Trump–Not Quite in the Bullseye
In Day of the Jackal, the English would-be assassin pulls the trigger and watches with astonishment as his target–Charles DeGaulle–bends over to kiss a la français the veteran he had just decorated in a ceremony in Paris. The bullet whizzes just behind DeGaulle’s head. A kiss spared his life.
Imagine my shock and astonishment at waking up in France to read that a turn of the head may have saved Donald Trump from a would-be assassin. Trump came closer to his doom than the movie DeGaulle–a bullet actually clipped his ear.
Unlike the Jackal, the Trump shooter was clearly no trained killer. Was he trying for a head shot because he thought Trump would be wearing a protective vest? Because a center mass shot was available and would have been a pro’s choice. Or was he just a bad shot? The fact that Matthew Crooks squeezed off 8 rapid shots spray-and-pray fashion suggest that he was. His prayers were not answered. Ours were.
Though clearly not everyone’s. Trump assassination porn has been a thing for some time now. And there are clearly many choking back anger not at the attempt–but at its failure.
On 8 July, 2024 President Joe Biden said that “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
Will the media and the Democratic Party go after Biden the same way that they went after Sarah Palin for the far more innocuous act of releasing a campaign ad with a picture of a bullseye over Gaby Giffords’ district–not over her picture, or her name?
Yeah, right.
All of those who screeched stridently that Trump is an existential threat created an environment in which a loser–which I am sure Matthew Crooks will turn out to have been–believed he could achieve status and fame by killing the bête noire. They are accessories before the fact, in all their legions.
And the media has managed to achieve even new lows, as astounding as that might be given the Marianas Trench-like depths to which they had already descended. CNN said that Trump was rushed offstage after he “fell.” As if he was Joe Biden on stairs or an Air Force Academy stage. Other mainstream media also went with the “fell” thing, adding details such as he did so after “popping sounds were heard.” As if it was just somebody stepping on bubble rap or cracking their knuckles.
Then there was the the-real-danger-here-is-the-right-wing-backlash mantra:
These people are all about the backlash, and totally ignore the first lash. Because that comes from their side.
This is obviously a colossal failure by the Secret Service. An unsecured roof with a sightline to Trump’s podium. Their thumb-up-the-ass running around when people were shouting “he’s got a gun” and pointing at . . . a guy with a gun. The hesitation by the sniper who finally took out Crooks.
Yet another institutional failure.
Will there be accountability? As if. Not unless and until Trump is inaugurated. This regime will run serious cover for Secret Service, DHS (of which it is a part), and the FBI (which is supposed to be ferreting out such threats, but appears to be more interested in Latin Mass Catholics, abortion protesters, senior citizen J6ers, and phantom right wing resistance groups).
Will the head of the Secret Service be fired? The question should really be: why the fuck hasn’t she quit? If this was 1930s Japan the streets of DC would be slick with the guts of law enforcement and national security officials humiliated by their obvious failure. But in 2020s DC it’s cover your ass not spill your guts.
This event is likely to be of historical importance–though not as important as if the 5.56 round had gone an inch to the right. Trump’s immediate response–“Fight! Fight” while shaking his fist–was epic. A real baller. He reminded me of Churchill’s remark: “There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result.” (But this “fight!” response was exactly what triggered the backlash brigade).
The contrast between Trump’s near-TR-like response to being shot to Biden’s frailty and mental incompetence could not be more pronounced. The assassination attempt coming right on the heels of a week when Biden’s mental and physical decline took up all the political oxygen just makes the contrast all the more stark.
Can Biden credibly continue to say he is the only candidate who can beat Trump? As dubious as that proposition was on Friday, it is utterly farcical now. But will the Democrats be able to induce Biden to concede to reality? If so–who among them will not look almost as pathetic as Biden in contrast to a guy who faced down an assassination attempt? And if not–will they engage in backroom chicanery to select such a pathetic figure that will make the situation look worse, not better?
And coming on top of what was increasingly perceived as a politicized persecution of Trump, missing murder by a hair’s breadth will no doubt have many saying that the demonization has gone too far. This must stop. Now.
Which blows to smithereens the Democrat’s one and only campaign pitch: Trump must be stopped, by all means necessary.
Last week the election was clearly tipping towards Trump. A near miss in Pennsylvania will likely turn it into an avalanche.
Hope you are correct in your political analysis. I am not so sure. Trump is indeed a warrior. The DEI focused federal bureaucracy whose leaders were appointed by Joe Biden caused a change in culture at the Secret Service which allowed for a mistake to happen
Comment by Jeff Carter (@pointsnfigures1) — July 14, 2024 @ 12:02 pm
A near miss in Pennsylvania will likely turn it into an avalanche.
I await CNN’s breathless report that the shooting was a set-up, a false-flag operation meant to rally Trump’s base. That Crooks (a registered Republican) mearely wounded Trump, is proof of his almost super-human sniping skill.
You heard it here first.
Comment by dcardno — July 14, 2024 @ 12:22 pm
Trump won’t get the 22% poll uplift Reagan got when he was shot. There are too many who think he’s literally Hitler for that.
But his polling among suburban women has been his weak spot. Up to now. Women will have seen his bravery and defiance. They like a hero, they can spot a winner.
As for replacing Biden, who would want to? Far better to wait for 2028 than get marmalised in 2024.
Comment by philip — July 14, 2024 @ 12:51 pm
It was a FIAT. The car that nearly killed Hitler in 1931. A British aristocrat was learning to drive and ran him over at low speed. Hitler was unharmed and walked away into history.
But if the democrats believe that Trump is literally Hitler surely they should be mourning the death of his would be assassin.
Why is no one applauding the bravery of this young man in his attempt to save democracy, I wonder. Surely he deserves the thanks of a grateful nation and a full state funeral.
Cowardice, hypocrisy, or both?
Comment by philip — July 14, 2024 @ 3:10 pm
Real Secret Service incompetence or feigned incompetence?
In the world of smoke and mirrors how can the layman tell?
Comment by dearieme — July 14, 2024 @ 5:02 pm
Holy moly.
What momentous times.
Not only Trump, but certainly the whole of the US, and possibly the whole world, missed a bullet yesterday. The consequences of Trump’s head exploding like a watermelon in full-colour HD, after years (intensifying in the past month and week) of his opponents shit-talking him as an incarnation of Adolf H. and engaging as you say in sterile assassination-porn, would have broken the US polity, I think.
It’s unlikely, given the grand-mal psychotic episode of TDS gripping at least half of the country and most of its elite, but I hope this near-miss brings people to their senses and adults into the room, and causes much of the heat to be taken out of the political climate.
We came so close to the abyss yesterday. My God. I hope those who need to learn from it do learn from it.
Comment by Ex-Global Super-Regulator on Lunch Break — July 14, 2024 @ 10:29 pm
@Ex-Global Super-Regulator on Lunch Break. Dodged a bullet. Literally.
Comment by cpirrong — July 15, 2024 @ 10:27 am
@dearieme. This is what we don’t know, and we need to know. That it’s even a question is disturbing.
Comment by cpirrong — July 15, 2024 @ 10:28 am
@Prof: are we supposed to assume that the young loonie was wandering the Pennsylvania countryside with a rifle and a car full of explosives, wondering how he might best kill Trump, and then, lo!, an unguarded, ultra-suitable roof presented itself, helpfully provided with a ladder.
Our enterprising lad nips up, confident that neither cops nor Secret Service would pay a blind bit of notice to warnings by the civilians who had seen him, as they were bound to do.
It could be true but it does seem unlikely. My guess is that there was at least a bit of wilful blindness involved, and quite possibly a great deal more wrongdoing.
I did like someone’ suggestion that the Senate should set up an inquiry chaired by Elizabeth Warren.
Comment by dearieme — July 15, 2024 @ 4:37 pm
According to this, our would-be assassin missed only due to failing to account for 2 inches of windage from the 5 mph breeze. Maybe he didn’t know to do that or maybe the State Trooper who peered up onto the roof (and found himself outgunned) rushed the shot.
https://x.com/realerikdprince/status/1812538250931642534?s=46&t=o-gfid_uWzVLqbUuvoCCsg
Comment by M. Rad. — July 15, 2024 @ 7:43 pm
@dearieme here’s simpler explanation.
The secret service agent in charge turns out to be one of those domineering, do as I say or else, arseholes. You all know the type, the toxic leader who jumps on anyone showing initiative. Certainly not the type to listen to advice from locals.
The sort of leader that the good ones get away from.
That sort of leadership leads to the incompetence we just witnessed.
The sort of leader you’d put in charge of Trumps detail.
Comment by Steve — July 15, 2024 @ 9:48 pm
The tales get better and better. It turns out that the police had three counter-snipers inside the building the shooter used but none on the roof. “Height is the queen of battles” they told us at school. What was the chap in charge thinking of? Steve’s suggestion make sense – he wasn’t really thinking at all, just throwing his weight about.
Here’s a good question somebody asked online. The police claim to have identified the shooter through his DNA. How did they happen to have his DNA recorded?
Maybe They learnt one lesson from Dallas. Kill the patsy pronto, don’t wait a few days.
I fear that innocent explanations carry a pretty low probability of being complete and correct. But even if one was who on earth would believe it?
Comment by dearieme — July 16, 2024 @ 7:15 am
Hm! Plan A having failed will They prove to have a Plan B?
Comment by dearieme — July 16, 2024 @ 7:24 am
Plan B is 34 one-year sentences. To be served consecutively.
Comment by lemuel — July 16, 2024 @ 11:14 am
The mystery of why that roof was unguarded has been cleared up by the head of the Secret Service. From the NY Post:
“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” she told ABC News in a startling admission.
“And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside,” she told the outlet.
They take us all for fools.
Comment by dearieme — July 16, 2024 @ 2:40 pm
I suspect we are dealing with incompetence – both at the working level and leadership (like Steve says, a ‘do it my way’ leader can leave a team pretty demoralized) along with complacency. It seems to me that the SS has to attend an event every day – especially during campaign season. So there they are, scanning the crowd, establishing sight lines, monitoring suspected activists day after day after day… and nothing happens. And then they do it again – and nothing happens. Eventually, they come to expect that nothing ever *will* happen, so they start just going through the motions. Couple that with the attitude that “it’s only Trump (and we don’t much like or respect him, becasue our bosses don’t), and you have a dengerously lax security detail.
Comment by dcardno — July 16, 2024 @ 3:49 pm
Points noted by John Leake and Peter McCullough
https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/detailed-analysis-of-trump-assassination?publication_id=1119676&post_id=146673505&r=bo034&triedRedirect=true
1) No local law enforcement was stationed on the open sight-line rooftop used by the shooter
2) When citizens notified law enforcement of the shooter, no prompt action was taken at the rooftop to neutralize the shooter
3) Local law enforcement failed to initiate active shooter protocol to protect Trump and the crowd
4) No apparent communication from local law enforcement to the US Secret Service to get Trump to a secure location
5) Police snipers on the nearby roof use binoculars to track the shooter’s position and do not warn the US Secret Service below to get Trump off stage.
6) A local police officer mounts the ladder to the roof and sees the shooter. The shooter swings around and points his rifle at the officer who backs silently down.
7) Police snipers under scope vision allow the shooter to get set and shoot 6 rounds at Trump
8) Police sniper gets off the scope and looks with naked eye to be sure the shooter has taken his shots and never looks down at Trump.
9) Finally, the police sniper shoots Crooks (the shooter).
10) No local police went up on the roof immediately after Crooks was shot, to take away his gun and to check on his status.
11) All the while there was no active shooter protocol, and no warning to Trump or the audience.
++++++++++++
The trajectory calls to mind the response to Covid-19. They could not have royally screwed up worse if they had intended to maximize harm.
Comment by Pat Frank — July 16, 2024 @ 10:42 pm
Pat, re: 9) – wasn’t it the SS sniper who finally shoot Crooks?
Comment by Tatyana — July 17, 2024 @ 10:07 am
Dearieme, where did you read it was DNA tracing?
Comment by [email protected] — July 17, 2024 @ 12:02 pm
Found it – DNA and facial recognition technology it says!
Comment by [email protected] — July 17, 2024 @ 12:05 pm
@Lib: the British press reported it as having been claimed by the local police.
I’m surprised that the dead man’s DNA could be analysed quickly enough to have been compared to databases in the time available but then I’ve no idea about the speed of advances in that lab science.
But if not that, how did they identify him? Would there be anything on the rifle that led them to his father, for instance? Do legal rifles in that state have to carry identifying codes? It’s odd that I’ve not seen any non-DNA account of how they did identify him.
Comment by dearieme — July 17, 2024 @ 12:08 pm
“and facial recognition technology” So much for any assumption that the shot(s) fired at Crooks would have destroyed his face. Where, then, did the bullets hit him?
The whole business is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. I smell a rat but I don’t suppose the rodent will ever be caught.
Comment by dearieme — July 17, 2024 @ 12:14 pm
Yes, apparently the rifle helped in identifying the shooter – see below
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/17/politics/how-atf-identified-trump-rally-shooter/index.html
Comment by [email protected] — July 17, 2024 @ 12:28 pm
@Lib: I plain don’t believe it. With a manual search through the records leading to a defunct gun dealership they got their answer in 30 minutes? In an arm of government, on a Saturday? Pull the other one! These buggers spent thirty minutes failing to respond to the sight a rifle-bearing youth wandering about near Trump’s rally.
Comment by dearieme — July 17, 2024 @ 3:01 pm
@18 Tatyana, check out 28:14 at the link
https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/detailed-analysis-of-trump-assassination?publication_id=1119676&post_id=146673505&r=bo034&triedRedirect=true
The sniper’s flack jacket says “Police” not secret service. The SS agents around Trump were all dressed in nondescript black suits.
But maybe SS snipers have “Police” written on their jackets, too. I don’t know.
Comment by Pat Frank — July 17, 2024 @ 4:43 pm
Yes, I see now. Thanks, Pat
Comment by Tatyana — July 19, 2024 @ 2:51 pm