SLO County Republican and Democratic parties respond to failed Trump assassination attempt

President George W. Bush, was the last known assassination target known to the public, in 2005

NATIONAL — It was a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that gripped the nation on Saturday night, July 13. During a political campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old shooter failed in his attempt to kill the former president and current presidential candidate — but he did succeed in killing one innocent bystander sitting in the crowd that evening.

“I would like to start by extending my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who was killed during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, as well as those who were injured during this senseless act of violence,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in a statement following the event. “Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former President Donald Trump.”

According to an article from AP News, two more were injured during the shooting: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, both towns outside Pittsburgh. Each man was listed in stable condition Sunday.

Right before the incident, Trump spoke vigorously to the crowd; when gunshots rang, his hand went immediately to his right ear before Secret Service members jumped onto the former president, covering him and taking him to the ground until shots finished.

When Trump rose and as Secret Service members rushed him out of the rally and into a black SUV, he pumped his fist, blood splattered on his face, and mouthed to the crowed, “Fight!” He was rushed to a hospital but was determined early on to be in stable condition.

The shooter, who was soon killed by Secret Service members following the mayhem, was identified as Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He reportedly used an AR-15 that belonged to his father.

Many questions still surround the shooter’s motives and how the incident transpired — questions have been surrounding the integrity of the Secret Service meant to protect the former president as witnesses have now come forward saying they tried to warn law enforcement they saw the shooter on the roof. The shooting is now under investigation by the FBI.

“I urge everyone — everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations,” said President Joe Biden from the White House on Sunday. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job. I’veinstructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”

According to reports, some rally spectators noticed Crooks acting strangely and then climbing onto a roof of the nearby building. A local police officer was hoisted onto the edge of the roof only to suddenly drop back down when Crooks turned to point the rifle at him just and then turned back to his main target at the rally.

In her statement following the shooting, Cheatle said, “The incident in Pennsylvania has understandably led to questions about potential updates or changes to the security for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The U.S. Secret Service, in conjunction with our federal, state, and local law enforcement and public safety partners, designs operational security plans for National Special Security Events (NSSE) to be dynamic in order to respond to a kinetic security environment and the most up-to-date intelligence from our partners.”

Paso Robles Press reached out to both the San Luis Obispo County Republican Party (SLOCRP) and Democratic Party (SLOCDP) chairmen for their reaction to the events of July 13.

SLOCRP Chair Randall Jordan has served as the party’s chairman since 2017. He recalls the unfolding events of July 13, similar to that of when President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

“The assassination attempt — just like everyone else that is looking for change and hoping and praying for our President Trump to be re-elected, was scary. That’s the only word I can use. When it happened, I was in my car, and they cut into the news programming to announce it.

“And I just had the fear that we weren’t being told everything and that the minor blood and basically what happened with the being shot in the ear was only the tip of the iceberg as to what really happened to President Trump. So I was just very fearful that just like with President [Ronald] Reagan, we didn’t really know all the truth as to how serious his injuries were until much later.

“I am just shocked and appalled. I can’t say that I’m surprised. There’s so much hate out there for President Trump that I felt that something was going to happen, and it did happen.

“The folks that are called conservatives or right-wing nationalists or whatever we’re called these days, we are supposed to be the intolerant ones, and we would never wish this on anyone. There’s just a lot of hate. Seems like a lot of hate and a lot of bad blood on the other side towards anyone that has an opposing position to them.

So, I thank God, and I think it was a divine intervention that caused President Trump to turn his head. And I am so grateful that he came through this okay.

“We’ll see how it turns out in the election. I still think that we have a very big problem in this country, in this county with voting being true and the election process being transparent and truthful.”

SLOCDP Chair Tom Fulks shared the following response to the assassination attempt:

“The San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party condemns unconditionally this shocking act of violence against not just former President Trump, but against all Americans who believe ballots are more powerful than bullets.

“Such despicable behavior has no place in a civilized world. We grieve for those who lost their loved one, and hold the injured in our thoughts and prayers. No matter our background, zip code, or political party, most of us believe violence has no place in our political process. Most of us also believe gun violence has no place in our communities.

“Voters in this election have a chance to reject a MAGA movement that relies on extremist rhetoric that feeds, foments, and encourages an atmosphere of looming violence. We can choose instead to be a country where no one fears for their lives or their loved ones.

“We can choose to be a country where we’ve banned easily accessible, military-grade weapons of war — like that used at the MAGA rally last Saturday — so they’re not used against schoolchildren or politicians, movie goers or concert attendees.

“We can choose to be a country where the people who represent us respect our freedoms — to live without fear of being singled out for who we love or what we look like, to cast our votes and have our election results respected, and to decide for ourselves in counsel with our doctors and clergy what our futures will hold.

“We all deserve to live our lives, move through our communities, and engage in our political process peacefully — no matter whether we are running for office or through a school hallway.”

Our 43rd President, George W. Bush, was the last known assassination attempt known to the public.

Bush was attending a rally in 2005 with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili when a hand grenade was throwntoward him. Fortunately, during that incident, no one was hurt, and the grenade did not explode.

In March 1981, President Reagan was shot in the shoulder by John Hinckley Jr. while walking to his motorcade. These are just a few failed attempts on U.S. presidents, and of course, they stand among a few successful attempts.

Paso Robles Press will keep readers updated as more information becomes available.

Feature Image: Former President Donald Trump and 2024 presidential candidate yells “Fight” while being rushed off stage by Secret Service after being shot at during a rally in Butler, PA. Photo by Associated Press

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A look at the history of presidential assassination attempts in America

At the Trump rally, it was evening sun, songs and blue sky. Then came bullets, screams and blood