The US election campaign takes a deadly turn- with Trump and his new Vice President choice surging in the polls after the assassination attempt, and pressure building on President Biden to step aside for another candidate- what are the major issues for voters, and what will decision 2024 in the US mean for India?

This week we are looking at the turmoil in America- with less than 4 months to election day, it seems nothing is certain, not even who the final candidate lineup may be

First- to the shocking assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump as he was giving a speech in Pennsylvania. Pumping his fist as he was taken away from the stage, Trump was recast as an American hero, seeing a further bump in his ratings. Trump is the third US President to have been injured in an assassination attempt, four Presidents have been killed in the past

Second- Trump announced his Vice-Presidential candidate- JD Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegies, married to Usha Chilukuri , daughter of Indian immigrants. Vance was a never-trumper, now a US Senator, who endorsed Trump whole heartedly at the Republican National Convention this week

Finally, Trump was formally nominated at the RNC- he accepted, with a message of unity, which included a few swipes at the Biden administration

Across the political battlefield- the Democrats and President Joseph Biden have had compounding problems with the campaign

First, a disastrous Biden-Trump debate which sparked concerns about Biden’s frail health and grip on issues, which Biden sought to dispel

Followed by criticism over the Trump assassination bid and faulty security, even being blamed for instigating the assassin, who was actually a registered republican

And then, President Biden was hit by Covid, and had to quarantine right when he should have been out campaigning.

So if Trump is up, and Biden down, is he also out? Thats the big question- 

The triple whammy has convinced many senior democrats to push Biden to step down from the candidature which could happen quickly- who could take over? It could either be VP Pick Kamala Harris, or an open convention to select the new team anytime up to the DNC August 19-22.

Here are the latest polls then- as you can see when you scroll, it’s at present all red- with Trump up between 2 and 6 points.

What according to voters polled are the big issues?

1. Inflation and unemployment

2. Immigration

3. Access to abortion/ reproductive rights

4. Gun violence/Gun rights

5. Climate change/energy

6. Israel/Gaza*

7. Russia/Ukraine

8. Trade and Tariffs- China

9. Taxes

10. Crime figures

Impact on India – of those 10 issues, 5 have foreign policy implications, that could actually impact India

1. Trump’s promise of a crackdown on immigrant numbers and illegal aliens, closing the borders is likely to be of concern, as also the violence that anti-immigrant speech spurs.

2. Biden pushed for green energy, funding India’s renewable transition, whereas Trump, who walked out of the Paris accords last time around will push for more oil- in his words, drill, baby, drill

3. On Israel/Gaza, Trump will probably pay less heed to civilian casualties of Palestinians, but may push Israel more for a deal for a ceasefire, including with Saudi Arabia, as he did in the past, and get tougher on Iran- India watching closely what either can do to bring peace and actualize the IMEEC corridor

4. Biden has committed to funding Ukraine for as long as it takes, and taken a stern view of India-Russia ties and PM Modi’s Moscow visit, so a Trump win will be a relief for New Delhi, especially given the criticism from US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti last week, about India and strategic autonomy

5. And on China, Trump policy is likely to be tougher on China when it comes to trade and tariffs, but perhaps not as hard on Taiwan and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea- judging by comments his Vice President nominee made recently. Trump revived the Quad, but Biden raised its profile, and given it is India’s turn to host the Quad summit next, New Delhi will be keen to see the new president visit here soon.

No mention of India in Trump’s RNC speech, but on 3 other issues, India will watch closely

6. Human Rights- Trump won’t push India on Human Rights issues the way the Biden administration has – religious freedom etc., although Trump is likely to be more intrusive on the issue of India’s cutting FCRA licenses to Christian charities that form his base.

7. Pannun case- While the trial in the Pannun case will go on regardless of who is in power, it is possible a Trump administration will be easier on the public messaging over transnational repression

8. Transfer of technology- Biden has committed to transferring technology to India without strings attached, whereas Trump might want to extract more assurances impose costs to the deal- as he has done in the past, even threatening sanctions over India’s oil imports from Iran, which the Modi government acceded to

WV Take:

The next few months will see more turmoil in the US elections- at a time the India-US relationship is seeing a slump of sorts, that isn’t good news, but no matter who wins the elections, there is ample opportunity to pick up ties, given that New Delhi has dealt well with both the Trump Administration as well as the Biden ones. All eyes now will be on whether there will be a new contender to deal with from the Democrats, and what their track record on foreign policy and India ties says.

WV Reading Recommendations:

On Trump and Biden:

The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future by Franklin Foer

The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House by Chris Whipple

PERIL by Bob Woodward, also Fear and Rage

All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way Hardcover – Import, 30 July 2024 by Fred C. Trump III

The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict by Elbridge A. Colby

The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore American Foreign Policy After Trump by Alexander Ward

On India-US ties:

Open Embrace: India-US Ties: India-US Ties in a Divided World by Varghese K. George

Friends with Benefits: The India-US Story by Seema Sirohi

A Matter Of Trust: India-US Relations from Truman to Trump by Meenakshi Ahamed

Script and Presentation: Suhasini Haidar

Production: Gayatri Menon and Shibu Narayan

For the 725,000 Indian immigrants living in the U.S. without a visa, the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants, President Joe Biden’s recent executive order on immigration brings much-needed relief. It eases the path to employment and citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, or ‘dreamers’, that is, undocumented residents who were brought to the US as children. Around 2,000 of such “dreamers” in the US are Indian, and they are now eligible to apply for employment-based visas, like the H1-B. The executive order also lifted some application requirements for undocumented spouses of US citizens. However, for the nearly 1.6 million Indian citizens residing legally in the U.S., neither Biden nor Trump have delivered meaningful reforms, though both presidential candidates have indicated support for high-skilled, employment-based immigration from India.

Dip Patel is a “documented dreamer.” Brought to the US as a child by Indian parents on H1-B visas, he faced self-deportation (voluntary departure from the country in advance of legal proceedings) at the age of 21 if he did not qualify for an employment visa. “When I was in high school, I realised that every decision and choice that I was making would impact my ability to remain in the country,” he said. “Later, I would learn that this is something that’s affecting not just me but thousands of people like me.” 

Narrow Avenues

Patel founded Improve the Dream, a youth-led grassroots organisation, to advocate for around 2 lakh “documented dreamers” in the US, most of whom are Indian-American. These are immigrants like Patel who face self-deportation because their parents did not receive a green card – for which the wait could be 134 years – before they turned 21. The H1-B lottery, the primary pathway to remaining in the states for ‘documented dreamers’, had an approval rate of 14.6% in FY2024.

“With the current lottery system, the chance of visa approval is very low, and that’s going to go down even more, since there’s going to be many more DACA recipients applying,” says Patel. “And that’s absolutely not to say that they don’t deserve that opportunity – rather that the administration must prioritise [systemic reform].” Indians were granted 74.1% of H1-B visas in 2021, which remains the primary mode of immigration from India to the US.

“Nothing good has happened in 34 years,” says Charles Foster, senior immigration advisor to George Bush and Barack Obama, and former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (famously portrayed in Mao’s Last Dancer). “I’ve known Biden since I supported his first presidential campaign in 1988, and his heart is in the right position. [But] Congress has not enacted major legislation on immigration since 1990.”

Immigration Still A Sticky Issue

Congresswoman Deborah Ross, member of the House India Caucus and immigration subcommittee of the Judiciary committee, is one of the staunchest advocates in the Congress immigration reform. “The good news is that we now have bipartisan, bicameral legislation to include ‘documented dreamers’ with the original dreamers…that passed the House twice. But we are not moving on immigration issues because of the political fights and the fights over the border,” she said. Patel added that “any sort of immigration bill is very, very hard right now [due to Republican opposition]”.

The pressing issue is the annual cap of H1-B issuances to 65,000 a year, and country quotas on green cards of 7%, which means that no single country can receive more than 7% of the annual employment-based green card allotment. For the 1.1 million Indians stuck in the green card backlog, this could mean a lifetime of waiting; for the thousands of Indian applicants in the H1-B lottery, it could mean deportation.

“The problem is that the right wing of the Republican Party is not willing to admit that we need more workers and more skilled workers in this country,” says Rep. Ross. “I absolutely believe voters that care about positive immigration reform are being completely overlooked. I have a growing Asian-American and Latino community in my district. Every time I talk to the Chamber of Commerce, I hear about this issue. It’s the number one issue for the hospitality and restaurant industry.”

‘I Need Staff’

Kiran Verma, one of the most celebrated Indian chefs in America, who was invited to the White House by the Obamas, says: “I have been running Kiran’s in Houston for over two decades and never has the situation been so dire with a dearth of trained manpower. I need chefs, I need wait staff, I need managers. It used to be so much easier to get them from India. Now, even the best talent can’t come because the process is so cumbersome.”

Trump, however, is even less likely than Biden to be an ally for Indian immigrants, even if they are college-educated. “He said things like this even before his last term, but his actual record shows that he made it worse for legal immigrants,” said Patel. “He walked back his claims about green cards the very next day.” Project 2025, the recently released policy playbook for a second Trump presidency, proposes to use backlog numbers to trigger the automatic suspension of application intake for large categories, among other restrictions on immigration.

The question remains whether positive immigration reform will be a decisive factor in the election, particularly at a time when support for Biden among Indian-American voters has declined by 19% since the debate. Even for Indian-Americans who support Trump, immigration remains an important issue. Jugal Malani, CEO of Unique Group Industries and president of India House Houston (and organiser of Howdy Modi in 2019), says that while he does still support Trump in 2024, “I absolutely support immigration reform: this country runs on immigrants.”

The Risk Of Losing Talent

Rep. Ross said, “I was in India less than a year ago. And what I heard was that the younger people in India, many of whom have come to my district for advanced degrees and to do amazing work, now don’t think it’s worth it. And so they’re staying in India, and India, frankly, likes that.” Indeed, there was a 38% drop in overall H1-B applications for FY2025. “We’re going to lose talent – and when we lose talent, we lose our competitiveness,” she said.

Verma agrees. “My journey would not have been fulfilled had the immigration laws been the same as today. The promise of the American dream must go on. I hope we can fix the issue with whoever comes to power this November in the White House,” he says.

(Maya Prakash is a New York Times award-winning writer, and a student at Williams College, Massachusetts and Oxford University.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Milwaukee, US:

US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement on his re-election bid, with several senior Democratic leaders suggesting that he leave the race following his disastrous debate performance, a failed assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump, his poor health, and falling poll numbers, according to media reports.

“Several people close to President Biden said on Thursday that they believe he has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race, bowing to the growing demands of many anxious members of his party,” The New York Times reported.

Biden, 81, is spending time at his Delaware residence in isolation after he was tested positive for COVID-19. Media reports said that top leaders of the Democratic party, including former president Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have asked him to leave the presidential race, in the absence of which the party risks losing the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“People close to top Democrats said Thursday that it now appeared it was a matter of when—not if—Biden bows out of the presidential race. In the past day or so, former President Barack Obama has told friends who have called him that Biden’s path to victory is narrow, according to people familiar with the calls,” The NYT report said.

The Washington Post reported Thursday night that Pelosi has stepped up her behind-the-scenes role in working to persuade the president to bow out of campaign. Obama has said that he has a very slight chance of winning the race.

According to The Hill, Vice President Kamala Harris has started looking for options for her running mate. The three being talked about right now are Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

Most of the media reports said that Biden’s announcement on his re-election bid might come after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

“One of the people close to him warned that the president had not yet made up his mind to leave the race after three weeks of insisting that almost nothing would drive him out. But another said that ‘reality is setting in’, and that it would not be a surprise if Mr Biden made an announcement soon endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement,” The NYT reported. PTI LKJ SCY SCY

Even before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, American politics was churning. But after the dramatic developments of last week, it’s spinning in a way few could have foreseen. Even as President Joe Biden is getting weaker by the day, Trump seems to be gaining an unstoppable momentum. As per internal polling of the Democrats, Biden is losing ground to Trump in 14 key states, including the five that Biden won in 2020 –  Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. His numbers are shaky in Colorado, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico, Virginia and New Hampshire after his disastrous debate performance.

The Democratic Party remains badly divided with growing fears among its rank and file that, in light of the debate, Biden is in no position to defeat Trump and that he will leave other Democrats on the ballot in November vulnerable too. Voices are growing within the Party asking Biden to step aside, with senior party officials like Rep. Adam Schiff of California making an open case that “a second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November”. Biden is fighting back but is struggling in convincing his own party about his suitability for the top job.

The GOP Convention

His opponent, meanwhile, is basking in the glory of a convention where his past critics are now coming together to anoint him as the party’s nominee more formally. All those like Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio, who till a few months back were targeting Trump at the Republican primaries, have now ended up endorsing him unequivocally. Trump with a bandage over his ears and his supporters shouting “Fight, fight, fight!” at the Republican National Convention is a powerful imagery for a nation that a few days back was debating the suitability of a candidate who incited the January 6 insurrection at Capitol Hill.  

The confusion in the Republican party was apparent when after J.D. Vance, a former Never Trumper who had, in 2016, wondered whether Trump might be “America’s Hitler”, was confirmed as the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee. He faced racist attacks from far-right commentators because of his wife’s Indian heritage. The upholders of the ‘Make America Great Again’ movement are finding it difficult to reconcile Vance’s multicultural family with their core agenda of anti-immigration.

Fundamental Challenges

Political polarisation in the US has led to some fundamental challenges being faced by both the Republicans and the Democrats. The demonisation of the other side has led to a situation where even after an assassination attempt, vitriol continues to flow and there is no attempt at reconciliation.

Though the theme of the Republican convention this week is about unity, there is no place in today’s Republican rank and file for those who have a different vision for the US than Trump’s. Any challenge to Trump is about challenging the party as the former president has ensured that the Republican Party today is more reflective of his views than a broad tent organisation.

After the assassination attempt on Trump, Vance wrote: “Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Trump’s own role in vitiating the political climate in the US has been conveniently forgotten by his supporters.

Though President Biden called on the Americans last week to rein in the political debate, arguing that “[It] must never be a battlefield and, God forbid, a killing field”, and warning that “no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence”, it’s not readily evident who is listening. Trump’s ability to tap into the sense of grievance and persecution felt by middle America has thwarted any attempt by the Biden administration and the Democrats more generally to craft a political narrative that can shift the momentum in their favour. And now after the attack on Trump, it has become even more difficult as the image of a defiant former President with blood streaked across his face stands in stark contrast to a fumbling feeble Biden unable to articulate a coherent thought.

November is still far away. Even a day is a long time in politics. The Democratic Party can still regroup and present a serious challenge to Trump. But there is no denying the fact that the last two weeks have upended the US Presidential elections in fundamental ways and will leave a strong mark on American politics whichever way the political winds blow in the coming days.

(Harsh V Pant is Vice-President for Studies and Foreign Policy at ORF.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

Sikh Republican Harmeet Dhillon delivered a prayer at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Monday. Ms Dhillon, a religious-liberty lawyer and former Donald Trump campaign adviser, told the Milwaukee audience that she comes from a family of Sikh immigrants. She shared a prayer from her faith tradition, which translates to, “This body and soul are yours. You are our mother and father, and we are your children. In your grace and through your benevolence, we experience peace and happiness!” 

She then thanked God for protecting Donald Trump, who was shot at on Sunday at a Pennsylvania rally. She said, “We thank you, dear God, for protecting his life.”

However, some conservative Christians on X criticised Ms Dhillon’s prayer, saying it was “unacceptable” and that she was praying to a “foreign god.” 

ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/Vxiq4NSZdi

— George (@BehizyTweets) July 16, 2024

Ms Dhillon responded by tweeting that she was “blocking quite a few people”, and that the majority of the response to her prayer had been positive. 

Blocking quite a few people…

— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) July 16, 2024

Ms Dhillon told The Post, “Overall, while the voices of haters can be amplified artificially online, I would say the vast majority of the response to my prayer by mainstream Republicans has been positive, and I’m grateful for that.”

She considers herself an ally to people of all religions in the US. She believes that Sikhs, Jews, and Christians all pray to the same God. She stated, “We believe that there is one God.”

As a lawyer, Ms Dhillon has advocated for the religious rights of all Americans. She has defended Sikhs against discrimination and supported doctors and pharmacists who refuse to perform abortions due to their religious beliefs. Ms Dhillon credits her Sikh faith for inspiring her advocacy work. She says, “My faith teaches me to give back to my community and to be humble.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter behind the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, it said in a statement today.

Crooks, 20, was killed by security officials when he opened fire at the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate, injuring his ear, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI said in a statement quoted by NBC and CBS.

Law enforcement officials earlier told reporters they had tentatively identified the suspected shooter but were not ready to do so publicly. They also said they had not yet identified the motive. The FBI, which is the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation, had said the shooting was being treated as “an assassination attempt” against the former president.

Trump was hit in the ear in the shocking shooting, which left a bystander dead and two others critically injured. He was quickly rushed off stage by the US Secret Service agents, with blood seen on his face.

The gunshots were heard when Trump had just started speaking at his final rally before the Republican National Convention.

Thousands of his supporters were in attendance when the shooting, which was captured live on news channels, happened.

Donald Trump Says Bullet Pierced Part Of Right Ear

Donald Trump, in his first account of being attacked during a rally, said, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” Trump said on his Truth Social site.

“Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening,” he added.

He also thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their “rapid response”.

“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country,” he said.

The shocking incident occurred less than four months before the November 5 US presidential election, when Trump is set to face an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.

Former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after a series of gunshots were fired at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania today. As gunshots were heard, he grimaced and clutched a hand to his right ear, where blood was clearly visible across his cheek and mouth.

The suspected shooter was confirmed dead, while a spectator was killed, and two others “critically injured”.

Video: Moment Trump Was Attacked At Rally

In his first reaction to a shooting at his rally, the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate said in a statement he “was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”. His campaign said he was “fine” and being checked at a medical facility.

Secret Service agents, who quickly surrounded the Republican candidate and escorted him roughly off the stage, 

Here are live updates on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally:

Multiple Shots Came From “Elevated Position” Outside Trump Rally Venue: Secret Service

The Secret Service said that multiple shots came from ‘elevated position’ outside Trump rally venue in Butler.

Trump Rally Shooting: Spectator Dead, Two “Critically” Injured

The Secret Service said one spectator has been killed, while two others “critically injured” in the Trump rally shooting.

Trump Supporters Seen Laying In Stands After Gunshots Fired At Republican

Trump supporters were seen laying in the stands after guns were fired at the Republican at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Photo: AFP

“Bullet Pierced Upper Part Of My Right Ear”: Trump On Shooting

In his first reaction to shooting at his rally, Donald Trump said he”was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear”.

“I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured,” he said in a statement.

“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. 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 realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!,” he added.

“I Fully Endorse President Trump”: Elon Musk After Shooting At Rally

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has said that he “fully” endorses Trump after the rally violence.

“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X, as he shared a video of Trump pumping his fist while being escorted away by Secret Service agents.

I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024

Donald Trump Seen Being Evacuated By Secret Service Agents

A picture shows Secret Service agents surrounding Donald Trump onstage after shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Photo: AFP

George W Bush On Trump Rally Shooting

Former US president George W Bush also condemned the “cowardly” attack.

“Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response,” he said in a statement. 

Trump Rally Shooting: Video Shows Moment He Was Attacked

In a video that captures the shooting at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally, the former US President can be seen delivering his speech amongst a big crowd of his supporters when several gunshots are heard. 

After the first couple of gunshots that took the 78-year-old president unawares, he can be seen touching his right ear before ducking to take cover behind the stage dias.

TRUMP WAS JUST SHOT ON LIVE TV

Please stop what you’re doing and pray pic.twitter.com/jlYtCeRe3O

– End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 13, 2024 

The crowd behind him, visibly confused and scared, also ducks to dodge any bullet. 

Trump, whose right ear can be seen bleeding, raises his fist in the air while being evacuated.

Trump Rally Shooting: “Absolutely No Place For Political Violence”, Says Obama

Former US President Barack Obama also reacted to the apparent shooting at his successor Donald Trump’s rally and said there was “absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.”

“Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” he posted on X.

There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics….

– Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 13, 2024

Donald Trump Rally Shooting: “Grateful To Hear He’s Safe”, Says Biden

US President Joe Biden said he was “grateful to hear” that his election rival Donald Trump was safe in a shooting incident at a rally in Pennsylvania. 

“I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information,” Biden said in a statement shortly after the incident.

“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.

I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.

Jill and I are grateful to the Secret…

– President Biden (@POTUS) July 13, 2024

Trump Rally Shooting: Suspected Shooter Dead

The suspected shooter has been confirmed dead, along with one bystander, US media reported.

A second bystander may also have been hit.

The shooting took place shortly after Donald Trump took the stage at his final campaign rally before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week.

Donald Trump “Fine” After Shooting At Rally In Butler, Pennsylvania

Donald Trump’s campaign said he was “fine” and being checked at a medical facility.

“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow,” said spokesperson Steven Cheung in a statement.

“The former president is safe,” the Secret Service said in a post on X.

Live Updates: Donald Trump Rushed Off Stage After Shooting At Rally

Former US President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after a series of gunshots were fired at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania today.

As gunshots were heard, he clutched a hand to his right ear, where blood was clearly visible across his cheek and mouth.