Former US President Donald Trump was attacked during an election rally in Pennsylvania. Despite sustaining an injury, Trump’s spirits appeared high. A bullet grazed the upper part of his right ear, causing bleeding. The incident has sparked a debate over whether Trump’s survival was a result of divine intervention, with some attributing his escape to divine power.
The conversation gained traction on social media platform X, where a user named Matt Wallace called Trump’s survival a “miracle.” Wallace shared a photo showing a bullet passing just a few inches away from Trump. Wallace claimed that Trump turned his head just before the bullet passed, saving his life. He captioned the photo, “Unreal! The bullet is clearly visible in this photo. If Trump had not turned his head at the right time, he would have lost his life. Divine intervention!”
UNREAL
This photo literally shows the bullet… IF TRUMP HADN’T TURNED HIS HEAD AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, HE WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW ⚠️
DIVINE INTERVENTION‼️ pic.twitter.com/abrDxvGt4J
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) July 14, 2024
Adding a deeper spiritual layer to the discourse, Kolkata ISKCON Vice President Radharaman Das drew a connection between the attack and the ongoing celebration of the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival. Das recalled a significant event 48 years ago when Trump, amidst personal challenges, supported the Rath Yatra festival in New York by providing his train yard for free to manufacture chariots. In a tweet, Radharaman Das posited, “Today, as the world celebrates the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival again, Trump was attacked, and Jagannath returned the favor by saving him.”
Trump himself recounted the harrowing experience on his Truth Social account, noting the sound of gunfire and the moment he realized he had been hit. “There was a rustling sound, and after hearing the sound of bullets, I immediately understood that something was wrong. The bullet grazed the upper part of my right ear,” he shared.
Precisely 48 years after Trump’s gesture of support for the Rath Yatra festival, the attack’s timing has resonated deeply among those who view events through a spiritual lens. Supporters and spiritual leaders alike have interpreted the incident as a testament to divine protection and repayment of a karmic debt owed by Bhagwan Jagannath.
The assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, has become the centre of investigations probing his motivations behind this tragic act of violence.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been identified by the FBI as the lone gunman in the assassination attempt. Crooks, described as a registered Republican, had a clean background check and no known history of mental health issues or violent behaviour. State voter records indicate that he donated $15 to a Democratic political action committee when he was 17, an act that, while curious, does not suggest any clear political affiliation or extremist ideology.
At the time of the shooting, Crooks was employed as a dietary aide at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. His employers described him as performing his job without concern, further deepening the mystery surrounding his actions. The FBI has not found any threatening language or signs of radicalization on his social media accounts, adding to the complexity of understanding his motives.
On the day of the shooting, Crooks positioned himself on the roof of a manufacturing plant, approximately 130 yards from the stage where Trump was addressing his supporters. Armed with a legally purchased AR-15-style rifle, Crooks opened fire, grazing Trump’s right ear, fatally wounding Corey Comperatore, and critically injuring two others.
Residents of Bethel Park, where Crooks lived, expressed shock at the news. “It’s a little crazy to think that somebody that did an assassination attempt is that close, but it just kind of shows the political dynamic that we’re in right now with the craziness on each side,” said Wes Morgan, 42, describing Bethel Park as “a pretty blue-collar type of area.”
Crooks’ family and acquaintances have expressed shock and disbelief at his actions. Neighbours described him as quiet, with no apparent signs of aggression or extremist tendencies. Bethel Park residents, like Wes Morgan, voiced their surprise: “It’s a little crazy to think that somebody that made an assassination attempt is that close, but it just kind of shows the political dynamic that we’re in right now with the craziness on each side.”
The rifle used in the attack was legally purchased and believed to have been bought by Crooks’ father. A suspicious device was also found in Crooks’ vehicle, which was inspected and rendered safe by bomb technicians.
The swift response from the Secret Service counter-sniper team resulted in Crooks being neutralized with a direct headshot. The dramatic footage of the incident shows the Secret Service agents swarming the stage to protect Trump and evacuate him to safety.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced an investigation into the incident, calling for a thorough review of the Secret Service’s protocols and response. “My prayers are with President Trump and the victims of the assassination attempt at today’s rally in Pennsylvania. I thank the brave Secret Service members who put their lives at risk to protect President Trump and for the American patriots in the audience who helped others who were hurt,” Comer stated.
As the investigation continues, the dramatic footage and Trump’s defiant gesture testify to the tensions and dangers inherent in the current political climate. The swift and decisive action of the Secret Service likely prevented a far graver outcome, highlighting the critical importance of security for public figures in volatile times.
Trump, 78, arrived in Milwaukee on July 14, where he will be formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate later this week. The former president, visibly resilient, descended the stairs from his plane, pumping his fist in the air several times. “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’ve been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, ordered a review of how a 20-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle got close enough to shoot at Trump from a rooftop. As a former president, Trump has lifetime protection by the U.S. Secret Service. In a televised address from the Oval Office, Biden condemned the violence, calling for national unity. “There is 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,” he said.
Biden and Trump spoke to each other on July 13, the night after the shooting. According to a White House official, First Lady Jill Biden also spoke with former First Lady Melania Trump on July 14 in the afternoon. Former President Obama also condemned the incident, emphasizing the importance of civility and respect in politics, and wished Trump a quick recovery.
While mass shootings at schools, nightclubs, and other public places are common in the United States, the attack was the first shooting of a U.S. president or major party presidential candidate since the 1981 attempted assassination of Republican President Ronald Reagan. Americans fear rising political violence, with two out of three respondents to a recent survey saying they worried violence could follow the election.
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