Having survived an assassination attempt and a number of legal cases, Donald Trump, 78, is forging ahead with his White House bid and announced his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, at this week’s Republican Party National Convention in Milwaukee.
Political figures in the U.S. and abroad have condemned the Saturday, July 13 shooting, including Trump’s rival, incumbent President Joe Biden.
According to the most recent Ipsos/Reuters poll released on July 16, Trump is the favorite to win this November’s general election by two percentage points. However, other polls show Biden and Trump fairly evenly tied.
According to a poll conducted by Morning Consult, an expected bump in polling numbers for the former president following his assassination attempt has not materialized.
Of the 2,045 registered voters polled, 46 percent said they would vote for Trump, while 45 percent said they would choose Biden.
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At the convention on Monday, while Vance greeted and shook hands with delegates, Trump was walled off from his supporters by a noticeably increased security detail.
Instead of handshakes and personal greetings, Trump chose to offer fist bumps from a distance instead.
It’s a stark new reality for Trump after a gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire on the former president, piercing his ear and killing one spectator and critically injuring two others.
Trump, who was speaking at a rally in the town, narrowly escaped death by turning his head at the second that the bullet grazed him.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post while on board his flight to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”
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Motives remain unknown
At the time of publication, Crooks’ motives remain unknown even as authorities investigate his background. Crooks himself was shot and killed by Secret Service snipers seconds after he opened fire from a rooftop just 135 yards from Trump.
The fact that Crooks was able to gain access to the rooftop and get a clear shot at Trump has led to criticism of the Secret Service, which is tasked with providing security for America’s serving and former leaders.
According to an exclusive report by CNN, the attempt on Trump’s life came as U.S. intelligence reports allege that there is an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.
The White House has declined to comment on the allegations but did say that there were no indications that Crooks had any foreign or domestic accomplices.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials say the accusations are “unsubstantiated and malicious,” Reuters reported.
Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, “As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration. These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority.”
A U.S. intelligence official said that after learning of the increased threat, the National Security Council contacted the Secret Service, prompting them to increase Trump’s security detail.
In a statement by Iran’s mission to the United Nations, obtained by Reuters, Iran said, “From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice.”
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Key endorsements
Meanwhile, following the attempt on Trump’s life, various figures in the U.S. and abroad have condemned the would-be assassination or sent messages to the former president.
“We must unite as one nation to condemn it. It’s sick, it’s sick,” said President Biden, who according to the White House made a call to his rival in the evening of the shooting. The conversation was “good, short and respectful.”
World leaders condemned the shooting and expressed good wishes to Trump, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Keir Starmer, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and others.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov criticized the attack, while Chinese authorities said leader Xi Jinping had expressed “compassion and sympathy” to Trump in private.
Tech and rocket mogul Elon Musk has voiced support for the Republican candidate.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk posted to his social media platform X immediately after the shooting.
Musk followed up his endorsement with a substantial donation to a pro-Trump super PAC, pledging to give $45 million a month to the organization ahead of the general election.
The cash infusion could help Trump’s fundraising surpass that of the Biden campaign in what is turning out to be the most expensive presidential election in American history.
Other big donors to the super PAC include Palantir’s Joe Lonsdale and crypto billionaires Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. However, their donations were substantially less than what Musk has pledged. Lonsdale gave $1 million while the Winklevoss twins each gave $250,000.
According to the most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission, the super political action committee raised $8.8 million in the second quarter this year, and deployed $7.8 million. The organization had less than $1 million on hand at the beginning of July.
Other large donations include $1 million each from Douglas Leone of Sequoia Capital and Florida restaurateur James Liautaud.
In addition, Citadel’s Ken Griffin and Paul Singer, founder of Elliott Investment Management and prior critics of the 45th president, met with Trump to discuss donating, however neither man has made a commitment.
