Some were not surprised. After all, ever since riding the escalator down within Trump Tower in NYC on June 16, 2015, Trump has likely been the most persecuted person in U.S. history. Type into the search bar of the web version of the blog: "The Deposing of an American President," written on March 12, 2017. That's right. Less than 2 months into his presidential term, Democrats were looking for ways to get Trump out of office. Because, you know, they care about democracy, as they constantly tell us. Unless, the democratic vote results in a Donald Trump elected to the presidency, in which case he became an "illegitimate" president, and democracy be damned.
I also suggest taking a look at my June 16, 2018 post, "The Left's Non-Stop Hate." More recently, we know that the Democrats and President Biden have repeatedly called Trump a threat to our country and our democracy. And, too often, there have been those who have equated Trump with Hitler. What a disgusting comparison. As one friend and reader texted me about the way he heard Biden's comments: "I am so glad to hear that Donald J. Hitler, aka 'son of Satan' is okay." Dark? Yes. Disturbing? Yes. But hard to miss his point.
Here was Biden in January of this year: "Whether democracy is still America's sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time...that's what the 2024 election is all about." And this: "Now these MAGA voices who know the truth about Trump on January 6th have abandoned the truth and abandoned democracy."
In case there was any doubt, here was Biden's deputy campaign manager: "Our campaign believes that it is a moral obligation that we paint the picture of the threat that Donald Trump and the Republican Party pose to America." There it is - the Republican Party is a threat to America. They've said it enough that many now believe it. I am curious as to how referring to half of the country as a threat to the country is in any way unifying, as Biden assured us multiple times, that he would be. (No, I am not, and have not, excused the bad things Trump has said. But he was the one who was shot, so I'm looking at those who may have motivated this shooter. And, if Trump's own words turn out to be the motivation for the shooting, I will report that.)
But, I digress. What we do know is that the shooter was a 20 year old resident of Pennsylvania. As of now, we do not have his motive for the shooting. And I have repeatedly said, that when it comes to these political shootings (it's political by its very nature, even if politics was not the motive) we should always blame the shooter - the perpetrator. We know that at age 17, the perpetrator made a small donation of $15.00 to a Democratic PAC. At age 18 he registered to vote as a Republican. He was also described as a loner, as many of these shooters often are.
It has also been reported that bombs and/or bomb making material, were found in the shooter's home and vehicle. We also know that there was a major security failure that allowed the shooter to take up a position with a rifle on the roof of a building about 150 yards from where Trump was speaking. Why was that site left unsecured? It was also reported that a police officer climbed up the side of the building, but retreated when the shooter pointed his rifle at the officer. Shades of Uvalde. I can understand ducking down, but why not raise your hand with your weapon over the top of the roof and start firing? Even if the officer missed, the shots would have alerted the protective detail and they could have removed Trump from the stage.
I was very impressed by the agents surrounding former President Trump, shielding him with their own bodies. And while the female agent also did the same, it was quite obvious that she was considerably shorter than Trump, making it difficult, if not impossible, for her to protect his head. I heard or read that thanks to DEI, the Secret Service had a goal of having 30% women. Not really the best idea. But were there no tall women available to protect Trump?
Sadly, a 50 year old man, Corey Comperatore, was killed by the shooter. Corey used his body to shield his daughters, and in doing so suffered the fatal wound. May G-d bless his soul, and his family, and may his memory forever be a blessing. Two others were wounded and originally listed in critical condition. Thankfully, they are both now described as being stable.
Tonight, President Biden spoke to the nation from the oval office. Biden: "...while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We are neighbors, we are friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly we are fellow Americans. We must stand together." Again, it is still unknown if any of the heated political rhetoric played a role in motivating the shooter. And Biden's comments are 180 degrees away from his earlier statements. Now let's see if he, and others, follow through with what he said.
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