Important Takeaways:
- Text messages revealed that law enforcement responsible for monitoring former President Trump’s Pennsylvania rally spotted his would-be assassin and flagged him to colleagues as suspicious at least 90 minutes before he opened fire.
- The messages, obtained by Fox News Digital from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who obtained them from Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, showed that officers flagged 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks after he was spotted using a range finder – but did not approach him.
- The first screenshot is a group chat of Beaver ESU officers, while the second is from one Beaver County sniper departing his shift at around 4:30 – approximately an hour-and-a-half before Trump took the stage. The New York Times first reported the text screenshots.
- In a group chat, around 4:36 p.m., when one of the officers texted that his shift was ending, he warned that a man, later identified as Crooks, had parked nearby their vehicle.
- “Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” the text from an officer read.
- A follow-up message said that Crooks was about 50 yards from the rally’s exit, sitting at a picnic table.
- Two other counter-snipers responded with a thumbs up emoji and responded, writing, “Roger that.”
- Approximately 45 minutes later, at 5:10 p.m., officers flagged that Crooks was on the move and had positioned himself near the American Glass International (AGR) building. Crooks would later perch himself on top of the AGR building to target the former president.
- While Crooks waited, an officer snapped a picture of the 20-year-old suspect.
- “Kid learning around building we are in,” an officer wrote in a text message, along with an image of Crooks. “AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out.”
- “I lost sight of him,” the officer added.
- A follow-up message said: “Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out.”
- By 6:11 p.m., approximately 1 hour after the last text message was sent, the “kid” would be killed by a counter-sniper after he opened fired on the rally goers.
- Trump was grazed by a bullet on his ear, while three rallygoers were also shot, including Corey Comperatore, 50, who was killed protecting his family from danger.
- David Dutch and James Copenhaver were injured after being shot at the rally. Copenhaver was recently released from the hospital on Friday.
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Important Takeaways:
- State Sen. George Lang was one of the warm-up speakers at a Trump campaign rally Monday, where vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance spoke solo for the 2024 GOP ticket for the first time. The rally was held in the suburb of Middletown, Ohio, where Vance grew up — just days after a Republican National Convention…
- Lang…Used his time…to warn of violence that could tear America apart.
- Lang, who represents nearby Hamilton, Ohio, took the stage shouting Trump’s post-shooting battle cry, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” And Lang insisted that America is in a “fight for the soul of our nation” and for “our kids and our grandkids.”
- “I believe wholeheartedly that Donald Trump and Butler County’s J.D. Vance are the last chance to save our country, politically,” Lang said. “I’m afraid that if we lose this one, it’s gonna take a civil war to save this country.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Four people, who spoke to the Washington Post “on the condition of anonymity,” explained that agents on Trump’s security detail had reportedly asked to be given additional agents and “snipers and specialty teams” for outdoor events or large public gatherings that the former president would attend, as well as equipment such as magnetometers.
- A magnetometer is described as being a “device used to detect magnetic fields” that is used to screen people entering “public events, airports, and government buildings,” according to NorthJersey.com.
- The sources told the outlet that “senior officials” within the Secret Service reportedly cited having a “lack of resources” due to denials of the requests.
- The outlet noted that after the Secret Service had previously denied “turning down requests” to provide Trump with “additional security,” they are “now acknowledging some may have been rejected”:
- The Secret Service, after initially denying turning down requests for additional security, is now acknowledging some may have been rejected. The revelation comes as agency veterans say the organization has been forced to make difficult decisions amid competing demands, a growing list of protectees and limited funding.
- Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle revealed in an interview with ABC News, that there had been no agents on the roof that Crooks was on because of the “safety factor” of placing someone on a “sloped roof.”
- During a recent Secret Service briefing with senators, it was revealed that Crooks had been identified as being a “threat” by the agency 10 minutes prior to Trump taking the stage.
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Important Takeaways:
- Doug Schoen said in his Opinion for Fox News:
- I may be a Democrat, but I’m also a clear-eyed political analyst. Donald Trump clearly rose to the occasion with his RNC speech.
- Donald Trump may well have sealed the outcome of the 2024 election with a performance on Thursday night in Milwaukee that has largely been unmatched in recent American political history.
- Trump was able to hit on key messages when speaking about topics like inflation, and especially immigration, in ways that were compelling and arguably responsive to the fundamental concerns of Americans.
- I say this not to engage in hyperbole, as I have never been – and am not now – a Trump supporter. But as a political analyst, you have to acknowledge reality. And the reality of this speech was simple: Trump spoke of the American Dream, he spoke of bringing people together, he spoke of helping African-Americans, Hispanics and those who have been left behind.
- In short, Trump did something he has virtually never done before: speak to all the American people. As he said, he wanted to speak not to 50 percent but to 100 percent of the American people.
- Trump was able to compellingly crystallize the challenges the American people have with the current administration and offer a degree of reassurance that things would be different under his leadership.
- …the entire speech and its production made Trump much more likable and much more sympathetic than he’s ever been before.
- As an American, I’m pleased, indeed proud, that the Republicans explicitly – and, I think, for the first time – are seeking to unify the entire country and put aside the bitterness and resentment that has so frequently been evident.
Please read his full Fox News Opinion article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- Leaders from across Europe expressed support for Ukraine and concern about the direction of the United States on Thursday at a security-focused summit clouded by worries about whether the U.S. will remain a reliable ally if Donald Trump wins a second presidency
- Newly elected U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed around 45 heads of government to a grandiose English country mansion to discuss migration, energy security and the threat from Russia as he seeks to restore relations between the U.K. and its European Union neighbors four years after their acrimonious divorce.
- Starmer said that the U.K. plans to take a more active role on the world stage, especially when it comes to Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion and to people-smuggling gangs organizing irregular migration.
- Trump’s skepticism about NATO has long worried U.S. allies. Trump’s choice of Sen. JD Vance, an opponent of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, as vice presidential running mate has heightened concerns.
- Hungary’s pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said a Trump victory would be “the best news for everybody, because he’s a man of the people.”
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to reject the establishment of a Palestinian state, reflecting the deepening decline in support for a two-state solution among wider Israeli society.
- The vote could signal that Israeli lawmakers have confidence that “the next president is going to be Donald Trump,” one analyst said.
- The vote came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to the United States to address a joint session of Congress and meet with President Joe Biden
- Israel has faced growing pressure to present a clear plan for what happens when the war comes to an end, with Israeli opposition to a two-state solution complicating paths to a viable diplomatic resolution.
- Addressing the Knesset on Wednesday, Netanyahu defended his handling of the war in Gaza, saying Israeli forces had been effective in putting Hamas “under pressure” amid negotiations for a cease-fire deal that would bring an end to fighting in Gaza and see hostages who remain held by Hamas in the enclave released.
Read the original article by clicking here.
Important Takeaways:
- For Donald J. Trump’s most devoted supporters, the bullet that nicked his ear and came within inches of ending his life was only further proof that a higher power is looking out for him.
- “I don’t see this as luck,” said the Rev. Nathaniel Thomas, a Republican National Convention delegate and a pastor from the Washington, D.C., area. “I see this as God’s protection.”
- “Something’s got to be at play,” said Michael Thompson, the Republican chairman in Lee County, Fla., while looking toward the sky as if to invoke the heavens. “I don’t think the average person could withstand a tenth of what he has gone through. So yeah, I think he’s probably chosen at the right time in our country’s history.”
- “The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount,” Mr. Trump said. “If I only half-turn, it hits the back of the brain. The other way goes right through. And because the sign was high, I’m looking up. The chances of my making a perfect turn are probably one tenth of 1 percent, so I’m not supposed to be here.”
- On his social media website, Mr. Trump said, “it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
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Important Takeaways:
- The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents trial dismissed the case against the former president Monday on the grounds that the appointment of and funding for special counsel Jack Smith was illegal.
- U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, said in her 93-page decision that Smith’s appointment was “unlawful” and unconditional. “The clerk is directed to close this case,” the judge wrote.
- Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November 2022, tasking him with overseeing the federal investigations into Trump’s handling and retention of classified documents after he left office as well as his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
- Trump’s lawyers argued in court papers filed in February that the appointments clause of the Constitution “does not permit the Attorney General to appoint, without Senate confirmation, a private citizen and like-minded political ally to wield the prosecutorial power of the United States. As such, Jack Smith lacks the authority to prosecute this action.”
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Important Takeaways:
Here is My Plan to Celebrate America’s 1776 Founding:
- Day 1, I will convene a White House Task Force called “Salute to America 250”
They will coordinate with State & Local Governments to ensure not just one day of celebration, but an ENTIRE YEAR of festivities across the nation starting on Memorial Day 2025 & continuing to July 4, 2026.
- I will work with all 50 governors, Republican & Democrat to create “The Great American State Fair”, a unique One Year Exhibition featuring pavilions from all 50 states.
- The Great American State Fair will showcase the glory of every state in the Union, promote pride in our history & put forth innovative visions for Americas future.
- Trump plans to host “The Great American State Fair” at the Legendary Iowa State Fair Grounds.
- Together we will Build it & They will Come!
- We will host major sporting contests for High School Athletes — Patriot Games
- I will sign an Executive Order to bring back our National Garden of American Hero’s, commission artists in a statuary park honoring the greatest Americans of all time
- I will invite the leaders & citizens of nations around the world to visit the United States in honor of our 250th anniversary.
America’s tourist industry should get ready because we’re going to have a lot of people coming, it will be a record year.
- I will ask Americas great religious communities to pray for our nation & our people as we prepare for this momentous occasion!
“As we chart a course toward the next 250 years, let us rededicate ourselves as One Nation, Under GOD!
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Important Takeaways:
- ‘When America’s weak, the axis strengthens’: Fmr. Mossad official says Hezbollah fears war
- Oded Ilam, a former senior Mossad official, spoke recently with Arel Segal on his show on 103FM radio to discuss the implications of Biden’s failure in the recent presidential debate against Donald Trump and the possible escalation in the North.
- Ilam began by saying, “The Americans, although I don’t think they are anti-Israeli, continue to misunderstand the situation we are in. Biden and his administration have their hearts in the right place. The famous ‘warning’ that Biden gave to the Iranians didn’t move them at all. They attacked Israel anyway, and the American response was that the administration issued condolences for Raisi’s death. The American administration repeatedly shows weakness, which is also reflected in the ongoing negotiations.”
- “Every time Hamas does not accept a deal with Israel, we are forced to step back two more steps. It is hard for me to see a situation where Hamas allows us to write up another agreement that doesn’t include withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor,” Ilam noted. “I can assume that when America is weak, the axis strengthens. This confrontation is very significant. I saw Biden’s performance in Atlanta, where he was different than at the recent debate. He was excellent. The same team that advised him to go to the debate is exactly the same team that shapes America’s policy.”
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