Trump assassination attempt: What we know


Jihan Abdalla
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Donald Trump was shot during a rally on Saturday, in an assassination attempt that has rattled the US as it heads towards the presidential elections in November.

What happened?

Trump, a Republican who is running against Democratic President Joe Biden, was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when shots were fired.

Secret Service agents quickly surrounded him, lifting him to his feet after he ducked behind a podium. Gunshots could still be heard as the agents escorted him off the stage.

  • Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by US Secret Service agents and helped off stage at a campaign rally. AP Photo
    Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by US Secret Service agents and helped off stage at a campaign rally. AP Photo
  • Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler. AP Photo
    Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler. AP Photo
  • Members of the crowd react as US Secret Service agents surround Trump at the campaign event in Butler. AP Photo
    Members of the crowd react as US Secret Service agents surround Trump at the campaign event in Butler. AP Photo
  • Trump is helped off stage by US Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler. AP Photo
    Trump is helped off stage by US Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler. AP Photo
  • Trump supporters laying in the stands after shots were fired at the campaign event. AFP
    Trump supporters laying in the stands after shots were fired at the campaign event. AFP
  • People scatter after gunfire rang out during the campaign rally in Pennsylvania. AFP
    People scatter after gunfire rang out during the campaign rally in Pennsylvania. AFP
  • Trump is rushed off stage after an incident during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. EPA
    Trump is rushed off stage after an incident during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. EPA
  • Blood is seen in the stands after shots were fired at Trump's campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. AFP
    Blood is seen in the stands after shots were fired at Trump's campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. AFP
  • Trump reacts as shots ring out during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Reuters
    Trump reacts as shots ring out during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Reuters
  • Secret Service agents dive to cover Trump after shots were heard. AP
    Secret Service agents dive to cover Trump after shots were heard. AP
  • Trump is covered by Secret Service agents on stage. AP
    Trump is covered by Secret Service agents on stage. AP
  • Trump is rushed off stage. EPA
    Trump is rushed off stage. EPA
  • Trump is shown covered by Secret Service agents. AFP
    Trump is shown covered by Secret Service agents. AFP
  • Blood can be seen on Trump's head after shots were heard. AFP
    Blood can be seen on Trump's head after shots were heard. AFP
  • Trump is taken away from rally. ABC/ US Network Pool / Reuters
    Trump is taken away from rally. ABC/ US Network Pool / Reuters
  • Supporters look on as Trump is rushed off stage. EPA
    Supporters look on as Trump is rushed off stage. EPA
  • Trump is pushed into a vehicle by Secret Service agents. AP
    Trump is pushed into a vehicle by Secret Service agents. AP
  • A person is removed by state police from the stands after the shooting. AFP
    A person is removed by state police from the stands after the shooting. AFP
  • Secret Service agents surround the stage. AP
    Secret Service agents surround the stage. AP
  • Secret Service agents patrol after the incident. Reuters
    Secret Service agents patrol after the incident. Reuters
  • A Secret Service agent gives directions at the Trump rally. Getty Images / AFP
    A Secret Service agent gives directions at the Trump rally. Getty Images / AFP
  • The stage after the shooting. Reuters
    The stage after the shooting. Reuters
  • People watch the Trump rally on TV. AP
    People watch the Trump rally on TV. AP
  • A monitor displays news from Trump's rally. Bloomberg
    A monitor displays news from Trump's rally. Bloomberg
  • Trump gestures he leaves the stage at the campaign rally. AP Photo
    Trump gestures he leaves the stage at the campaign rally. AP Photo

The gunman was killed by law enforcement, and one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.

The assailant was later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania, but investigators said they had not identified a motive and were looking into the possibility that others may have been involved in the assassination attempt.

Trump was rushed to the hospital with blood streaming from his right ear.

US media reported scenes of “chaos” at the rally. Images showed chairs knocked over and yellow police tape around the stage.

What has Trump said?

Trump thanked the Secret Service for their response and expressed his condolences to the family of the person who was killed, on Truth Social.

“I was shot with a bullet that pieced the upper part of my right ear,” he wrote.

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.

“Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening.”

In a post on Sunday, he thanked those who had sent their thoughts and prayers.

"We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families," he wrote.

"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win."

What has Biden said?

Mr Biden, who was in Rehoboth, Delaware, for the weekend, condemned the shooting.

“There is no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick,” Mr Biden said in an emergency briefing.

“It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening.

“We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”

What has the Secret Service said?

The Secret Service said the gunman had fired several shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue.

The agency said that the incident is being investigated by the FBI, but since then has offered few other details on the attack.

Videos on social media appeared to show the gunman taking up his position on a building roof and bystanders shouting in an attempt to alert security.

At a press conference of security and law agencies, Kevin Rojek, who runs the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, said it was "surprising" that security had apparently identified the location of the gunman, but failed to open fire on him before he shot at Trump.

The Secret Service were not present at the conference.

"They do the initial security assessments and determine where the different security locations should be,” Mr Rojek said. “And they’re the ones who are in charge of securing the scene.”

Separately, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department runs the Secret Service, said his officials were re-evaluating the security of the Biden and Trump campaigns and “taking every possible measure to ensure their safety".

Police told AP that an "AR-15-style rifle" had been recovered at the scene. The AR-15 is a similar weapon to the military M16 assault rifle, but lacks some features, such as fully automatic firing.

What happens next?

The Trump campaign and the Republican National Convention said that Trump is “doing well” and looks forward to attending the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

He is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican nominee during the event.

The Biden campaign said it would temporarily pause television advertisements and other communications.

A number of Republican members of Congress have called for an investigation into the shooting as well as the events surrounding it.

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, said that members of the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI will be invited to give evidence at hearings in the near future.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who took on the role in 2022 after 25 years in the service, will testify on July 22.

The biog

Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed

Age: 34

Emirate: Dubai

Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"

MATCH INFO

Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)

Delhi won the match by 11 runs

RESULTS

1.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winners: Hyde Park, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)

2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard

2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

3.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh72,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

4.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh64,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Obeyaan, Adrie de Vries, Mujeeb Rehman

4.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

IF YOU GO

The flights

FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.

The tours

English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people. 

The hotels

Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.

St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.

 

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The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):

British group

Coldplay

Foals

Bring me the Horizon

D-Block Europe

Bastille

British Female

Mabel

Freya Ridings

FKA Twigs

Charli xcx

Mahalia​

British male

Harry Styles

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Michael Kiwanuka

Stormzy​

Best new artist

Aitch

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Mabel

Sam Fender

Best song

Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care

Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up

Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant

Dave - Location

Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove

Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved

Tom Walker - Just You and I

Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger

Stormzy - Vossi Bop

International female

Ariana Grande

Billie Eilish

Camila Cabello

Lana Del Rey

Lizzo

International male

Bruce Springsteen

Burna Boy

Tyler, The Creator

Dermot Kennedy

Post Malone

Best album

Stormzy - Heavy is the Head

Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka

Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent

Dave - Psychodrama

Harry Styles - Fine Line

Rising star

Celeste

Joy Crookes

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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

TOURNAMENT INFO

Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

Major matches on Manic Monday

Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)

Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)

Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: July 15, 2024, 12:22 PM