Trump Targeted In Failed Assassination Attempt At Pennsylvania Rally

[Updated]  Secret Service Director Cheatle Resigns Under Public Pressure In Wake Of Trump Assassination Attempt

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday, just a day after facing bipartisan grilling during testimony before the House Oversight Committee, and over a week after a the attempted assassination of Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

In a letter she sent the Secret Service Tuesday morning, Cheatle wrote in part, "To the Men and Women of the U.S. Secret Service, The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission."

The outgoing Director said that the "scrutiny" over the last week "has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases." 

"As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse," she wrote.

House Republicans, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, had been calling on Cheatle to resign, calling her and the agency under her watch "the face of incompetence."

Trump’s security detail reportedly asked for additional resources from the Secret Service, repeatedly, but those requests were not met by the Biden administration. The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general has opened an investigation into the Secret Service's handling of security for the Trump rally on July 13.

"It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign," Comer said during the hearing. "The safety of Secret Service protectees is not based on their political affiliation. And the bottom line is that under Director Cheatle’s leadership, we question whether anyone is safe."

However President Biden did not fire Cheatle, and said he is "grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service," and that he will appoint a new director soon.

Cheatle said, though, that the "incident does not define us." 

"We remain an organization based on integrity and staffed by individuals of exceptional dedication and talent," she wrote, adding that the agency "will move forward with our investigatory and protective mission in a steadfast manner." 

"We do not retreat from challenge," she wrote. "However, I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission." 

Cheatle said that when she got the call asking whether she would return to the Secret Service after her brief retirement from the agency, she said she "did not hesitate."

However "In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director," Cheatle wrote.

Cheatle admitted under oath during Monday's hearing, that the Secret Service "on July 13th, we failed."

"As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency," she said. "We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again." 

Cheatle added: "Our agents, officers and support personnel understand that every day we are expected to sacrifice our lives to execute a no fail mission."

The Director's initial explanation of why there was such a significant security lapse that led to the near assassination of Trump included details about the roof Crooks was perched upon.

"That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point," Cheatle said last week. "And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside."

During Monday's hearing, Cheatle said the Secret Service is "still looking into the advanced process and the decision made" as to why an agent wasn't positioned on top of the roof from where Crooks fired at Trump.

"The building was outside of the perimeter on the day of the visit," the Director said. "But again, that is one of the things that during the investigation, we want to take a look at and determine whether or not other decisions should have been made."

She added that "I'm not going to get into the specifics of the numbers of personnel that we had there, but we feel that there was a sufficient number of agents assigned" to the event.

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[Update]  Corey Comperatore Died Shielding Wife And Daughter With His Body, During Failed Assassination Attempt On Trump By A Far-left Biden Supporter

Photos were shared on social media of Corey Comperatore, 50, the man who was killed during a failed assassination attempt by a Pennsylvanian man on Trump at a rally in Butler, on July 13. As his last heroic act, the former fireman reportedly used his body to shield his wife and daughter during the mayhem and sacrificed his life.

Comperatore's daughter Allyson took to social media to leave a heart-felt message. "...What was supposed to be an exciting day that we had all looked forward to (ESPECIALLY my dad), turned into the most traumatizing experiences someone could imagine."

His sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, wrote in a Facebook post that Corey "was a hero that shielded his daughters."

"His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable," Dawn Comperatore Schafer wrote. "My baby brother just turned 50 and had so much life left to experience. Hatred has no limits and love has no bounds. Pray for my sister-in-law, nieces, my mother, sister, me and his nieces and nephews as this feels like a terrible nightmare but we know it is our painful reality."

Two other people injured during Saturday's shooting are reportedly in critical but stable condition.

Reacting to Saturday's incident, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X, "I am appalled by the shocking scenes at President Trump's rally and we send him and his family our best wishes. Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack."

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Former President Donald Trump was shot in an apparent failed assassination attempt, as he was speaking during a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show grounds, in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two attendees were critically injured, one killed, and the assassin, Thomas Matthews Crooks, 20, was shot dead on an elevated roof overseeing the stage on which the former president was speaking.

Trump had just begun to fire up the crowd when as many as 7 shots were heard. "And then the worst president in the history of our country took over. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]. And, you know, that's a little bit old, that chart... that chart's a couple of months old. And if you want to really see something that sad, take a look at what happened over..." the former president said before the gunfire rang out, and he went down, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

Shooter In Attempted Trump Assassination, Had Explosives In His Car And Home

Crooks, a Bethel Park, Butler man of Scottish Jewish root opened fire with a rifle about 130 meters from the stage where Trump was speaking.

Local law enforcement reportedly alerted the Secret Service earlier about Crooks suspicious movement. And other eyewitnesses reported suspicions about him. Explosive devices were later discovered at the shooter's vehicle at a park near the rally location, and at his house.

A video, filmed from the audience, shows Trump on stage speaking. Within a few seconds someone can be heard shouting: “He’s got a gun!” Another shouted, "he's on the roof!"

A voice could be heard advising others not to go near the building on which the shooter is situated.

Within seconds it’s evident that the shooter had been neutralized. “He’s dead. I just seen his hair go up. They shot him in the head,” someone says.

As they led him away, with what appeared to be blood on his cheek and his right ear, Trump was heard telling his security team, "let me get my shoes," as they brought him to his feet and hustled him off-stage. The former president, bleeding, then raised his arms defiantly chanting "fight, fight" to the crowd as they erupted in chants of "USA USA."

The former president escaped death by mere milimeters by turning his head while he was speaking, as the bullet grazed his cheek near the right ear.

An eyewitness told BBC that he saw the shooter on the elevated roof, and unsuccessfully tried to warn Secret Service agents and police officers standing yards away.

The U.S. Secret Services said in a press release, that the suspected shooter fired from an "elevated position" and killed at least one person and "critically injured" 2 others.

Commenting on the incident later in a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "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," he said. "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!"

Former First Lady Melania Trump Says She Looked On In Horror As Assassin Tried To Take Out Her Husband Trump

Trump's wife and former First lady Melania Trump said in statement posted on X, that the shooter was "a monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine" who attempted to "ring out Donald's passion -- his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration."

Melania said she looked on in horror as the shooter allegedly tried to take out her husband during the event. "When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change," she wrote, adding that her husband is a generous and caring man.

She paid tribute to Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who "risked their own lives" to protect her husband, and honored the victims, including one person who was fatally struck. 

"To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me."

Melania said that America is a unique nation and that courage and common sense must ascend and "bring us back together as one."

"I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans," she wrote. "Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now."

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, that they have "implemented protective measures."

"An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania," Guglielmi said. "The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available."

Trump's communication director, Steven Cheung, said: "President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility."

In a statement, President Biden said that he has been briefed on the incident: "I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. 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 further 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."

Trump, 78, has since been released from the hospital after surviving the assassination attempt, and he's arrived at his New Jersey residence. He has reportedly spoke with Biden by phone.

Responding to appeals by some of his X followers to beef up his own security, Tesla CEO  Elon Musk revealed recent attempts on his life "Dangerous times ahead," he wrote. "Two people (separate occasions) have already tried to kill me in the past 8 months. They were arrested with guns about 20 mins drive from Tesla HQ in Texas."

The SpaceX chief also called for the firing of woke Secret Service chief Kim Cheatle who had on several occassion reportedly refused to allocate more security personnel to Trump.