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Motive in Trump Rally Shooting Still Unknown; FBI: Shooter Acted Alone in Assassination Attempt on Trump; Biden on Trump Attack: 'Violence Has Never Been the Answer'; Secret Service: No Plans to Tighten RNC Security; Timeline of Terror: How the Shooting Unfolded; NYT Photographer Talks about Capturing Images of Trump Shooting; Global Leaders Respond to Assassination Attempt. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 15, 2024 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: That's our show for this evening. I will see you back here tomorrow night, right here in Milwaukee. CNN's coverage continues with "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
[00:00:27]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
Now, just one day after surviving an assassination attempt, former U.S. President Donald Trump is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention is set to kick off in the hours ahead.
In a new interview, Trump says he's rewritten his speech for the convention to focus on unity following the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania, saying he believes this is a chance to bring the country together.
And despite the shocking violence over the weekend, the Secret Service says there are no plans to tighten existing security at the convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUDREY GIBSON-CICCHINO, U.S. SECRET SERVICE RNC COORDINATOR: So, we are confident in the security plans that are in place for this event, and we are ready to go. It's been an 18-month process. It's the -- we've worked together over that 18 months to develop operational security plans for any and all aspects of security related to this event.
We're not anticipating any changes to our operational security plans for this event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The Secret Service facing intense scrutiny over the security at the rally on Saturday, specifically how the shooter was able to gain access to a rooftop, roughly 120 to 150 meters from Trump's position at the podium. The FBI says the motive for the shooting at this stage is still
unknown. Analysts working to gain full access to the gunman's cell phone as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden putting partisan politics aside for the moment with a rare Oval Office address on Sunday.
Mr. Biden offered a forceful condemnation of the assassination attempt against his political rival and urged Americans to unite and, quote, "cool down" the rhetoric.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A former president was shot, an American citizen killed, while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing. We cannot, we must not, go down this road in America. We've traveled to before throughout our history. Violence has never been the answer, whether it's with members of Congress in both parties being targeted and shot, or a violent mob attacking the Capitol on January 6, or a brutal attack on the spouse of former speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, or information and intimidation on election officials, or the kidnapping plot against the sitting governor, or an attempted assassination on Donald Trump.
There's no place in America for this kind of violence, or for any violence ever. Period. No exceptions. We can't allow this violence to be normalized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, the shooting has also inspired Donald Trump to change the focus of his convention speech. In a new interview with "The Washington Examiner's" Salena Zito, the former president said this, quote, "Honestly, it's going to be a whole different speech now. This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would have been two days ago."
Now, in that same interview, Trump said he raised his fist after the assassination attempt on Saturday because he knew the world was watching. He said he felt history would judge that moment, and he had to let everyone know that he was OK.
Now CNN has obtained new video of the gunman positioned on the roof near the Trump rally on Saturday. The shooter can be seen before the shots are fired and panic breaks out.
A warning: the images and sounds might disturb some viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A gun! Get over here!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Run! UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get over here!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Run!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. We get the latest now on the investigation from CNN's law enforcement correspondent, Whitney Wild, who's following developments from Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: It is not clear exactly how this happened, but the questions are certainly centering on the Secret Service's preparation and response --
WILD (voice-over): -- as well as many questions about the shooter.
What we know right now is that this building where the shooter had climbed up onto and shot the former president from was outside the security perimeter. This building was about 150 yards from where the former president was speaking at the podium, and multiple law enforcement sources that I've spoken with have expressed a real concern, real shock that a building that close, 150 yards or so from the podium, was not included in the -- what they call the hard perimeter, which means it would have been subjected to an extensive security sweep, that it would have required anybody trying to enter that building to go through a magnetometer. So many more questions there.
[00:05:04]
Additionally, the big question, again, centering on this building is in what way this building did factor into the overall security plans. So, another question is whether or not the building was left out of the perimeter because, for whatever reason, the Secret Service decided that it did not present a security risk.
For example, did they determine that the building was in -- could all be accessed, that the doors were locked, that no one was inside, no one was likely to go inside. These are the questions that the service would have been asking as they assessed the site, as well as continuing to ask themselves in this extremely pivotal moment.
The investigation is also shifting to the gunman here. This is 20- year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. What we know now is that he was not known to the FBI. He was not in any databases, that he used an AR- style 556 rifle --
WILD: -- that belonged to his father that was purchased legally. And that law enforcement has his cell phone, and what they're trying to do now is get into that cell phone and get some insight into what his motivation was.
That is the big question, and at this moment it is not clear why he did this. Whitney Wild, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Gordon Heddell is a former assistant director with the Secret Service. He also served as inspector general with the U.S. Labor Department and the Defense Department. He joins me now from St. Louis.
Good to see you, sir. Let's talk about this shooter. He was seen by law enforcement with his weapon, walking around outside the venue. And then, as we've heard, later seen on the roof. People warned law enforcement.
When you look at all of that, I mean, how many opportunities were missed to have intercepted this man?
GORDON HEDDELL, FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SECRET SERVICE: Well, first, thank you for inviting me to be on tonight.
The idea is -- for the Secret Service -- is to prevent an attack before it is carried out. Obviously, that makes sense.
An agent or law enforcement officer is trained to see threats where others may not. And they are also trained to act swiftly and decisively in a manner that will neutralize the threat before it's too late.
But here's the thing. If somebody immediately outside of a designated security venue, as I think was the case here, is seen with a gun or if they're simply acting unusual or out of character, Secret Service agents and authorized law enforcement officials are justified -- in fact, they're obligated -- to stop the person, disarm them if they are armed, and hold them for questioning.
If the person refuses to lower or hand over the weapon, and the agent believes there is imminent danger to himself or others, he or she may use only that force which is reasonably necessary to neutralize the situation.
However, only the law enforcement official at the scene can determine when they have exhausted all reasonable options.
And in this recent case, this weekend, based on available facts, the officer who first spotted the shooter with the weapon, in my opinion, was justified to take immediate action to engage and neutralize the threat.
HOLMES: When it comes to the --
HEDDELL: I don't -- we don't know why that didn't happen immediately.
HOLMES: Right. The Secret Service always prechecks events, doesn't it? It scouts them for risk assessment.
Would you have expected that that building with a roof that had line of sight to the stage to have had, if not Secret Service, at least some law enforcement, on it or eyes on it? Or perhaps blocking screens up, included in the hard perimeter? Wouldn't you expect that?
HEDDELL: Well, look, let's just say from the beginning that the Secret Service is totally responsible for all security planning and the execution of that planning for an event like this. And they make decisions as to what should be covered and what does not have to be covered, whether it's inside the venue -- immediate venue itself, or on the outside.
In this case, anything -- any building would have to be addressed by the Secret Service to determine whether there was a line-of-sight threat to the president. And I'm believing that they did that.
What we don't know is how this individual could have gotten onto that -- that building's roof and not been seen before that or stopped before that. That's part of the investigation that the FBI and Secret Service will -- will tell us when they -- when they've finished.
HOLMES: When -- when -- when -- with all of your experience, your many years' experience, what are the security questions you want answered most?
HEDDELL: Well, I think everybody wants to know how could this have happened?
But look, when you're dealing with a lone gunman, these things can be very complex and very difficult in terms -- in terms of identifying them, knowing that they're in that -- in the vicinity, never having talked to them, possibly.
[00:10:16]
I don't -- I have not yet heard whether the Secret Service or the FBI had this person of record. If they did, I'm sure that person would have been contacted or at least be -- been watched and probably never allowed to even get close to that venue.
So, I'm imagining that they weren't -- the person wasn't known. So, the service, realizing it's intelligence --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- and they said, take a look at what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEDDELL: -- and local law enforcement.
HOLMES: Yes. There's been an increased threat environment for a while now. I think last year, the DHS warned of a threat of violence. The vitriol, the anger that's gone on.
How precarious do you think the time frame is between now and the election? What -- what are the risks that this won't cool the rhetoric, that it could be not the end, but the start of more tension? HEDDELL: Well, first of all, I think it's good that the president and former President Trump appear to be moving toward a little calmer campaign where the -- where statements aren't made that might motivate someone to do something bad like what happened this weekend.
We don't know why the person did that. But there's a lot of speculation that they're simply reacting to what they're hearing in the media and so on.
But look, this kind of thing is always a threat, potential threat for the Secret Service. They know the names of certain people throughout the United States who are dangerous. Some people that are in foreign countries.
And so, when a president travels to a city where those people might be, then the Secret Service neutralizes that threat by -- by watching that person, by being with them, by you know, doing anything that will keep them from going to the site.
If that person has weapons, then the Secret Service becomes extra concerned, because it's obvious, of course, that they don't want weapons, by anybody, brought into the venue.
And people -- in this case, the person was outside of the venue. But look, the person, from what I have heard, was acting out of character, was acting strange. And in one case, I heard that the person was seen with a weapon.
HOLMES: Yes.
HEDDELL: So in any of those occasions, the person should have been stopped. This can happen at any time, of course.
HOLMES: Yes, and of course, for our international viewers, Wisconsin [SIC] is an open-carry state, and -- and people can walk around with any weapon they like anywhere, outside of that venue, which he apparently did.
I mentioned the DHS warning of radicalized individuals, lone actors, small groups. I think they said attacks with little warning.
Again, with your experience, speak to how difficult it is to stop such bad actors in the middle of an election cycle with so many public events.
HEDDELL: It's -- it's extremely difficult, although the Secret Service -- and I won't, you know, go into how they do this, although I do know the answers -- they have ways of identifying individuals who -- let's say, a person who shows up repeatedly at different events, maybe in different cities.
Well, that would be a concern. And they have ways of identifying people who do that.
And -- and there have been cases where people have been identified who would have been dangerous to the Secret Service and have been. But -- but -- but here's the thing you're missing on this on this one
point about what happened this weekend. When the Secret Service designates an area or a venue to be protected by the Secret Service, such as this venue was, that also includes areas outside of the venue where the Secret Service may have line of sight to a building, as it was the case here.
So, anything that happens inside or outside of that venue is -- is the responsibility of law enforcement to address, and they can address it as a part of the security venue. Not -- certainly, there may be people in a state that are authorized to carry weapons out in the open. But in a secure venue that the Secret Service establishes, they are not, no matter what the state law is.
HOLMES: All right. Gordon Heddell, appreciate your expertise on this issue. Thanks so much for making the time.
HEDDELL: Thank you. My pleasure.
HOLMES: Cheers.
Now, in the aftermath of the shooting, U.S. congressional members on both sides of the aisle are saying it is time to cool that heated rhetoric and put an end to political violence.
Some see the assassination attempt as a potential turning point and a chance to do better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[00:15:08]
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): That political violence of any kind or shape, or form is unacceptable. It is un-American. And we've got to put an end to it.
I think in this traumatic moment, it's time for all of us to take a deep breath. Remember what this country is about and what political campaigns are about. And they're about serious discussions of serious ideas as to how we address the serious problems facing this country.
So, let's use this moment, if there's any silver lining in this tragedy, it's to figure out how we go forward peacefully, constructively, and intelligently.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I wish I could say I was surprised, but I've been worried about this for a very, very long time. You know, if he wins, democracy is not going to end. He's not a fascist. He represents a point of view that many share. The rhetoric is way too hot.
There's a man who lost his life by attending a political rally. He's dead. His life came to end. Other people are hurt. Who to blame? Let's blame the shooter, but let's all try to do better.
SEN. BOB CASEY (D-PA): It was horrific that this happened in our commonwealth. And I think it -- it's a time for all of us in both parties -- every elected official in the country should categorically condemn all political violence, whether it's a shooting or otherwise. And we've got to take steps to reduce the likelihood of these kinds of horrific incidents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Larry Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics; joins me now. Always good to see you, Larry.
First of all, I wanted to get your reaction to President Biden's address from the Oval Office a few hours ago.
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA'S CENTER FOR POLITICS: Well, it was the Kumbaya Biden. We don't see that very often, because he rarely does Oval Office addresses.
But he did that exactly right. And actually, he did the two prior appearances at -- following the shooting at the Trump rally, he did those very well, too.
We used to say a president is president of all the people, not just the people who voted for him. We lost that along the way. We haven't had it for a while, but I think Biden is trying to fill that role and did a good job of it.
HOLMES: Yes. The Republican convention about to get underway, how much will be -- you know, what happened to Trump be a rallying cry for supporters? I mean, despite the tragedy of the incident, will this help Trump politically?
SABATO: It will help him, no question about it. His own base thinks that it's another example of God saving, not the queen, but Donald Trump.
And there's some reason to speculate, too. It is incredible that he -- he avoided more serious injury, given what was happening.
But we will see those images. We'll see those iconic pictures. We will forever. It will be in the textbooks. But we're going to see a lot of them the coming week.
And the whole idea of it is to elevate Trump above the muck. Now, he's been in the muck plenty over the years, but he's trying to assume a different role. And I think he, like Biden, wants to try the unity gamut -- gambit for at least a while.
HOLMES: Yes, we'll see how long that lasts.
I mean, at the same time, how difficult or perhaps awkward does what happened make it for Democrats, who no doubt plan to, you know, pretty aggressively counter the message -- or counter message during the Republican convention?
Does the assassination attempt make those plans and responses more difficult, more muted? Do they lose momentum? SABATO: Well, they certainly have to try a more muted approach. And probably, what's going to be lost are the references to Adolf Hitler. And there have been a lot of them.
And of course, Trump himself said, "I want to be a dictator on day one." I don't know what was supposed to happen on day two, but he said these things himself, and he is clearly authoritarian.
But we're going to lose the Hitler part of it. I think that is probably a permanent loss for the Democrats. And they have to be more careful in their rhetoric.
Of course, so do Trump supporters on Twitter or X. Some of the incredible conspiracy theories that were being floated last night were outrageous.
HOLMES: Yes, even from members of Congress, it has to be said. And you know, it's important to note, we don't know the shooter's motivation, but some Republicans made allegations that, you know, rhetoric from the left was to blame.
There was the vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, saying that the Biden campaign, quote, "their rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."
Others said similar things. Don't those sorts of comments just add to the heat of political discourse, the anger rather than reduce the temperature?
[00:20:06]
SABATO: Of course they do, and they're all connected together, not just on Twitter or X. They are connected in lots of ways online through social media and other means. And they reinforce one another.
And they believe what's on Twitter, or X, more than they believe what they read from mainstream media. That's half the problem.
There was a Georgia congressman last night who said that the local police officials in Butler, Pennsylvania, should be rushing to arrest President Biden, because he clearly sent the orders to do this. Just utterly absurd, stupid, and wrong.
But that's the atmosphere we're living in, in the United States, and it's making it really difficult to run a peaceful election campaign.
HOLMES: Yes. Yes. And that was a congressman, we must say. It wasn't some, you know, guy from the fringes of X.
I mean, but the convention aside, how do you think both sides, Republican and Democrat -- Democrat will handle this politically in the context of the campaign going forward for the next few months?
SABATO: I --
HOLMES: Does it -- I guess what I'm asking is, is this an issue that has legs?
SABATO: This is going to have legs, simply because it was a shock to people.
I don't know why we're shocked anymore, as I look at the whole of American history, even my lifetime. I've seen so many candidates at various levels shot or have physical harm come to them. And that includes presidential candidates and presidents.
But we tend to think, for whatever reason, it hasn't happened before. It hasn't happened very often.
It made such an impact on most people that I expect it to be brought up again and again.
Now the context is important. If it's a mention, that's probably OK. If it becomes a theme of the campaign and justification for lashing out at the other side, then I think there need to be consequences.
HOLMES: It's going to be an interesting week ahead. Larry Sabato, always good to get your thoughts. Thanks so much.
SABATO: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: First lady Jill Biden spoke with the former first lady, Melania Trump, on Sunday afternoon. That conversation coming one day after the attempted assassination of former President Trump and follows a phone call between Trump and President Biden.
Melania Trump released a statement, calling on the country to, quote, "ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends." She goes on, "We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships." Again, Melania Trump there.
Still to come on the program, Donald Trump will attend the Republican National Convention, to begin in the coming hours. But how will the attempt on his life affect security there?
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:25:12]
HOLMES: The Republican National Convention set to begin just hours from now in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. And, despite the attempt on former President Donald Trump's life, the Secret Service says there are no plans to tighten security for the event.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny with more details now on what to expect this week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Republican National Convention will formally open here in Milwaukee on Monday.
Former President Donald Trump arriving in the city Sunday night with one of the biggest decisions yet to unfold. That, of course, is who he will name as his running mate. That is expected to take place Monday afternoon, when Republican delegates from across the country gather in the Fiserv Forum here behind me to formally start nominating and voting for the delegates.
ZELENY (voice-over): Now, there is no question this campaign has changed dramatically, given the events of the weekend.
ZELENY: One question hanging over all of this convention and, indeed, the rest of the campaign is, will there be a sense for more unity from both sides?
ZELENY (voice-over): That was the plea of President Biden, delivering an Oval Office address on Sunday night. And former President Donald Trump is conveying through his advisers he would also like to invoke themes of unity.
Of course, that remains a very open question, given the tenor and tone of this campaign so far.
ZELENY: But there are some indications the program here is changing somewhat.
ZELENY (voice-over): Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, one of the longest standing rivals of Donald Trump in the primary campaign, she's now been invited to give a speech here on Tuesday night. I'm told she will be invoking themes of unity for Republicans and, indeed, the country, as well.
There was no question that this is an entirely different moment in this campaign because of the assassination attempt.
ZELENY: Former President Donald Trump will be greeted here as a hero by Republican delegates.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yes, it's his third Republican convention, but the won four years ago of course, happened during a pandemic. And eight years ago, when he first won the nomination, the party was still divided.
Now this Republican Party is unified behind him.
ZELENY: And they believe he's on a good track to defeating President Joe Biden.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Milwaukee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Let's go live to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Shelby Talcott is a political reporter for "Semafor," covering the Trump campaign and Republican Party. It's good to see you. I was reading something you wrote for "Semafor,"
that the attack confirmed longstanding fears inside Trump's circle that he would, at some point, be a target of assassination. How did that theory evolve, and why, do you think?
SHELBY TALCOTT, POLITICAL REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Absolutely. This has been something I've been hearing three years in covering Donald Trump, was sort of this quiet recognition from some of his aides, from some of his longtime confidants, that it wasn't a matter, in their opinion, of if there was an attempted assassination on Donald Trump. It was a matter of when.
And they believed that this was sort of an inevitability because of how strongly people feel about Donald Trump. There were even these sort of unfounded claims that it would be from his political opponents.
Whatever the reason, though, this was a really big fear from Donald Trump's team for years now. And they felt that it was inevitable.
HOLMES: There have been so many calls for unities -- you know, for reducing the toxicity. We -- we heard it from President Biden Sunday night. Donald Trump spoke about unity, as well.
As someone who covers politics in this climate, do you have faith that that can happen at a meaningful level?
TALCOTT: I think that's the ultimate question. And I think what we're seeing now just underscores how serious this situation is and how much both campaigns and people on all sides of the aisle have staked -- taken a step back and said, hold on a minute. Our rhetoric in the U.S. when it comes to politics has become so vilified and so angry. This is not the way forward.
And what I think is really interesting that -- that Jeff just spoke about is -- is the speech but Donald Trump plans to give. He told a reporter earlier today that he originally was going to do a sort of traditional campaign speech, where he attacked Joe Biden and attacked his policies.
And in the wake of this attempted assassination, Donald Trump says that he's ripping up his speech. And his speech will be about unity. And so, I think that's really notable.
HOLMES: You've been out and about. What's the mood there? Anticipation, any nervousness about security? What's the overall feeling?
TALCOTT: There's definitely a little bit of nerves around security. There's certainly people asking are -- is there going to be heightened security?
I've -- I've talked to law enforcement officials in the wake of the attack who were asking me, do you think that there's going to be heightened security?
[00:30:07]
But at the same time, I think that, you know, the Republican Party has really worked a really long time for this. And they seem confident. And law enforcement officials seem very confident that we have the situation under control.
And there is also a lot of excitement that this is really, you know, where this campaign is going to begin and go forward.
HOLMES: I want to go back to the piece you wrote. And I want to quote from it for people now.
You said in it, "The specter of political violence has long haunted American democracy. Tonight was a reminder that those fears are legitimate and must be taken seriously."
You've been covering Trump, as well as the White House, for you know, some time now. What -- what is your read on the country's political rhetoric, the temperature and how it's devolved over time? What have you seen yourself?
TALCOTT: I think, certainly, there's an argument to be made, without a doubt, that over the years, things have gotten much more aggressive and at times violent when it comes to the political rhetoric and even actions due to politics.
And it's something that has sort of snowballed out of control. And no one has been able to stand back and say, Hold on, wait a minute. This has gone too far.
And this seems to be the situation where now people on all sides of the aisle are, you know, coming together. Donald Trump and Joe Biden spoke the other day. We would have never expected something like that to happen.
The question is, how do we, as a country, move forward from this moment?
HOLMES: Yes.
TALCOTT: And that's going to be, I think, the ultimate question mark surrounding all of this when it comes to political rhetoric.
HOLMES: Yes, and there has been harsh rhetoric on both sides, but it does have to be said Donald Trump has sort of led the way with, you know, firing up and talking about, you know, violence and things like that.
What -- what is your read, then, on how he has responded so far to what was obviously a traumatic experience. The man nearly died. I mean, he's been remarkably quiet. And the things we have heard of being very measured.
How do you think this is playing inside the campaign, especially with the convention starting Monday? TALCOTT: You know, Donald Trump's campaign is keeping everything
extremely tight right now. His campaign advisors have sent out messages to staffers saying, don't say anything crazy online. Keep it to yourself. This is not the time to be angry and -- and you know, strike out. This is the time to take a step back and be unified.
And we're seeing how Donald Trump is really echoing that message. When Joe Biden was speaking earlier today, calling for unity, we saw Donald Trump post on his social media app, Truth Social, calling for unity in America.
And so really notable. There has been a real shift in this presidential race with how the candidates are talking about each other and are talking about, you know, ways to move forward into this election.
HOLMES: Fascinating.
Shelby Talcott in Milwaukee, really appreciate you making the time. Fascinating. Thank you.
Well, still to come on the program, our breaking news coverage continues, as investigators struggle to find a motive and President Biden delivers that rare address from the Oval Office.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:35:50]
HOLMES: Hello, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes and returning to our breaking news coverage of the assassination attempt against former U.S. President Donald Trump.
He is now in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where the Secret Service says there are no plans to tighten existing security plans.
Questions still swirling about how a gunman was able to get past law enforcement at Saturday's rally in Pennsylvania. And plans that are afoot for a congressional investigation.
The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20- year-old from Pennsylvania. But investigators are struggling to understand his motives.
The FBI says they're sifting through his life and online presence but haven't seen anything threatening yet.
Earlier, President Biden made a rare address from the Oval Office, calling on Americans to, quote, "lower the temperature in politics."
CNN's M.J. Lee with more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just one day after -- LEE (voice-over): -- an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump shocked the nation, President Biden, using a primetime Oval Office address to offer a forceful condemnation of the events of Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, saying that political violence has no place in America, no exceptions.
The president using the speech to connect the dots between some of the more recent moments of political violence in the country, including an attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband; the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill; as well as what happened on Saturday at this Trump political rally.
The president, in his remarks, called on Americans --
LEE: -- to take down the political rhetoric, saying that that had become much too heated in recent years. Take a listen.
BIDEN: There's no place in America for this kind of violence, for any violence, ever. Period. No exceptions. We can't allow this violence to be normalized.
You know, the political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that.
LEE: The president will continue to be briefed on --
LEE (voice-over): -- the ongoing federal investigation into what happened on Saturday. The White House saying that on Monday morning, he will be back in the situation room, being briefed by the various heads of federal law enforcement agencies.
And while the White House has postponed the president's trip to Texas, that was supposed to take place on Monday, he will still travel to Las Vegas in the afternoon after sitting down with Lester Holt for a sit- down interview.
Of course, even until recently, we had expected that the interview would focus a whole lot on the president's age, his fitness to serve, and the moment of political peril that he is in.
LEE: And now, of course, the backdrop of that interview is very different.
M.J. Lee, CNN, at the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Events unfolded rapidly at the rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, and chaos quickly followed. With the deeper investigation now getting underway, CNN's Tom Foreman breaks down what happened, moment by moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six-oh-four Saturday evening, before an adoring and roaring crowd, former President Donald Trump steps to the podium.
Seven and a half minutes later --
TRUMP: Take a look at what happened --
FOREMAN (voice-over): -- pandemonium. Amid a series of sharp pops, Trump touches his ear and ducks. Three seconds later, Secret Service agents are swarming in to shield him, and security snipers have opened fire on the would-be assassin.
JOSEPH MEYN, RALLY ATTENDEE: It seemed initially like firecrackers went off.
FOREMAN (voice-over): As chaos erupts among the attendees --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got a gun!
FOREMAN (voice-over): -- one rally goer sees another man has been killed, despite the rescue efforts of bystanders.
MEYN: They jumped the bleachers and started clinging on the bleachers. And then I helped carry the body of the man down out of the bleachers, and I took him to a tent behind the bleachers. We put a towel over his head, but he's deceased.
FOREMAN (voice-over): It all happens fast. Thirty seconds after the first shots ring out, the podium's microphone catches Secret Service agents coordinating Trump's evacuation from that stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold, hold. When you're ready. On you.
[00:40:06]
FOREMAN (voice-over): Then, just over a minute after the violence started, the all-clear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shooter's down?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shooter's down.
FOREMAN (voice-over): At 6:12 p.m., the agents rise with Trump and try to usher him rapidly away. But he says --
TRUMP: Let me get my shoes. Let me get my shoes.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Shortly after, he's on his way to a safe vehicle, but he tells agents to pause again. He turns to the rattled crowd in what will become an historic photo.
Soon, pictures start surfacing of what appears to be a dead gunman on a roof, not more than 500 feet away from Trump's right side as he stood on the stage.
And the much more methodical police work begins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need the public's help. Anyone who was on scene, who saw anything.
FOREMAN (voice-over): As the FBI and partners start piecing together who the assailant is, how he got there, whether he acted alone, and ultimately why he fired, an investigation that certainly will go on for months into a violent explosion of seconds.
FOREMAN: We know so much more now than we did in those first frantic moments. But it is the unknowns that will keep driving this forward. The unknowns about whether anybody else was, in any way, involved in planning or allowing this attack. And whether or not anybody should be held responsible for not stopping it.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, we're learning more about the three audience members who were shot at the rally.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, was killed. Pennsylvania's governor says Comperatore died trying to shield his family from the gunfire.
Two other men were wounded: 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, both Pennsylvania residents. Both are in hospital, now in stable condition.
There were, of course, many eyewitnesses to the shooting of Donald Trump. We'll hear from several, including the photographer who captured that amazing shot of the bullet flying past the former president after grazing his ear. That's next on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A number of people who attended the rally in Pennsylvania and witnessed the shooting and its aftermath have been speaking about the dramatic events. They tell us what they saw and how they reacted.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was up at the fence line. I saw the guy move from roof to roof, talked -- told an officer that he was on the roof. And I turned around to go back to where I was, is when the gunshots started.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody started certainly screaming, asking for a medic. And honestly, it was -- it was a bloody scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like, all of a sudden, just chaos. The -- the Secret Service immediately covered the president, jumped on top of him. And the crowd obviously, all went immediately to its -- to the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saw him stick his fist in the air and to let us know that he was OK. Still in the back of my mind, there was the thought of the individual who was shot behind us. There was the shot -- the thought of my wife, who was still on the ground. [00:45:11]0
MEYN: I think the problem is -- is we have a very -- everyone seems very angry. And, you know, it makes you kind of, you know -- I'll go to a Trump rally again, but I'll think twice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Some extraordinary and sobering testimony there from my eyewitnesses.
Well, 94 seconds passed from the first gunshot to the moment former President Trump was taken off the stage by the Secret Service.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for "The New York Times" Doug Mills was there, where he often is where news is happening: in the front row.
And he captured a chilling moment as a bullet whizzed past the former president's ear. Mills explained. You can see it there, just circled. Hopefully, you can see it on your screen.
Mills explain how the chaotic scene unfolded as he was capturing photographs of Trump by the podium, when he heard the gunshots.
Our Kaitlan Collins spoke to Mills earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOUG MILLS, PHOTOGRAPHER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I guess I was, you know, trying to put him between the flag and the podium and photographing there.
And then when he kind of gestured to his right, and I heard the pops -- you know, I don't have a gun, so I don't know what an AR-15 sounds like. Never heard one. At first, I thought it was like a motorcycle or some sort of machinery.
And then, when I saw him grab his ear and he kind of winced and then immediately went down, I thought, oh, my God, he's been shot.
Because I mean, I get chills saying it now, and it will do so much adrenaline going on then. And once he went down, my first reaction was to run around to the side and try and get a picture of him down on the ground.
And by that time I got there, he was completely covered by the Secret Service agents that are on his detail and, you know, all the staff is yelling. The Secret Service is yelling at me, yelling at all the other photographers. There were four of us in the buffer zone, as you know.
And it was pretty chaotic, and they just kept yelling, "Get down. Active shooter. Get down, get down, get down."
And I probably didn't do the safest thing, because I reacted and went straight to the stage and started shooting, just you know, taking pictures, just like a lot of the other photographers. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And could you hear what was -- what was
happening there?
MILLS: That audio I had not heard before. I mean, it's -- gives me chills. But I did not hear any. All we heard was the screaming and the woman crying.
We heard -- I did hear it -- right at the beginning when I got around the corner, I thought I heard him yelling, "Sir, down, down, down, down."
And then it was just nothing but "Get down, get down, active shooter. Get down, get down."
And then at one point, I started thinking about OK, if -- is he alive. I was just like what's going on? They're clearly covering him.
And then I thought, OK, I've got to get over to the side, because I think they're going to take him off the stairs. You and I know how that setup looks, and as many times as we've covered the president, they have to give an exit for him.
COLLINS: Yes.
MILLS: There has to be egress. So --
COLLINS: You -- and then you take this photo. I mean, this is the photo where, in that red circle, that's what appears to be the bullet that ultimately pierced his ear. Did you know that you had that photo?
MILLS: I had no idea. I mean, when I started looking through my Sony camera to try and transmit them back to the office, the first things I was thinking of is I got to get the pictures of him coming off stage showing his blood ear and that defiant fist pump that he gave.
So those were the first pictures I sent.
And we -- the pool was directed back off the stage. And when the president [SIC] left in the SUV to go to the hospital, they told us, Hey, you guys have all got to move out of here. This is an active crime scene. You've got to move. We've got to find a place for you.
So, they literally took us to the president's [SIC] hold, the tent where he normally comes -- you know, he's in there before -- before he comes on stage.
COLLINS: Was staff still in there?
MILLS: Staff was in there. There were a lot of tears in that -- in that, you know, tent. It was hard to see. A lot of members of the staff were -- were hugging each other. A lot of tears. A couple of the press people were pretty upset about it.
COLLINS: Doug, you have covered the White House and so many presidents, and you're this brilliant photographer. And I think it's always kind of in the back of your mind when you're
covering someone who obviously has a lot of threats against them. Did you ever think that you'd see an attempted assassination?
MILLS: I never dreamed of it, never thought of it, never -- you know, I was very young when Ronald Reagan, the assassination attempt against him happened. And I never, never even thought that that would ever -- it was always a possibility.
But I always thought it would be in a -- not in a secure -- what I felt like a secure situation like that, where there was so much, you know, security presence. There's police everywhere, whether they're on the roofs, or on the ground. You have local police. You have state police. You have police from out of the town. Secret Service. So, I never -- never once thought it would be -- happen right in front of me.
And I didn't -- I really didn't know that the -- that I had that picture into one of the editors, after I sent all the first pictures.
[00:50:05]
COLLINS: Yes.
MILLS: And I -- just like, oh, my gosh. I got a text back saying you won't believe what's on one of your images. And she sent -- you know, Jennifer sent it back to me and said, you know, I think we can actually see a bullet.
And I said, well, hold on until I get the actual raw image out of my camera --
COLLINS: To look.
MILLS: -- to look. And so, I put it on my laptop, and I was able to, you know, confirm and put away a lot of the conspiracy theories that were going out there, which is, you know, really hard to see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, reactions are pouring in from leaders around the world. When we come back, the global response to the assassination attempt against the former president, Donald Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: World leaders are speaking out, condemning the attempt on former President Trump's life.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both soundly condemning the shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): An attempt on the life of Donald Trump, an appalling crime, one that can only be condemned, and which shows how serious the global challenges are to democracy are right now. Violence in any form, and anywhere, must never prevail.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We all watched in shock yesterday the criminal assassination attempt
on former President Donald Trump, a U.S. presidential candidate. This is not only a heinous crime, it is also an attempt to assassinate American democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: In a rare primetime address from the Oval Office on Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden urged Americans to lower the temperature of the country's politics and commit to working together to resolve differences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Here in America, we need to get out of our silos where we only listen to those with whom we agree, where misinformation is ramping, where foreign actors fan the flames of our division to shape the outcomes consistent with their interests, not ours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: For more on the global reaction, CNN's Marc Stewart joins me now from Beijing.
Marc, you're there. The U.S. has accused China of interference in the past. How does its response play into this?
MARC STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Michael.
I should point out that those remarks we just heard from President Biden certainly have a role in this conversation about the Chinese reaction, which on the surface appears to be very safe and very sterile with Xi Jinping urging -- giving condolences and expressing concern toward Donald Trump.
Yet at the same time, this is a topic that is, you know, firing up on social media. It's also a big part of coverage in state media, which you can argue is essentially a messenger service for the Chinese government.
So, these remarks by President Biden talking about foreign actors fanning the flames, this all intersects, especially when it comes to China.
Let me show you some examples that we are seeing so far in Chinese state media. First, I want to show you an editorial from "China Daily." It's an English publication by Chinese state media.
The headline reading "Trump Incident Reflects U.S. Polarized Divisions." A commentary from Chinese state media to promote this theme of political discord in the United States. Another example from another publication, China's "Global Times," also
in English: "Shooting at Trump Rally Shows Rising Political Violence as U.S. Divides Even Further."
[00:55:
Again, these are all tools for China to discredit the American political system to the world and, of course, to the Chinese population.
And then we've been talking about the response that we have been seeing in Chinese social media, the chatter that has been lighting up.
And we should point out that, in general, Chinese social media is heavily censored by the government, but in these recent hours, we are seeing in some remarks, particularly those that are showing the U.S. In a negative light, that are not necessarily filtered.
In particular, we saw on Weibo, which is China's version of X or Twitter. One quote saying, "What democracy and freedom? I now think elections in other countries are not so different from talent shows. The world is but a circus." A comment that, again, is discrediting the American political system.
But we've also seen some more benign comments, someone calling the U.S. political system a house of cards.
We've also seen remarks about gun violence in the United States and how this incident may actually bolster Donald Trump's chances in the election. Some people felt that he came across looking strong. Others are calling him lucky.
Just a collection, Michael, of what we're seeing here in Beijing.
HOLMES: All right, Marc Stewart in Beijing. Appreciate it. Good to see you, my friend. Thank you.
Now in the wake of the assassination attempt, civil rights advocate Martin Luther King III is calling for Americans to rise above their divisions.
In an interview with CNN, he said the attempt on Trump's life offers the nation an opportunity to change course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN LUTHER KING III, CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE: This is another dark period that our nation is facing, and we have to intentionally decide that we're going to do differently and better. The nation must find a way to rise above division, fear and hatred. And yet, we've not identified that.
But this gives us an opportunity, a unique opportunity to say we're going to rise above this. We are so much better than the behavior we're exhibiting. We don't have the luxury of continuing down this path. This path, we
will not survive. In fact, Dad would say we must learn non-violence, or we may face nonexistence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on X and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. Stick around. I'll be back with more of our breaking news coverage in just a moment.
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