Kansas Crimson

Shortly after 6:00 yesterday evening at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a shooter on the roof of a building about 400 feet from the stage appears to have shot eight bullets at the former president and into the crowd. Trump appeared to flinch and reach for his right ear as Secret Service agents crouched over the former president. When the agents got word the shooter was “down,” they lifted Trump to move him out. He asked to get his shoes and then to put them on.

With that apparently accomplished, Trump stood up with blood on his face, exposed to the crowd, and told the agents to wait. He raised his fist in the air in front of an American flag in what instantly became an iconic image. He appeared to yell, “Fight, fight, fight!” to the crowd before being ushered offstage.

Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed. David Dutch, 57, was injured and is hospitalized in stable condition. James Copenhaver, 74, was also injured and is in stable condition.

The FBI has identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service agent. Crooks used an AR-type semiautomatic rifle that apparently belonged to his father. Crooks was wearing a gray Demolition Ranch tee shirt advertising a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts and people interested in explosive devices. The channel has more than 11 million followers. Crooks appears to have been a registered Republican.

Trump said he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” So far, no doctors have briefed the public.

In the confusion immediately after the shooting, MAGA Republicans blamed the Democrats for the violence. “Today is not just some isolated incident,” Ohio senator J.D. Vance, who is in the running to be Trump’s vice presidential pick, posted on social media. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Representative Mike Collins of Georgia called for a Republican district attorney to “immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.” Indeed, he said, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”

Edward Luce of the Financial Times noted, “Almost any criticism of Trump is already being spun by Maga as an incitement to assassinate him. This is an Orwellian attempt to silence what remains of the effort to stop him from regaining power.” Indeed, MAGA Republicans appear to be trying to stop discussion of their extremist plans— which are enormously unpopular— by claiming that such a discussion is polarizing.

The idea that Democratic opposition to authoritarian plans like those outlined in Project 2025 caused violence might convince MAGA Republicans, but it will likely be a hard sell for Americans who remember things like:

•Trump’s own suggestion in 2016 that “Second Amendment people” could solve the problem of Hillary Clinton picking judges; or his 2020 attacks on Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, who became the target of a kidnapping plot; or election workers bombarded with death threats as Trump lied that the 2020 election was stolen;

•the October 2022 post by Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. mocking then–House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul after a home intruder hit him in the head with a hammer; or Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 2022 campaign video in which she promised to “blow away the Democrats’ socialist agenda” as she took aim with a rifle;

•in 2023, House Republicans wearing AR-15 lapel pins on the floor of Congress; Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) saying his wife slept with a loaded gun after he voted against Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) for House speaker; or Republican representatives sending Christmas cards showing the whole family toting guns;

•in 2024, the Kansas Republican Party’s March fundraiser where attendees could donate to kick and punch an effigy of President Joe Biden; or Don Jr.’s reposting an image of Biden bound and gagged in the back of a pickup truck;

•or Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson of North Carolina, who is running for the governorship and who is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention starting tomorrow, saying just two weeks ago: “Some folks need killing! It’s time for somebody to say it.”

Indeed, in March 2024, in Vance’s home state, Trump said: “if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole…country,” and a 2022 campaign ad by Representative Collins himself showed him shooting a rifle at Nancy Pelosi’s “agenda” and at a cardboard rhinoceros he says is a “RINO,” a Republican in Name Only.

Republicans under Trump have increasingly advocated violence as a way to gain power because they know their unpopular positions cannot lead their candidates to victory in free and fair elections. In this moment, when there is still little evidence about yesterday’s tragedy, it appears they are projecting their own behavior onto Biden and the Democrats, blaming them for advocating violence when in fact, Biden and the Democrats have tried hard to enact commonsense gun safety laws and have consistently condemned the violent language and normalizing of political violence by Republicans.

Republicans’ embrace of violence is a hallmark of authoritarian leaders; by definition it undermines democracy. In Nashville, Tennessee, today, neo-Nazis shouting “Hitler was right!” were involved in fights in the streets. Ending that resort to violence, which never advances society and always injures it, is key to restoring the guardrails of democracy.

President Biden spoke to the nation tonight, warning that Americans need to “lower the temperature in our politics and to remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors. We’re friends, coworkers, citizens. And, most importantly, we are fellow Americans. And we must stand together.” He condemned yesterday’s violence, noting that “[a] former president was shot” and “an American citizen killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing…. There is no place in America for this kind of violence or for any violence ever. Period. No exceptions. We can’t allow this violence to be normalized.”

The framers of the Constitution, he said, “created a democracy that gave reason and balance a chance to prevail over brute force. That’s the America we must be, an American democracy where arguments are made in good faith, an American democracy where the rule of law is respected, an American democracy where decency, dignity, fair play aren’t just quaint notions, but living, breathing realities.”

Biden rejected the idea that criticizing the Republicans’ extremism was polarizing. While they can “criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country,” he said, “I’ll continue to speak out strongly for our democracy, stand up for our Constitution and the rule of law, to call for action at the ballot box, not violence on our streets. That’s how democracy should work.”

Biden paused all campaign ads and events after the shooting and told staffers to “refrain from issuing any comments on social media or in public.” Trump is fundraising off the attempt on his life, but he spent the day golfing rather than campaigning.

The Secret Service has launched an investigation of how a shooter could get so close to Trump; Biden has ordered an independent investigation as well. Biden said he has also directed the Secret Service to review the security measures in place for the Republican National Convention, which starts tomorrow in Milwaukee.

Within hours of the shooting, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that “THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY,” saying, “The American people deserve to know the truth.” Although the FBI investigation has barely gotten underway and Congress has no law enforcement power, Johnson promised to have officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI “appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.”

Observers noted that it sounded like MAGA plans to have yet another investigation designed to spread a narrative, in this case, that the so-called “Deep State” was involved in the shooting.

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:31 am

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:03 am

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:30 am

Ah, name-calling. Always the first sign that someone has nothing valid to say and is about to have an aneurism.

Go do some deep breathing. It'll be okay.

Just to clarify, you were absent on these boreds, and came rushing back when the time to spew your run of the mill Trumperisms which revolve around fabricated stories and conspiracies was at a boiling point.

Here is a definition of lunatic:

"a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or uncontrolled manner"

Now let's attribute that to a poster who, after an assassination attempt on his candidate, shows up and tells other posters on the bored to 'feel a chill' and posts extremely inaccurate ( but commonly wielded by his candidate's supporters ) statements such as 'A stolen election, imprisoning everyday Americans for protesting the stolen election, repeatedly trying to illegitimately put Trump in prison...'.

I'd say we certainly check the box of wildly foolish.
Reckless might be a bit of a stretch but it's in that area.
Uncontrolled manner box is checked too.

Sorry I used the word 'fucking' before the word lunatic.
It's probably better if you aren't.

Sorry, but I can't take anyone seriously who sincerely believes that soccer and women's basketball are worth watching, much less talking about. The disconnect from reality is too much.

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:11 am

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:31 am

Yes, the NYT is widely recognized as the paragon of impartiality and objectivity.

If we had just one such source, and it competed with the polar dwelling sources, we would all be better served.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:38 am

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:31 am

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:03 am

Just to clarify, you were absent on these boreds, and came rushing back when the time to spew your run of the mill Trumperisms which revolve around fabricated stories and conspiracies was at a boiling point.

Here is a definition of lunatic:

"a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or uncontrolled manner"

Now let's attribute that to a poster who, after an assassination attempt on his candidate, shows up and tells other posters on the bored to 'feel a chill' and posts extremely inaccurate ( but commonly wielded by his candidate's supporters ) statements such as 'A stolen election, imprisoning everyday Americans for protesting the stolen election, repeatedly trying to illegitimately put Trump in prison...'.

I'd say we certainly check the box of wildly foolish.
Reckless might be a bit of a stretch but it's in that area.
Uncontrolled manner box is checked too.

Sorry I used the word 'fucking' before the word lunatic.
It's probably better if you aren't.

Sorry, but I can't take anyone seriously who sincerely believes that soccer and women's basketball are worth watching, much less talking about. The disconnect from reality is too much.

I feel so bad for your children.
They didn't deserve this.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:50 am Again, to be clear, just to really sink this in, you're posting false information on a bored that I created and run.

A different person would just simply ban you for that.

I called you a lunatic which I think you are if you truly believe the things you are saying.

And then you responded with a comment about soccer and women's basketball - is that not a form of name calling or personal attack?

And finally, I really do feel for your kids with your ideologies on most things. Imagine if you had a daughter who wanted to play soccer and basketball? And then what if she actually read the news and tried to counter some of the things you found on Youtube and X? Good god.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:18 am A. No. You have. You can't stand by unproven information and try to reverse it. The election was not stolen. COVID was not created to control a populous. Reputable news sources that have been around for decades with track records of professional journalism have squashed both these conspiracies. People were imprisoned because they stormed the capital. People aren't allowed to break into the capital. Do you know this? Just wanting to confirm that you know this. Trump was shown to be guilty of hiding how he used funds to silence a porn star he had sex with. A jury of one's peers saw he was guilty. He's a felon. Just want to be sure that you know this.

B. I try to be as objective as possible here. If you spam the boreds like randy has done in the past and ignored warnings and then try to, immediately after an event like that, spread instant lies, you'll have a timeout. If you continue it, you'll be banned like lobster was.

C. Err. Ok. I think you're a lunatic.

D. Yes.

E. So yea, I stand by feeling sorry for your kids. MY DAUGHTER WONT DO SOMETHING EVEN IF SHE HAPPENED TO LIKE IT BECAUSE OF MY ANTIQUATED IDEOLOGY AND FEAR OF MY MASCULINITY.

F. Does he believe the election was stolen and Covid was deep state?

MICHHAWK wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:31 am i don't discuss politics in public. with real people. so my sample size is small. but. every person that i have encountered since this past saturday evening. is bummed that the guy missed.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:50 am A. I provided links. Where are yours?
C. Well of course you do. Most lunatics wouldn't be lunatics if they knew they were lunatics.
F. Holy shit.

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:39 am

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 9:11 am

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:31 am

Yes, the NYT is widely recognized as the paragon of impartiality and objectivity.

If we had just one such source, and it competed with the polar dwelling sources, we would all be better served.

Fact: The last time the NYT endorsed a Republican Presidential candidate was 1956.

A guy named Eisenhower.

That's 68 years, for those keeping score at home.

Perfectly impartial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U ... York_Times

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 8:31 am

ousdahl wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 6:49 am Sunday print edition of the Times

Yes, the NYT is widely recognized as the paragon of impartiality and objectivity, so I'm sure their editorial bored holds itself to the same high standard.

JKLivin wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 11:01 am

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:50 am A. I provided links. Where are yours?
C. Well of course you do. Most lunatics wouldn't be lunatics if they knew they were lunatics.
F. Holy shit.

A.) Your links are the equivalent of North Carolina reporting that they had investigated themselves and found no evidence of wrongdoing. The people who are doing these things own the media outlets that are "investigating" and reporting on them. The conclusion is foregone.

C.) I investigated myself and have determined that my mental health is sound. If you don't accept me as a valid source, you may be a lunatic.

F.) Agreed. She's at the top of my list of people I'm glad I rarely have to speak to.