A disturbing video has emerged on social media platform X, shedding new light on the July 13 incident where a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
The video, posted by user C3PMeme, provides a shockingly close-up view of the moment the shot was fired. In the slowed-down footage, the would-be assassin, now identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, can be seen aiming his weapon directly at the center of Trump’s head from a short distance away as the former president addressed the crowd. Just as Crooks pulls the trigger, Trump happens to slightly turn his head to glance at the jumbotron displaying immigration statistics. This split-second, serendipitous movement caused the bullet to narrowly miss, grazing Trump’s ear.
This footage provides a chilling reminder of just how close the country came to witnessing the assassination of a former president. As Trump’s Secret Service detail rushed to subdue the shooter, stunned rallygoers were heard screaming in horror as they processed what unfolded before their eyes. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump credits the immigration statistics chart for saving his life, stating “If I hadn’t pointed at that chart and turned my head to look at it, that bullet would have hit me right in the head.”
The man who opened fire at a Donald Trump rally in western Pennsylvania, grazing the former president and killing one attendee, has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park. Crooks. He was positioned on the roof of a nearby building and unleashed a hail of bullets from an AR-15 assault rifle just minutes into Trump’s speech. The gunfire sent the crowd of thousands scrambling for cover as the scene played out live on national news. While Trump suffered only a minor injury, two rally-goers were wounded and firefighter Corey Comperatore tragically lost his life. Secret Service snipers quickly neutralized Crooks with a shot to the head, preventing further carnage.
In an era of deep polarization, where partisan rhetoric often veers into the apocalyptic, it’s hard not to see this incident t as a symptom of a larger malaise. Of course, heated political debate is nothing new. From the Founding Fathers onward, American politics has always been a contact sport. But in recent years, it feels like we’ve crossed a line – when disagreement morphs into demonization, when political opponents are cast not just as wrong but as evil, is it any wonder that some troubled souls might take that message to heart?
However, the responsibility for this heinous act lies squarely with the shooter. No amount of fiery rhetoric can excuse the choice to pick up a gun and take innocent lives.