At approximately 6:02pm (10:02 GMT) on Saturday, Trump was on stage, waving to a cheering crowd and beginning his usual rally speech under the midsummer sun. He was discussing the increase in border crossings by undocumented immigrants under President Joe Biden. “That chart’s a couple of months old,” Trump told the audience, “and if you want to see something really sad, take a look at what happened.”
Then, at around 6:15pm (22:15 GMT), shots rang out—at least five. Trump ducked to the ground as several Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and surrounded him.
A few minutes later, Trump was lifted to his feet and quickly escorted offstage to his motorcade, with blood visible on his right ear and streaked across his cheek. Before being driven away, he could be seen pumping his fists and shouting “Fight!” to the crowd.
According to the US Secret Service, an assailant positioned at an elevated spot outside the rally venue fired multiple shots towards the stage. Authorities swiftly neutralized the shooter, who has since been confirmed dead.
On Truth Social, Trump shared, “A bullet pierced the upper part of my right ear. I instantly knew something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound followed by shots, and then felt the bullet tearing through my skin. There was significant bleeding, and I understood the severity of the situation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
The Trump campaign later announced that he was “doing well” and appeared to have suffered no major injuries. Early on Sunday, the FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination. State voter records indicate that he was a registered Republican. Earlier, the Secret Service reported that agents had shot the suspect dead. One rally attendee was killed, and two other spectators were critically wounded.
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, confirmed that the former president was unharmed. According to CBC News, Trump was discharged from Butler Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania late Saturday following the shooting incident. He then flew to New Jersey, landing at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after midnight. Video footage captured Trump descending from the aircraft’s steps upon arrival at the airport.
Local media reports indicated that he also sent an email to his supporters, reading: “THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM DONALD TRUMP. I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!”
