SPECIAL EDITION: Shots fired at Trump

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Jul 13, 2024 View in browser   By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza Presented by the Coalition to Preserve American Jobs With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine SPECIAL REPORT Tonight we are bringing you a special edition of Playbook with the very latest on the events in Butler, Pennsylvania: A gunman fired shots at the stage where former President DONALD TRUMP was speaking at a rally tonight, according to the U.S. Secret Service. Trump suffered minor injuries to his head, making a vivid gesture of defiance before the Secret Service transported him away from the scene. A rallygoer was killed and two others have been critically wounded, according to the agency’s statement. The shooter is dead and has not been identified. It is the first instance of a president or presidential candidate being physically harmed in an act of violence since President RONALD REAGAN survived an assassinaton attempt in 1981. But political violence has not been entirely alien to us in recent decades. A cascading series of tragic events — from the shooting of then-Rep. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS (D-Ariz.) at a constituent event in 2011 to the shooting of Rep. STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) at a congressional Republican baseball practice in 2017 to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 — has accompanied a steady sharpening of political rhetoric online and off. There will be time to process what this particular event will mean for our politics and culture, and we’ll start doing just that in tomorrow morning’s Playbook. But tonight, we want to be straightforward about exactly what is happening, what we know as journalists and what we still don’t know. Here is where things stand as we know them: Donald Trump ducks for cover surrounded by Secret Service agents. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images WHAT WE KNOW …  On the scene … Multiple shots rang out shortly after 6:15 p.m., only minutes into Trump’s remarks at the Butler Farm Show grounds in rural western Pennsylvania. Trump grabbed his right ear and dropped to the ground as screams could be heard from the crowd. As Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison write, “He remained down for about a minute, surrounded by agents. When he stood back up later, supported by agents, he appeared injured and blood was on his face. The former president gave a fist pump as he was ushered off the stage and whisked away in an SUV.” Among the witnesses was DAVID McCORMICK, the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, who was seated in the front row and described the scene to POLITICO: “All the sudden shots started to crack, someone behind me appears to have been shot. … There’s lots of blood, and then the Secret Service were all over President Trump.” Secret Service spokesman ANTHONY GUGLIELMI confirmed in a statement that “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.” Secret Service personnel, he said, “neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased.” Authorities have not identified the shooter or the deceased and injured victims. Citing “law enforcement officials,” the AP reports that the shooting is being investigated as an “attempted assassination of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee.” Per NYT: An “AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle” was recovered “from a deceased white male they believe was the gunman at the scene, according to two law enforcement officials.” Federal authorities are “running an emergency trace on the weapon using its national firearms purchasing database.” The reactions … Trump posted to his Truth Social account less than three hours after the shooting, thanking law enforcement and extending condolences to the rally goers who were shot. “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,” Trump added. “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!” President JOE BIDEN, who was at his Delaware beach home for the weekend, was in Saturday mass as the shooting took place. He was briefed on the situation after, released a statement later in the evening and then offered brief on-camera remarks. “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” he said. “It’s sick. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.” Asked one question — about whether this was an assassination attempt — he said, “I have an opinion but I don’t have any facts. So I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make any more comments.” More from Elena Schneider and Myah Ward The White House said tonight that Biden and Trump have spoken, albeit with no details of what they discussed. Biden returned to the White House tonight, where tomorrow morning “he will receive an updated briefing from homeland security and law enforcement officials.”   A message from the Coalition to Preserve American Jobs: The National Taxpayer Advocate recently called out IRS for slow rolling Employee Retention Credit processing, “The IRS’ delay in processing these legitimate claims is hurting the very businesses for whom Congress created the ERC.” Small businesses relied on the government’s word when they kept employees on payroll during the pandemic. The IRS is failing to do its part, resulting in a backlog of 1.4 million claims. Urge IRS to lift the moratorium and process the backlog of ERC claims.   WHAT WE DON’T KNOW … How could this have happened? According to early images of the rally scene shared by various media outlets, the alleged shooter was able to climb a roof and fire a rifle at Trump from a building only about 400 feet away from the stage — well within the range of any trained marksman. Expect the Secret Service to face immediate and pointed questions about how a gunman was able to move so close to a protectee. Speaker MIKE JOHNSON said on social media the House will have “Secret Service Director KIMBERLY CHEATLE and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP.” What investigations will ensue? AG MERRICK GARLAND said in a statement that the Justice Department would “bring every available resource to bear to this investigation.” The FBI will be taking the lead role in the probe, per a Bureau statement. “My heart is with the former President, those injured, and the family of the spectator killed in this horrific attack,” he added. “We will not tolerate violence of any kind, and violence like this is an attack on our democracy.” The probes will not end there: The chairs of the House Oversight and Homeland Security committees are already saying they intend to investigate what happened. Who was the shooter and what was the motive? Expect law enforcement officials to focus immediately on identifying who pulled the trigger and why. That may be a more complicated task than it might seem, potentially involving forensic methods to identify both the shooter and the provenance of his gun.   A message from the Coalition to Preserve American Jobs:   OTHER NOTABLE REACTIONS … Speaker Johnson: “I have been briefed by law enforcement and am continuing to monitor the developments. This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in this country and should be unanimously and forcefully condemned.” Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER: “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country.” Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL: “Tonight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement.” House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES: “My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump. I am thankful for the decisive law enforcement response. America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.” Former President BARACK OBAMA: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.” HILL DEMOCRATS … “Dems U-turn on Trump criticism following rally shooting,” by Sarah Ferris and Daniella Diaz: “The shooting has effectively silenced Democrats’ political attacks. It could mark a U-turn from the last couple of weeks, when hammering Trump as an existential threat seemed to be the only thing uniting the party amid questions about President Joe Biden’s electability.” HILL REPUBLICANS …  “‘He just won the election’: Hill Republicans predict Trump rally shooting will ease path to White House,” by Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney: “Congressional Republicans already believed Donald Trump was headed back to the White House. Some of them think the Saturday night rally shooting has made his path even easier. ‘President Trump survives this attack — he just won the election,’ Rep. DERRICK VAN ORDEN (R-Wis.) told POLITICO in a brief interview shortly after the shooting.” WORLD LEADERS …  “Prayers for Trump pour in from world leaders after shooting,” by Miles J. Herszenhorn: “Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBÁN and Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU — some of Trump’s closest friends on the international stage — were two of the first world leaders to offer prayers for the former president and condemn the fatal shooting at his campaign rally. … Other leaders, like new British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER and Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU denounced all forms of political violence.“ THE PHOTOS … Trump raises his fist surrounded by Secret Service agents after being shot at during the rally. | Evan Vucci/AP We would be remiss to not highlight some of the remarkable images taken this evening — particularly the shots from the AP’s Evan Vucci showing a wounded Trump thrusting his fist into the air. Those photos quickly went viral among Trump supporters — including congressional Republicans and some of those vying to be his running mate. Among those who shared the images, Kierra Frazier and Miles Herszenhorn note, were Trump’s son DONALD TRUMP JR., Rep. MATT GAETZ (Fla.) and two of the senators on Trump’s VP shortlist, MARCO RUBIO (Fla.) and J.D. VANCE (Ohio). TRITA PARSI, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, called the photo the “defining image of the 2024 elections.” Another incredible image, from NYT’s Doug Mills, appears to show a bullet cutting through the air near Trump’s head. Twitter screenshot Trump leaves the stage with his ear wounded and covered in blood. | Gene J. Puskar/AP Click through: “Photos from the scene as shots were fired at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania” Secret Service escorts Trump off the stage. | Scott Goldsmith for POLITICO Trump continues gesturing to the crowd as he is placed inside a protective vehicle by Secret Service. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images People take cover after the shots were fired. | Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP We wish you a good and somber Saturday evening. Thanks for reading Playbook, and look for us in your inbox with the very latest tomorrow morning. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.   A message from the Coalition to Preserve American Jobs: The National Taxpayer Advocate recently called out IRS for slow rolling Employee Retention Credit processing, “The IRS’ delay in processing these legitimate claims is hurting the very businesses for whom Congress created the ERC.” Small businesses relied on the government’s word when they sacrificed to keep employees on payroll during the pandemic. They counted on the government to help make them whole – as they were promised. Now, years later, the IRS is unilaterally holding up ERC processing and payment of hundreds of thousands of valid claims. Small businesses are suffering and there’s no end in sight to a nearly one year long moratorium. The state of our economy is challenging enough without government agencies reneging on their obligations to America’s job creators. Urge the IRS to lift the moratorium and process the backlog of ERC claims immediately.     Follow us on Twitter Rachael Bade @rachaelmbade Eugene Daniels @EugeneDaniels2 Ryan Lizza @RyanLizza   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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