone (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 02:53:26 PM EST
    that brings this up to me I point out that Trump wanted AR15s all over the country. If the GOP really cared about this they would support an assault weapon ban but they really do not care.

    Once again it's the everyday person who pays for Trump's poor decisions this time with their lives.

    No (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by FlJoe on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 03:22:50 PM EST
    they will put on their "sheep's clothing, and the press will let them get away with it, they are already bothsidering the sht out of it


    Parent
    Then we (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 03:46:36 PM EST
    have to continue to push back against the press. We got tough after the debate and are going to have to get there again.

    Parent
    Mark (none / 0) (#20)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 07:55:55 AM EST
    my words, the press will use this to absolve Trump and the Republicans of all there sins....and it will most likely succeed.

    Parent
    Soooo, the shooter was NOT (5.00 / 3) (#12)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 04:52:37 PM EST
    an illegal immigrant,

    LGBTQ,

    non-white,

    female,

    Muslim,

    Jewish.

    Tell me, EXACTLY who is poisoning the blood of our country?

    Also, happy that orange doofus now knows what it feels like to be a school child in America.

    Why would it change anything (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 04:57:18 PM EST
    I don't think the shooting will change a single vote. It might get some people off the couch to vote but that could be bipartisan. Guns are an actual issue in this election before this.

    I was thinking about Bidens borderline tourettes like outburst on guns at the press conference.
    it looks better now

    Parent

    It elevates (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 05:21:27 PM EST
    the gun issue to where it wasn't before and the GOP loses on that issue everytime. Something like 80% of the country supports some sort of gun regulation.

    Parent
    Oh, oh. (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 04:58:11 PM EST
    I left out.

    DEMOCRAT.


    Parent

    Or (none / 0) (#19)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 07:53:08 AM EST
    you you could use the generic term favored by Trump: vermin.

    Parent
    And, (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:48:39 PM EST
    not a drag queen.

    Parent
    This is why (none / 0) (#15)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 05:20:35 PM EST
    I think it doesn't make any difference but it would have an effect if it was any of the above. The GOP will never scream for blood of a white boy. Right now they are flailing around because they have no solution since they will do nothing about the gun problem in this country.

    Parent
    Have Republicans ever had a solution ... (5.00 / 2) (#45)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:30:13 PM EST
    ... for anything that didn't begin and end with tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?

    Parent
    His biggest fan (5.00 / 2) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 04:31:34 PM EST

    Donald Trump's 2016 campaign collected data that identified would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks as a likely MAGA supporter and among those who were avid hunters and enjoyed " gun-related lifestyle indicators."

    According to a report from the U.K.'s Channel 4, "The information was compiled as part of a secretive project aiming to identify millions of gun owners in America who could be targeted with pro-gun rights messages in the lead-up to the 2016 election campaign."

    Crooks was on the list, as were his family members, the report said.

    And this is good

    RNC raffle offers same type of gun that shot Trump as prize



    It's endlessly ironic (5.00 / 2) (#98)
    by jondee on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:15:39 AM EST
    that just as numb nuts was prattling on about all the "criminals coming here," he almost had his head blown off by a homegrown, all-American boy using a weapon that's become almost an unofficial symbol of the GOP.

    MAGA (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:21:01 AM EST
    dont do irony. It's God's plan.

    Parent
    He's the ultimate micromanager (none / 0) (#101)
    by jondee on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:38:37 AM EST
    a very hands-on kinda guy.

    Parent
    Secret Service Director (5.00 / 1) (#107)
    by coast on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 04:44:36 PM EST
    If the current Director and the head agent on site at the event still have their jobs next week, then there is something seriously wrong.

    Some of what we know:
    SS did not man the roof because of the slope.  Again, one of the most absurd and pateintly false statements I've heard.  Just for this, she should be fired.  She is either incompetent or covering her ass, neither are things you want from the head of a protective agency.

    The shooter was identified as a person of interest well before the event due to the fact that he had a range finder.  Then his status was increase to an actual threat about 30 minutes before he shot Trump.

    Its being reported that police officers and possibly SS agents were in the building that the shooter climbed on and shot from.  And that an officer or officers actually saw him looking around the perimeter of the building.

    The Secret Service's work is vital and important.  They protect the President and Vice President and their families, world leaders when visiting, past Presidents, and provide security for specified events.  Its an overwhelming responsibility.  You can not have a failure of this magnitude and have the head of the agency keep their job.  It undermines confidence in the agency and their abilities to protect their protectees.  

    Two great folk musicians lost this week (5.00 / 3) (#114)
    by Peter G on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 04:30:34 PM EST
    Happy Traum, 86, who was the first to record "Blowin' in the Wind," and often collaborated with Dylan as an accompanist and backup singer; longtime stalwart of the Woodstock, NY music community
      and Bernice Johnson Reagon, 81, a founder of SNCC's Freedom Singers and then of Sweet Honey in the Rock.

    Also Bob Newhart, who was very funny in his day. (5.00 / 2) (#115)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 05:14:36 PM EST
    Not to mention Ttump's favorite newsman, who (none / 0) (#116)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 05:16:11 PM EST
    I won't mention.

    Parent
    Another (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 05:31:53 PM EST
    Dobbs decision

    :)

    Parent

    Newhart... (none / 0) (#119)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 05:56:52 PM EST
    Do you ever think about death?

    I think I know what's on the other side, but I'm not sure. Maybe it just ends. Some people think you come back. Maybe I'll come back as Shelley Berman and be pissed off at myself.

    Parent

    Just realized that Happy Traum and (none / 0) (#124)
    by Peter G on Fri Jul 19, 2024 at 04:44:54 PM EST
    Bernice Reagon (as part of the Freedom Singers) recorded together in 1962 as part of the Folkways (now Smithsonian) sampler, "Broadside Ballads, volume 1." Which is also the first album to include Dylan, beating his own debut album by a few months.

    Parent
    Espionage? (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 05:33:23 PM EST
    Former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry, the wife of Washington Post columnist Max Boot, was charged Tuesday with working as an agent for South Korea in allegations that include editorials written for the newspaper.

    Prosecutors claim that, beginning in 2013 and continuing for a decade following, Terry received luxury gifts provided by South Korean intelligence officers in return for her promoting South Korea's policy positions and disclosing nonpublic government information. Prosecutors also allege that Terry wrote opinion pieces at the request of South Korean officials, using information provided by them.

    So, my wife was a spy and I didn't know it?

    Wrote opinion pieces (none / 0) (#120)
    by jondee on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 08:34:24 PM EST
    at the behest of another country, using information provided by them while promoting their policy positions.

    Imagine anyone in the U.S doing that.

    Parent

    this is how you react . . . (1.25 / 4) (#125)
    by The Addams Family on Mon Jul 22, 2024 at 07:42:35 PM EST
     . . . to a near-miss assassination attempt on a presidential candidate?

    unbelievable - but not really

    what a shameless hack you have become

    I thought the post (5.00 / 3) (#126)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Jul 23, 2024 at 12:21:38 PM EST
    was spot on. Excellent observations.

    Parent
    Grow up Jack. (1.00 / 1) (#123)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Jul 19, 2024 at 03:57:12 PM EST
    WAAAAAHHH. Jack Black got his panties in a wad because his partner in Tenacious D, Kyle Gass made a crack that millions of us agree with (in Australia no less). "Don't miss T** next time." Like it or not, those are my exact sentiments on the subject.

    Stop all the hand wringing. Grow a pair. Sometimes fools reap the whirlwind. Orange doofus for instance.

    "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

    Making money (none / 0) (#4)
    by KeysDan on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:32:00 PM EST
    in the last years of his life and being in the Oval Office are one in the same.  It was always about the money.  And, even  another go at it, previously thought necessary to a get-out-of-jail-free card is no longer operational thanks to his pals on the Supreme Court.

    I read that Crooks did not have any ID on him (none / 0) (#5)
    by vml68 on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 12:42:44 PM EST
    and was identified by DNA and Biometrics.
    For those in the know, how would this be possible if Crooks had never had any interaction with law enforcement before this.
    23 and me?

    Trump should have been safe... (none / 0) (#17)
    by desertswine on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 06:49:46 PM EST
    in Guantanamo.

    Hit or miss (none / 0) (#18)
    by BGinCA on Sun Jul 14, 2024 at 07:11:44 PM EST
    Miss:
    Reagan
    Ford
    Trump

    Hit:
    JFK
    RFK
    MLK

    random?

    Something (none / 0) (#21)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 09:00:28 AM EST
    else to brighten your day, Cannon has dismissed documents case.


    Work harder (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 09:45:51 AM EST
    to get rid of Trump. The guy is truly a cancer on our republic.

    Also start laughing because her ruling if upheld would void Hunter Biden's convictions.

    Parent

    Saw this coming. (none / 0) (#22)
    by desertswine on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 09:22:42 AM EST
    Judge Cannon, (none / 0) (#24)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 10:28:14 AM EST
    perhaps with a little help from the Federalist Society, ruled that the Special Counsel, Jack Smith, had not been named to the post by the president or confirmed by the senate in violation of the appointments clause of the Constitution. There is no federal statute governing appointment of a Special Counsel-- operating under authority and control of the Attorney General is a violation of the Constitution's separation of powers.  Hence, case was entirely dismissed.

    By Cannon's lights, the Special Counsel's Russia investigation by Robert Mueller was unlawful, despite being upheld by the DC Court of Appeals.  That ruling, she claimed, was unpersuasive since it just accepted language in the Supreme Court's Nixon case.

    Jack Smith will probably appeal the case to the 11th Circuit/ Supreme Court.  Roberts and his gang have undoubtedly been smarting about that Nixon decision since law school. It is surprising that Cannon did not take the immunity case out for a spin for her dismissal,  conjuring up a case that handling documents is an official act--and he sure handled them.  Or an unofficial act and most of the evidence used in the case involved official acts---maybe the boxes were from White House supplies. Surely that's good enough for this Supreme Court.

    I am of the opinion that all the federal cases will eventually be dismissed, and am girding myself for that abomination. Even the state cases are hanging by their finger nails, in my view.  Hope to be proved very, very wrong.

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#25)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 11:52:16 AM EST
    give up. Going to go buy a Trump flag so I can maybe survive the upcoming pogrom, we are living in  a nightmare.

    Parent
    A (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 11:54:59 AM EST
    stray bullet and a loose cannon on the eve of The Convention of Doom.

    Hell of a way to start off the week.

    Parent

    I could write their demagogic (none / 0) (#28)
    by jondee on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 12:04:06 PM EST
    fascist nonsense for them. You can see it coming:

    "The tried to assassinate him in the courts. They tried to assassinate him in reality. But by sheer will and strength of character and with the help of the Almighty..blah blah"

    Parent

    This is what Smith has been waiting for I expect (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 11:57:45 AM EST
    It allows him to try to have her removed.

    What do you think Peter?

    He can also refile the case in DC.   Which he should have done in the first place.

    Parent

    I (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 12:11:32 PM EST
    wish I could share your optimism, the courts are stuffed with loose cannons from the top down.

    Trump struts into Milwaukee a martyr and victor, preaching his new found "unity" message, the press and the rest of idiot America will buy it and he wins by a landslide.

    It's all over now baby blue.

     

    Parent

    I agree with everything you said except for (none / 0) (#30)
    by vml68 on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 12:49:04 PM EST
    this.

    It's all over now baby blue.

    I am hanging on to a flicker of hope that there are enough people that recognize the threat posed by a second term under Tr*mp.

    Funnily enough, if the sh!t hits the fan, I expect my hardcore, gun owning,  Tr*mp and DeSantis supporting Republican neighbors will be more inclined to protect me (I get along great with them!), than my one Democrat neighbor. We despise each other.
    I still find it hard to wrap my head around, sometimes. It is a strange world!

    Parent

    It's (none / 0) (#31)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 01:07:48 PM EST
     that somedays it feels there is some inexorable force dragging us towards dystopia.

    I mean a nearsighted disaffected loser creeps to within spitting distance and gets off the luckiest/unluckiest shot of all time, that's one whopper of a deux ex machina there.

    Parent

    I know what you mean. (none / 0) (#32)
    by vml68 on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 01:51:33 PM EST
    I don't want to go all Qanon here, but...
    a lot of the reports are claiming that attendees at the rally spotted the shooter crawling around on the roof before the shooting began. Local police got a call about a guy on the roof and responded.
    How did the police/Secret Service snipers not spot him first?

    As far as the election is concerned, I can't believe that the race is even close. Biden has done a lot of good things. Shouldn't we be ahead by 10-20 points atleast? My fear is his age is the albatross around our neck. Tr*mp is almost as old and a raving lunatic but it does not seem to matter.

    The next few months are going to be torture.


    Parent

    I don't believe the race is that close (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:33:19 PM EST
    The polls underestimated Trump's support before and they are overestimating it now.

    Almost every poll that shows Biden 5 points behind also shows other Democrats, senate etc, 5 points ahead.

    There has literally been roughly 10 points difference.

    I do not believe 10% of voters will vote for Tammy Baldwin AND Donald Trump.

    I don't believe polls are getting the advantage of the Dobbs decision for us.

    The sky is not falling.

    Parent

    Politico (none / 0) (#34)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:35:08 PM EST

    The poll shows former President Donald Trump leading Biden in the key battleground state by 6 points, while Baldwin is leading her likely Republican opponent, self-funding businessperson Eric Hovde, by 5 points.



    Parent
    You'll like this: (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:20:13 PM EST
    JD (none / 0) (#35)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:47:08 PM EST
    Vance, VP pick, IMO the scariest choice, everything keeps breaking bad, real bad.

    Parent
    He is the worst possible choice. (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:50:04 PM EST
    He gives Trump nothing.  Not women not swing voters not squat.

    He is a craven lying MAGA white man

    I'm glad he picked Vance.

    It is the best possible pick for us.

    God forbid he strategically picked a woman or a black man.

    Parent

    worst (none / 0) (#38)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:56:53 PM EST
    choice if he were to get in, President Rubio scares me a lot less than JD Suckup. Rubio is a twerp, Vance  sees the con and wants in on it, if they win Trump better be checking his catsup bottles


    Parent
    It is (none / 0) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:01:30 PM EST
    an overconfident choice.

    Parent
    Has (none / 0) (#77)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 06:40:20 PM EST
    Tim Scott called off his wedding?

    Parent
    Probably because (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 08:01:15 AM EST
    the Secret Service was responsible for the area inside the perimeter and the local police were responsible for the area outside the perimeter. That's my guess anyway.

    The agents on the stage with Trump did what they were supposed to when they realized he got hit, they covered him with their bodies, ready to take a bullet for him.

    I don't think we need to enhance his security. I think he needs to tone down his hateful remarks and his name-calling.

    Parent

    Just listening to a discussion about this (none / 0) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 08:50:58 AM EST
    The SS had assigned that building to local police.  But apparently no one told them the roof of the building was the problem because they were inside the building when the shooting started.

    Which is unbelievable.

    Also, about the other SS people doing their job, there's also a lot of talk about how they acted on the stage.  They did NOT block his body.  He was clear for a second shooter basically all the way to the car where they allowed him to stand up and wave again.

    His head was always higher than theirs.  The consensus is that is NOT how it supposed to work.

    I don't care about Trump I hope this has caused a review of Biden SS

    Parent

    Here is (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 09:01:56 AM EST
    I (none / 0) (#82)
    by FlJoe on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 09:47:14 AM EST
    think they were doing the best they could with a difficult subject, they were half ass trying to hold him down while they tried to hustle him out, they kept raising their hands to try and cover his head which appeared to me as a planned tactic.

    The locals must have got their training at Ulvade,
    and maybe his repeated stiffing of the locals on security costs finally caught up with him.


    Parent

    Raising their hands to protect his head? (none / 0) (#83)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 09:51:47 AM EST
    are their hands kevlar.  That's the silliest part.

    The point being made is if they had been doing their jobs it would not matter what he wanted.  He would have been thrown down and covered.

    They F'ed up.

    Parent

    To (none / 0) (#84)
    by FlJoe on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 10:42:41 AM EST
    me it was obvious that were trying to block the line of sight rather than provide armor.

    I am sure they have several different protocols, ranging from stationary dogpile to get out of Dodge
    ASAP.

    Not saying the SS didn't fk up, they seemed a bit slow and indecisive, but part of the get of Dodge gambit relies on the target having enough to keep his head down.

    Parent

    It seems like a no-brainer (none / 0) (#121)
    by jondee on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 08:43:56 PM EST
    From a roof or a window in a high building.

    I remember weeks before JFK was shot, an undercover FBI guy recorded a Bircher-type on tape saying "of course it will be a sniper from an open window."

    Parent

    Joseph Milteer (none / 0) (#122)
    by jondee on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 08:47:40 PM EST
    One other thing (none / 0) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:47:41 PM EST
    You mentioned conspiracy theories.  I can't believe it was a setup. But DA_UM.
    I can't believe Trump would allow himself to be shot at but in the photos all the secret service guys a laughing and smiling.
    Is that part of the training?
    Anyway, my point is I might not believe it and you might not, but a helluva lot of people will and DO believe it.

    It could be a great GOTV.

    Parent

    Has it (5.00 / 2) (#63)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:27:42 PM EST
    Been confirmed that it was a bullet that "grazed" his ear?  have been some reports that shards of glass from the teleprompter cut his ear.

    A bullet from an AR-15 would seem to make him a Vincent Van Gogh twin.  

    Parent

    Reportedly (none / 0) (#66)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:31:28 PM EST
    I believe it was a bullet

    Not glass as had been mentioned.

    But I am not watching news.  That's the last I heard on the subject.

    Parent

    Anything New on Bullet vs Glass? (none / 0) (#102)
    by RickyJim on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:52:20 AM EST
    It is Wednesday afternoon and I still can't find a definitive answer to the question online.

    Parent
    Laughing (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 02:58:35 PM EST
    Yow (none / 0) (#65)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:31:14 PM EST
    that"s real? That's beyond bizarre, I've seen more serious looks on frat boys heading for a panty raid.

    Parent
    Actually (none / 0) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:35:01 PM EST
    Google says it was altered.

    Meh.

    Parent

    It was in my FB feed (none / 0) (#68)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:37:58 PM EST
    Which, real or not, makes my point.

    Parent
    This (none / 0) (#71)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 05:03:29 PM EST
    gave me a chuckle
    "The band at the #RNC has been playing Cheap Trick's 'I Want You to Want Me" for close to 13 minutes now because the teleprompter broke," reported Rob Theakston. "This is absolutely bonkers."
    sounds like mid-range circle of hell to me.

    Also on the play list

    covers of "China Grove" and "Takin' It To The Streets."

    Not mentioned was a special shout out to the SS with "Gimme back my bullets" and then a Cannon salute to Trump with "I fought the law and I won".

    Parent

    Apparently Trump still uses (none / 0) (#74)
    by jondee on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 05:45:36 PM EST
    The Village People as warm-up music.

    His little dance moves at the podium look like the gopher puppet in Caddy Shack.

    Parent

    Usually (none / 0) (#46)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:30:31 PM EST
    SS Agents are stone faced by training, set up was my first thought, lots of things don't add up but the known facts are hard to square with a false flag op.

    A second shooter making the perfect shot? Trump or the SS poking his own ear? In both cases somehow they got a willing dupe to take the fall, then you have to bribe the local or state cops to overlook an obvious shooting spot.

    Might work in a movie, is Oliver Stone stiull working?

    Parent

    Memes are flying (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:40:18 PM EST
    And we know the toothpaste will not go back in the tube

    Parent
    There's conspiracy theories (none / 0) (#61)
    by jondee on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:14:39 PM EST
    about everything these days.
    There's probably one about the toothpaste companies. And fouridation and so on and so forth..

    People online seem to be addicted to them.

    It's more comforting to think everything is under control rather than to acknowledge chaotic randomness and incompetence.

    Parent

    You can literally (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:53:50 PM EST
    Well I got the answer to this question. (none / 0) (#110)
    by vml68 on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 10:34:51 PM EST
    How did the police/Secret Service snipers not spot him first?

    Apparently,the Secret Service snipers spotted Crooks on the roof about 20 minutes before he fired the first shot.

    LINK

    Parent

    Local cops were covering Crooks' building (5.00 / 1) (#111)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 01:18:36 AM EST
    In fact, it was their base of operation. They covered outside the perimeter and Secret Service covered inside. From the ABC News article you linked to:

    In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Cheatle, confirmed that local police were present inside the building at the same time the shooter was on the roof firing at Trump. Cheatle also said that local authorities were tasked with securing that building.

    "In this particular instance, we did share support for that particular site and that the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter," Cheatle said. "And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter."

    From the time Crooks fired his first shot to the gunman being killed was just 26 seconds, according to law enforcement officials. Eleven seconds after the first shot, Secret Service counter snipers acquired their target -- and 15 seconds after that, Crooks was shot dead.

    It was a local cop that from Butler Township that was vaulted onto the roof and encountered Crooks who pointed his firearm at him, which caused him to retreat and go down from the roof.

    The state police say they were working with the Secret Service inside the perimeter and were not working outside the perimeter (in the buildiong where the local police were staging.)

    This is all from the link in your comment, pretty thorough article
    The local cop got off the roof

    Parent

    Two things: In Pennsylvania, at least, if not (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by Peter G on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 09:18:43 AM EST
    throughout the U.S., pointing a firearm at a police officer would not, in my experience, cause the cop to "retreat"; it would cause them to shoot you dead immediately. I don't understand how that detail is being accepted as a sufficient explanation.
      But as for the rooftop counter-snipers, relatedly, they would not be legally permitted (and should not be authorized) to use deadly force just because Crooks was seen to be armed. Until he lifted the rifle and appeared to aim at a target, they could not lawfully shoot him. Which is what they did, within seconds. (That seems to be why Crooks, despite having an AR-15, got off only a handful of shots, rather than dozens.) So, I think the counter-snipers acted precisely correctly.

    Parent
    Yeah, I know. I did read it. (none / 0) (#112)
    by vml68 on Thu Jul 18, 2024 at 07:57:13 AM EST
    When the initial reports came out, it made no sense that rally attendees saw the shooter but the snipers on the roof didn't.

    As the article mentions, the snipers did see him but were also aware that that building was being used as a staging area by local cops. So, they wanted to confirm the identity of the person on the roof before shooting.

    Parent

    Like a David Lynch movie (none / 0) (#43)
    by jondee on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:22:52 PM EST
    Smith must appeal this decision ASAP (5.00 / 3) (#42)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:20:54 PM EST
    to the Eleventh Circuit, which I believe they will do today or tomorrow. I believe the 11th Cir will reverse Judge Cannon, as the argument is really weak. I do not know whether the Supreme Court would take the case; if the Eleventh reverses there will be no "split" (disagreement) among lower courts. On the other hand, there was none on immunity either.
       However, I do not believe the 11th Cir can or will remove Cannon from the case; being consistently and egregiously wrong is not and does not imply the kind of "bias" that warrants recusal or removal.
       I do believe (and have believed from the day that SCOTUS ruled on immunity) that Smith should filed an amended indictment removing all references to acts done during Tr*mp's presidency, and perhaps any reference even to the fact that he ever was President, and narrowing the allegations as to dates of the offenses to charge that the crimes were all committed on and after January 21, 2021. (A federal criminal indictment can be narrowed but not broadened without bringing it back before the grand jury.) However, for the same reason I do not believe the Florida case can be refiled in D.C. The criminal mishandling of classified documents all occurred within the Southern District of Florida, post-presidency, so criminal venue would lie in S.D.Fla., not D.D.C.

    Parent
    What about in New Jersey, Peter? (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:42:45 PM EST
    At least one classified document - the Pentagon's contingency plans for a war with Iran - managed to make its way to Trump's club / residence in Bedminster, where he showed it off to his guests and the conversation was recorded. And if one document migrated north to New Jersey, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that others were taken up there as well. So, serious question: Would that offer sufficient grounds for DOJ Smith to re-file the charges there?

    Parent
    Yes, that is correct (5.00 / 2) (#56)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:56:51 PM EST
    At least one count could be filed in the federal court in New Jersey. I thought of that right after I posted my comment.

    Parent
    Then DOJ should refile the charges ... (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:08:53 PM EST
    ... in New Jersey, D.C. and Florida. "Spread 'em thin and make 'em defend everywhere," as John Wooden used to tell his players at UCLA.

    Parent
    Far be it from me to argue with Peter (none / 0) (#53)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:49:28 PM EST
    But FWIW I have heard several legal bobbleheads including Andrew Weissman say he can refile in DC.

    Weissman also said he didn't really expect that because it might look like judge shopping,

    Jus sayin

    Parent

    There may be some wrinkle in (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:00:04 PM EST
    the venue statutes that I am not aware of (I didn't open a law book before posting my comment) that would allow a filing in the federal court in D.C. No matter how much I may know about federal criminal law and procedure (which is pretty much the only thing a know a lot about), there is always plenty more that I don't know.

    Parent
    I don't agree with much (none / 0) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:06:20 PM EST
    going up at PWire these days but I agree with this

    Here are some initial observations:

    He adds very little electorally to the Republican ticket, but he solidifies Trumpism as the ideology of the Republican party

    He said he would have done what Mike Pence refused to do on January 6, 2021 in throwing out legitimate electoral votes.

    He raised money for the Capitol rioters.

    He called for a criminal investigation into a Washington Post reporter who wrote a critical piece on Trump.

    He called for firing mid-level bureaucrats and replacing them "with our people."

    He would not commit to accepting the results of this year's election, saying he would only do so if it is "free and fair."

    In many ways, he's the perfect running mate for Trump.

    Except that Vance also once declared Trump "unfit for our nation's highest office" and admitted that he did not vote for Trump in 2016.

    In many ways, he's also the easiest running mate for Democrats to attack.



    James David Vance (5.00 / 3) (#47)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:30:54 PM EST
    is among the most loathsome of Republican office holders, but fits right in.  In 2026 Vance called Trump "America's Hitler", which may  have been meant as  a positive assessment.   It is agreed that he is easy to attack...as a recent convert to Catholicism, he seems more Catholic than the Pope.  His anti-abortion position is not likely to win many points with women, and, hopefully, with thinking men.  As is his position on divorce, even abusive or violet marriages.

    His wife, also a Yale law graduate,  clerked for Chief Justice Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh when a Circuit Court judge.  So, more cozy relationships.  Vance's patron is the odious Peter Thiel.

    Parent

    Another sterling example of a Yale Law (5.00 / 4) (#52)
    by Peter G on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:44:15 PM EST
    graduate, along with Hawley, Kavanaugh, Stewart Rhodes, Pat Robertson, Alito and Thomas. On the other hand, there's Cory Booker, Stacey Abrams, Bill & Hillary, Sotomayor, and Robert Reich, etc. And me.

    Parent
    exactly (none / 0) (#49)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:39:51 PM EST
    but he solidifies Trumpism as the ideology of the Republican party
    it was always going to be whitebread, Trump can't afford to walk away from Trumpism in any way shape or form or he loses his "charm".  

    Parent
    This is what I'm talking about (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 03:56:29 PM EST
    I do not buy it

    New polls from YouGov show Donald Trump with small leads among registered voters in every swing state:

    Arizona: Trump 44%, Biden 37%
    Georgia: Trump 44%, Biden 40%
    Michigan: Trump 42%, Biden 40%
    Nevada: Trump 46%, Biden 42%
    North Carolina: Trump 44%, Biden 40%
    Pennsylvania: Trump 43%, Biden 40%
    Wisconsin: Trump 44%, Biden 40%

    Interestingly, the Democratic candidate leads in every Senate race in these states:

    Arizona: Gallego 48%, Lake 41%
    Michigan: Slotkin 48%, Rogers 39%
    Nevada: Rosen 47%, Brown 40%
    Pennsylvania: Casey 50%, McCormick 38%
    Wisconsin: Baldwin 50%, Hovde 43%



    Agreed. (5.00 / 2) (#60)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:13:40 PM EST
    We are not presently living in a ticket-splitting era. The Senate polling may well be the bellwether here - and those current leads by Democratic candidates, I might add, are outside their respective poll's margin of error.

    Parent
    Thank you (none / 0) (#64)
    by Coral on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:28:12 PM EST
    I need a few slight wisps of hope to cling to. The past two weeks have been utterly shattering.

    Parent
    Fortunately (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 04:58:00 PM EST
    the  political malpractice of some Democrats since the not-so-great debate has not resulted in even worse polling.  

    Parent
    What Donald said (none / 0) (#73)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 05:31:45 PM EST
    about ticket splitting is exactly right.  It's really not a thing anymore in general but especially IMO in this election.

    We will win or lose based in a major way on the people voting on reproductive rights.

    >1% will vote for a Dem senator and Donald Trump.

    The polls are wrong,  or maybe they are not wrong but they are asking the wrong questions.


    Parent

    I think you're right. (none / 0) (#104)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 02:33:32 PM EST
    As you noted with Wisconsin, it beggars belief that 5-8% of the electorate would vote for the oh-so-gay-and-liberal Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and then on the very same ballot, vote for her knuckle dragging socio-political antithesis in Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. That simply defies logic and common sense.

    Parent
    The media (yes you, MSNBC) (none / 0) (#72)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 05:20:16 PM EST
    is doing everything they can to normalize the orange doofus since the assassination attempt and garner sympathy for him. Listen dopes, HE IS NOT NORMAL. He was a repugnant subhuman Saturday morning when he awoke, he remains the same today. He does not deserve our sympathy or respect. He has declared there will be a "bloodbath" if he loses. He watched gleefully while Congress was attacked by a violent mob. Frankly, I am surprised this didn't happen a lot sooner. And, BTW, if the so-called "deep state" run by the left really existed, he would already be dead.

    But, you reap what you sow. He has sown the seeds of violence for years. Long before he declared for POTUS. Ask the Central Park Five how that feels.

    And someone explain to me why "the Almighty" would save this lying, thieving POS and yet let the firefighter/first responder in the stand end up dead. There is no "almighty" and your religion is a farce.

    I have a new home screen for (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 05:52:43 PM EST
    Aren't (none / 0) (#76)
    by KeysDan on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 06:38:27 PM EST
    there any gun schools in Pennsylvania?

    Parent
    Trump (none / 0) (#78)
    by FlJoe on Mon Jul 15, 2024 at 06:48:17 PM EST
    kept pointing that way and telling the crowd to look at the arrow? He turned that way again just before the shot rang out. Tin foil time

    Parent
    A devout republican (none / 0) (#85)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 11:01:11 AM EST
    Well that the problem isn't it

    The heartbroken widow of Corey Comperatore, the hero firefighter shot dead by a sniper at a Donald Trump rally, wanted nothing to do with President Biden when he called after the tragedy," the New York Post reports.

    Said Helen Comperatore: "I didn't talk to Biden. I didn't want to talk to him. My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him."



    And in the same interview, tellingly (5.00 / 1) (#86)
    by Peter G on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 11:21:25 AM EST
    noted while President Biden reached out to her to express sympathy (which she sadly declined), Tr*mp unsurprisingly did not call her.

    Parent
    Hard to sell God saved you (5.00 / 2) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 11:52:21 AM EST
    at the expense of one or two others

    Parent
    Head Of Secret Service (none / 0) (#88)
    by coast on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 03:03:51 PM EST
    Its being reported that Kimberly Cheatle, the current head of the Secret Service, blames the slope of the roof as to why no agents were posted on that roof.

    That has to be one of the lamest excuses I've ever heard for the simple fact that the sniper team that took out the shooter was on a similarly sloped roof.  

    How she has not been relieved or tendered her resignation is a mystery to me.

    The slope was of that roof is close (5.00 / 2) (#89)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Jul 16, 2024 at 04:11:24 PM EST
    to the slope of the roof on my house.  The slope is absolutely no problem for being on the roof.

    Where I often watch the city fireworks from.

    I agree with you.

    Also isn't it odd we have heard no explanation of Trump's injury?

    Parent

    Occam's Razor (none / 0) (#91)
    by coast on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 07:10:53 AM EST
    Captain I apply Occam's razor for things like his injury.  There were gun shot.  Two individuals were killed and two injured from gun shots.  There is a picture of a bullet flying past Trumps head.  There has been no other explanation or evidence to support anything other than a gunshot wound. So I don't waste my time or limited brainpower thinking of wild theories on how part of Trump's ear came off.  Maybe it was sharpenal, maybe he channeled his inner pro wrestler Macho (not Nacho) Man Randy Savage and cut himself prior to going out and only opened up the wound at the precise moment a gun was fired, who knows.  All I know is I have better things to do with my time.

    Parent
    Well sure (none / 0) (#92)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 07:56:50 AM EST
    I don't really care that much but it's just odd.  I think normally we would have the injury described in excruciating detail.

    Parent
    The incuriosity (none / 0) (#93)
    by KeysDan on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 09:57:10 AM EST
    of the Media sure is curious. Certainly, President Biden has been "diagnosed" from "Parkinson's of the foot" to being hopped up. However, the ear injury will be important to the investigations now being carried out by Homeland Security and the FBI.  The injury will be important to trajectory and reconstruction of the shooting. And, to other factors that rule out a second shooter.

    The next question is will these investigative reports be made public?

    Parent

    Re: Incuriosity (none / 0) (#105)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 02:53:24 PM EST
    Apparently, nobody in the media bothers to read public documents anymore. Because if they had read the Feb. 28, 2024 report by Dr. Kevin O'Connor on President Biden's annual physical, rather than running around like Chicken Little with the whole "He's got Parkinsons!!" shtick, they'd have learned that the president is suffering from spondylosis, which is osteoarthritis of the spine. That accounts for his gingerly movements. Peter Baker should be ashamed of himself, allowing Parkinson's rumors to dominate an entire news cycle. But then, Peter Baker would have to have a conscience.

    Parent
    Lots (none / 0) (#94)
    by FlJoe on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 10:05:45 AM EST
    of stuff keeps nagging at me, like what was that cheezy billboard/chart that "saved his life"? Look at the red arrow !

    Bunch of other weird Ct stuff that I talk myself down from, but then something else pops up like this

    The first three shots were consistent with alleged weapon A, the next five were consistent with alleged weapon B, and the final "acoustic impulse" was emitted by a possible weapon C,
    Possible weapon C? Acoustic signature? Weird.

    Parent
    Lots (none / 0) (#95)
    by FlJoe on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 10:06:16 AM EST
    of stuff keeps nagging at me, like what was that cheezy billboard/chart that "saved his life"? Look at the red arrow !

    Bunch of other weird Ct stuff that I talk myself down from, but then something else pops up like this

    The first three shots were consistent with alleged weapon A, the next five were consistent with alleged weapon B, and the final "acoustic impulse" was emitted by a possible weapon C,
    Possible weapon C? Acoustic signature? Weird.

    Parent
    Agree that there is (none / 0) (#97)
    by coast on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 10:39:52 AM EST
    a lot of things that need better explanation, including the shots as you point out.  The FBI will provide more details.  They will have everything laid out at some point and then everyone can draw their own conclusions.

    Parent
    I agree with you there. (none / 0) (#96)
    by coast on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 10:35:54 AM EST
    But I also think there is much to say about a clipped ear.  Lot different than if hit in the chest and understand trajectory and organs impacted.

    Parent
    We did find out today (none / 0) (#99)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:18:46 AM EST
    that according to Eric there are no stitches

    Parent
    Sounds like the beginning of a myth: (none / 0) (#103)
    by desertswine on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 11:54:29 AM EST
    The Legend of Trump's Ear.

    Parent
    Maybe democrats (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 03:51:49 PM EST
    should wear Purple Heart bandaids on their ear.

    Parent
    And the nation breaths a sigh of relief (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 04:55:28 PM EST

    Ronny Jackson Examined Trump's Ear
    July 17, 2024 at 5:48 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

    Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) was on Donald Trump's plane on Sunday afternoon, the day after the former president survived an assassination attempt, when he quickly reverted to his role of doctor, the New York Times reports.

    Said Jackson: "The bullet took a little bit off the top of his ear in an area that, just by nature, bleeds like crazy. The dressing's bulked up a bit because you need a bit of absorbent. You don't want to be walking around with bloody gauze on his ear."



    In response (5.00 / 1) (#127)
    by KeysDan on Thu Jul 25, 2024 at 07:20:28 PM EST
    to a question by Rep, Gym Jordan, FBI Director Wray said there is question as to whether Trump's ear was hit by a bullet or shrapnel kicked up by the gun fire.   Which is probably a way of saying, no not a bullet.    This could be cleared up by releasing the medical report from the local hospital where Trump was taken.  Again, my guess is if a bullet, the medical report would be blazoned across the skies.

    It seems odd that that the report of this historic tragedy would not be released, it still was an attempted assassination with death and injury.  Other than lying  comes so natural to Trump and, from their perspective it sounds better.

    Parent

    Gee, like John Wayne. (none / 0) (#109)
    by KeysDan on Wed Jul 17, 2024 at 05:13:33 PM EST
    Just a flesh wound, did not seek medical assistance until the next day.   Very manly.

    Parent