Donald Trump said that he “accepted” an “apology” from the FBI after the bureau confirmed he had been shot by a bullet during an assassination attempt earlier this month.
Trump was speaking on Friday night at The Believers' Summit 2024 at a Turning Point Action event in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Earlier on Friday, the FBI confirmed Trump had been clipped in the ear by a gunman’s bullet 13 days ago at a Pennsylvania rally.
“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the bureau said in a statement.
Trump also says he will return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the scene of the attempt on his life on July 13, to hold “a big and beautiful rally’ to honor firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died that day when struck by gunfire.
On Friday, the former president hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his home in Palm Beach. Trump said he found Kamala Harris’s remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict after her meeting with Netanyahu “disrespectful”.
Key Points
- Trump says he accepts FBI ‘apology’ over assassin’s bullet claims and slams Harris at Florida speech
- Trump says he will hold another rally at scene of assassination attempt to honor victim
- Trump calls Kamala Harris’ Israel remarks ‘disrespectful’ as he cozies up to Netanyahu
- FBI wants to interview Trump over assassination attempt
- Was Trump injured by a bullet or debris? Ballistics experts weigh in
Trump says he accepts FBI ‘apology’ over assassin’s bullet claims and slams Harris at Florida speech
01:58
Graeme Massie
Trump ‘accepts’ FBI apology over bullet claim
01:37
Graeme Massie
“Did you see the FBI today apologize?” Trump told the crowd at The Believers’ Summit 2024 at a Turning Point Action event in West Palm Beach, Florida on Friday evening.
“Well, they said it might have been a bullet, but it might have been glass. So really, where did the glass come from? Or it might have been shrapnel, where the shrapnel come from? No. They then said it was a bullet.
“It just never ends with these people. They raid Mar a Lago, they do things so bad, so bad. Our country is so sick. But they apologize. We accept their apology.”
Trump appears at The Believers’ Summit in Florida
01:32
Graeme Massie
Trump compares decision to replace Biden to ‘coup' and calls Harris a ‘bum’ in Florida speech
01:23
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump is lashing out against Democrats for pressuring Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, comparing it to a “coup” conducted by “fascists.”
“There was nothing nice about what they were doing,” he said.
Trump also attacked Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, as a “bum” and the “most incompetent, unpopular, and far left vice-president in American history.”
As expected, Trump addresses shooting early on in speech
01:16
Josh Marcus
Donald Trump didn’t waste time on Friday at the Turning Point Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, and quickly addressed the recent assassination attempt against him.
“I stand before you thanks to the power of prayer and the grace of almighty God,” Trump said.
He told the crowd today’s speech marks the first time he’s been able to take the bandage off his ear.
“I hope that’s it,” he said.
Ben Carson claims Trump isn’t racist in warm-up speech at Turning Point Believers Summit
01:07
Josh Marcus
Former Trump administration Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is currently speaking at the Turning Point Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump himself is expected to speak shortly.
Carson, who is Black, is telling the crowd about how in his experience, Donald Trump is not a racist.
‘I haven’t seen anything about him that even seems slightly racist to me,” he said.
Carson credited Trump for not running a segregated club when he moved to Florida, which was the norm at the time, the former official said.
As evidence of his friend’s lack of racism, Carson pointed to how Trump treated his employees.
“He knows their name,” he said. “He works with them. He loves them. They love him.”
‘Sooo bad!’: Trump slams Biden’s Oval Office address
01:00
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump wasted no time in attacking Joe Biden’s Oval Office address, slamming the president as “barely understandable” and “a great embarrassment to America.”
Despite holding a campaign rally in North Carolina, which ended less than 30 minutes before the president’s address, Trump was quick to blast Biden on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Crooked Joe Biden’s Oval Office speech was barely understandable, and sooo bad!” he said of the address, which lasted roughly 10 minutes.
Read on...
Trump was hit by a bullet in the ear during rally shooting, FBI confirms
Saturday 27 July 2024 00:45
Josh Marcus
Former president Donald Trump was clipped in the ear by a gunman’s bullet 13 days ago at a Pennsylvania rally — not a piece of shrapnel or debris kicked up by a round, the FBI announced Friday afternoon.
“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the bureau said in a statement.
Trump quickly replied in a post on his Twitter clone, Truth Social, writing, “I assume that’s the best apology that we’ll get from Director Wray, but it is fully accepted!”
On Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray — who Trump appointed during his single term as president — testified before Congress about the July 13 attempt on Trump’s life at a campaign stop near Pittsburgh.
The director’s comments inspired furious condemnation from Republicans.
COMMENT: Will the most famous ‘childless cat lady’ of them all now declare for Kamala?
Saturday 27 July 2024 00:30
Oliver O'Connell
Claire Cohen writes:
When Taylor Swift’s cat was photographed luxuriating around her neck on the cover of Time magazine, it confirmed one thing: not only was the singer its most recent “person of the year”, but she was also, without question, queen of the cat ladies.
And, as any fule no, the last thing you do when confronted with a powerful feline, is to yank its tail. Well, the same goes for cat ladies – as JD Vance might be about to discover.
Read on...
Another bad look for Vance: Trump VP pick endorsed book calling left ‘unhumans’ written by Pizzagate conspiracy theorist
Saturday 27 July 2024 00:28
Josh Marcus
Trump VP pick JD Vance endorsed a book by Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec which calls progressive and civil rights activists “unhumans,” and claims that January 6 was a hoax.
The book, Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them), by Posobiec and Joshua Lisec, purports to be a history of progressive social movements, but is full of dubious factual claims and scathing opinions dismissing the views of millions of Americans, according to Mother Jones, which reviewed a copy of the book.
The “unhumans” the authors identify include civil rights activists, Black Lives Matter demonstrators, as well as communists and socialists.
“They don’t believe what they say,” the authors write at one point in the book. “They don’t care about winning debates. They don’t even want equality. They just want an excuse to destroy everything. They want an excuse to destroy you.”
A series of recent mini-scandals, such as Vance dismissing childless women as “cat ladies,” has some Republicans regretting Trump’s pick.
Trump rants ‘he’s not going to be nice’ as he ditches unity calls
Saturday 27 July 2024 00:00
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump ditched his short-lived call for unity and declared he was “not going to be nice” at his first campaign rally since Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
The former president turned his attacks to Kamala Harris, his new presumptive rival come November, following her endorsement by Biden – who he claimed to have “defeated.”
The event in North Carolina came days after Biden announced he was withdrawing from the White House race and threw his support behind Harris to beat Trump.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Was Trump injured by a bullet or debris? Ballistics experts weigh in
Friday 26 July 2024 23:30
Oliver O'Connell
Justin Rohrlich reports:
Ballistics experts surveyed by The Independent say it is impossible to know exactly what happened without further investigation — and increased transparency from Trump.
Trump and his campaign have declined to provide any official information about his injuries, have not released any of his medical records, and have not authorized the doctors who treated him to speak publicly.
Read on...
ICYMI: Trump claims ‘big win’ after judge rejects ABC News attempt to dismiss defamation suit
Friday 26 July 2024 23:00
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump will be allowed to sue ABC News and George Stephanopoulos for defamation after a federal judge rejected the network’s attempts to dismiss a lawsuit targeting the anchor’s statements that Trump had been “found liable for rape.”
In March, Stephanopoulos pressed congresswoman Nancy Mace about her support for the former president, despite a judge finding him “liable for rape by a jury.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Full story: Trump promises ‘big and beautiful rally’ in return to Pennsylvania town where he was shot
Friday 26 July 2024 22:45
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump said he plans to hold another rally in Butler, Pennsylvania after a gunman fired an AR-15-style rifle at the former president moments after he stepped on stage in the town on July 13.
In an all-caps message on his Truth Social on Friday, Trump said he will be “going back” for “a big and beautiful rally” to honor a rally attendee who was fatally shot and two others who were critically injured during the assassination attempt.
Alex Woodward reports.
Tammy Duckworth eviscerates Trump for painful comments about disabled Americans
Friday 26 July 2024 22:30
Oliver O'Connell
Eric Garcia reports:
Democrats commemorated the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by coming out swinging against Donald Trump, after his nephew claimed in a new memoir that the former president once suggested people with disabilities “should just die.”
“It’s hard to describe the pain millions of Americans with disabilities are feeling in response to Donald Trump’s newly-reported comments against folks with disabilities,” Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs serving in the Iraq War, said in a statement shared by the Democratic National Committee on Friday.
“But we know this is nothing new for him — he mocked a reporter with a physical disability, dismissed traumatic brain injuries as ‘not very serious,’ attempted to slash support for disabled veterans and so much more. Any human being who suggests that people with disabilities ‘should just die’ is fundamentally unfit to serve.”
Continue reading...
Analysis: JD Vance’s ‘cat lady’ attacks are just the beginning of Republicans’ childbirth obsession
Friday 26 July 2024 22:00
Oliver O'Connell
Alex Woodward writes:
Before he became Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance called for higher taxes for childless adults and insisted their votes should count less. He said abortion should be “illegal” nationally, and that the “cat ladies” and the “Kamala Harrises” of the world want to “brainwash” other people’s kids.
Misogynist “cat lady” insults are nothing new, nor is an anti-abortion GOP official advocating nationwide bans on abortion access.
But recently resurfaced remarks from the next potential vice president — and his connections to influential right-wing voices with borderline conspiracy-mongering ideas about childbirth rates — have invited more scrutiny into the natalist movement gripping Republican politics.
Continue reading...
Watch: Vance says he has nothing against cats
Friday 26 July 2024 21:45
Oliver O'Connell
“Obviously it was a sarcastic comment. I’ve got nothing against cats.”
— The Recount (@therecount) July 26, 2024
— JD Vance on his “childless cat lady” comments pic.twitter.com/rt3zLiajFB
Haley says Harris is Democrats’ ‘weakest candidate’ – but DEI attacks ‘aren’t helpful’
Friday 26 July 2024 21:37
Oliver O'Connell
Former GOP presidential candidate and one-time UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said Republicans trying to paint Vice President Kamala Harris as a “DEI” candidate are not helping Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Haley made the comments on Thursday during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
She suggested that Republicans focus on Harris’s policies and her past as a politician in their criticisms, not her skin color or her gender. “It’s not helpful,” Haley said.
Graig Graziosi reports.
BREAKING: Trump says he will hold another rally at scene of assassination attempt to honor victim
Friday 26 July 2024 21:30
Oliver O'Connell
Lindsey Graham demands Christopher Wray recant ‘shrapnel’ testimony
Friday 26 July 2024 21:18
Oliver O'Connell
Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has demanded that FBI director Christopher Wray correct his testimony that it may have been shrapnel that hit Donald Trump’s ear during the assassination attempt against him and not a bullet.
“Lindsey Graham demands FBI's Christopher Wray recant testimony, says it's 'clear' Trump was hit with bullet”@realDonaldTrump Donald Trump Truth Social 03:58 PM EST 07/26/24 pic.twitter.com/gKc88biIY8
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 26, 2024
Trump posts photo of second after he was shot as row grows over ‘shrapnel’ claim
Friday 26 July 2024 21:15
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social this afternoon as the furor over whether a bullet or shrapnel hit his ear during the assassination attempt against him on July 13.
The former president wrote:
Not that anyone doubted it, but in order to rid our Country of the political statement put out by the Director of the FBI, in between fighting for the Safety and Security of those burning our American Flags, and right now spraying our beautiful Limestone Monuments in Washington, D.C., this is a picture of the bullet right after piercing my ear. Perhaps FBI Director Christopher Wray will notice there is no shrapnel or glass flying through the ear, only a bloodstained bullet. It’s all so damaging to the Great People that work in the FBI. As The New York Times reported, other bullets came very close. Nobody ever called, even out of curiosity, from the Federal Bureau of Insurrection. P.S. After the Great Supreme Court Decision, when are the hunted down J6 Hostages going to be released, and when are yesterday’s Vandals and Flag Burners going to be put in prison?
Watch: Trump says ‘we have incompetent people running our country’ at Netanyahu meeting
Friday 26 July 2024 21:00
Oliver O'Connell
“We have incompetent people running our country” - President @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/HXm79c1H37
— Margo Martin (@margommartin) July 26, 2024
Former White House doctor says ‘no evidence’ Trump hit by shrapnel rather than bullet
Friday 26 July 2024 20:45
Oliver O'Connell
There is “no evidence” that Donald Trump was hit with anything other than an assassin’s bullet at a rally earlier this month in Pennsylvania, according to his former White House physician.
“Based on my direct observations of the injury, my relevant clinical background, and my significant experience evaluating and treating patients with similar wounds, I completely concur with the initial assessment and treatment provided by the doctors and nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital on the day of the shooting,” congressman Ronny Jackson wrote on Friday in a letter posted on Truth Social, highlighting his past experience with similar wounds as a combat physician in the Navy.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Might this be the lowest point of the campaign so far?
Friday 26 July 2024 20:25
Oliver O'Connell
A regular guest on the Fox Business network referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “the original ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl,” sparking online backlash about the sexist remark.
Alec Lace appeared on the network on July 5 to discuss the future of the Democratic party after President Joe Biden’s debate stumble — commentary that devolved into racist and sexist remarks about the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Lace suggested that Harris ascended to power by sleeping her way to the top.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Watch: JD Vance says QAnon Shaman looked like ‘fun guy to have a beer with’
Friday 26 July 2024 20:05
Oliver O'Connell
JD Vance weighs in on famous Jan 6 participant "The QAnon Shaman" in a 2023 speech:
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) July 26, 2024
“He looked like he’d be a fun guy to have a beer with," should've gotten a lighter prison sentence. pic.twitter.com/fT8s183Vxx
Is Donald Trump good at golf?
Friday 26 July 2024 19:55
Oliver O'Connell
It has become one of the stranger questions of a peculiar campaign – is Donald Trump as good at golf as he claims to be?
Harry Latham-Coyle asked a professional to analyze the former president’s swing.
Watch: Vance plays defense on ‘childless cat ladies’ comment
Friday 26 July 2024 19:40
Oliver O'Connell
Vance tries to clean up "childless cat ladies" comments via @megynkelly
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 26, 2024
"This comment that I made was actually motivated in part by a conversation I had with my wife...she was talking about this incredible professional pressure to not have kids because it set back her… https://t.co/c6MO0p7Z6u pic.twitter.com/uojxEmbEfY
Trump calls Harris Israel remarks ‘disrespectful’ at Netanyahu meeting
Friday 26 July 2024 19:26
Oliver O'Connell
Former president Donald Trump hit out at Vice President Kamala Harris for her insistence that Israel should avoid civilian casualties and allow Palestinians access to humanitarian aid as he hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his self-styled White House in exile on Friday.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Are Republicans regretting Trump’s choice of VP?
Friday 26 July 2024 19:15
Oliver O'Connell
Some Republicans are reportedly starting to regret Donald Trump’s pick for a running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, after Vice President Kamala Harris’s sudden ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket.
Trump chose Vance thinking he was running against President Joe Biden, who announced on Sunday that he was stepping aside as the Democratic nominee and endorsing Harris.
The former president believed he was on a glide path to victory in November before Biden’s dropping out shook up the race. Trump chose a running mate that would gin up his base, not appeal to possible swing voters or Republicans hesitant about supporting him.
Gustaf Kilander reports on the growing whispers in the party.
Readout: Trump and Netanyahu meeting
Friday 26 July 2024 18:56
Oliver O'Connell
The Trump-Vance campaign released the following readout of the meeting between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel met today at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked President Trump and his Administration for working to promote stability in the region through, among many historic achievements, the Abraham Accords, moving the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, eliminating Qasem Soleimani, ending the horrific Iran Nuclear Deal, as well as combatting anti-Semitism in America and abroad.
President Trump expressed his solidarity with Israel after the heinous October 7 attack, and pledged that when he returns to the White House, he will make every effort to bring Peace to the Middle East and combat anti-Semitism from spreading throughout college campuses across the United States.
Alvin Bragg tells judge to reject Trump’s attempt to toss his hush money verdict
Friday 26 July 2024 18:51
Oliver O'Connell
Manhattan prosecutors are urging Donald Trump’s criminal hush money judge to keep a 34-count verdict after the former president argued the case should be tossed following the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential “immunity.”
Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office argue that nothing about the case involves “official” presidential acts that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority has argued are “absolutely” immune from prosecution.
Alex Woodward reports.
Watch: Trump and Netanyahu meet at Mar-a-Lago
Friday 26 July 2024 18:42
Oliver O'Connell
Netanyahu meets with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and talk to the press. pic.twitter.com/G1vTsmKMcd
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 26, 2024
Ronny Jackson hits out at Wray in update on Trump’s health
Friday 26 July 2024 18:30
Oliver O'Connell
Ronny Jackson, former physician to Donald Trump when he was president, and now congressman for the 13th District of Texas, has provided an update on the health of the former president following the assassination attempt against him on July 13.
He pushes back at FBI director Christopher Wray’s questioning of whether it was a bullet or shrapnel that caused the injury to Trump’s ear.
Here’s what Jackson wrote:
As the former Physician to the President for President Donald J. Trump, I have continued to monitor his health and well-being, along with his primary care physician, since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on the evening of July 13th. The would-be assassin fired multiple rounds from a relatively close distance using a high-powered rifle, with one bullet striking the former President, and now the Republican Nominee for President, in his right ear.
I have revegwed President Trump's medical records from Butler Memorial Hospital, where he was initially evaluated and treated for a "Gunshot Wound to the Right Ear." Having served as an Emergency Medicine physician for over 20 years in the United States Navy, including as a combat physician on the battlefield in Iraq, I have treated many gunshot wounds in my career. Based on my direct observations of the injury, my relevant clinical background, and my significant experience evaluating and treating patients with similar wounds, I completely concur with the initial assessment and treatment provided by the doctors and nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital on the day of the shooting.
During the Congressional Hearing two days ago, FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested that it could be a bullet, shrapnel, or glass. There is absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet. Congress should correct the record as confirmed by both the hospital and myself. Director Wray is wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else.
As a former White House Physician for 14 years, who served during three presidential administrations, and served as the appointed physician for both President Obama and President Trump, I fully understand the global significance of this attempt on the life of the former President and the current Republican Nominee for President. As such, I want to reassure the American people and the rest of the world, that President Trump is doing extremely well. He is rapidly recovering from the gunshot wound to his right ear. I will continue to be available to assist President Trump and his personal physician in any way they see fit and will provide updates as necessary and with the permission of President Trump.
Trump greets Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago
Friday 26 July 2024 18:20
Oliver O'Connell
.@realDonaldTrump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives for a meeting at Mar-a-lago in West Palm Beach, FL. pic.twitter.com/8ELUyE7SsY
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 26, 2024
JD Vance endorsed book calling left ‘unhumans’ written by Pizzagate conspiracy theorist
Friday 26 July 2024 18:15
Oliver O'Connell
Trump VP pick JD Vance endorsed a book by Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec which calls progressive and civil rights activists “unhumans,” and claims that January 6 was a hoax.
The book, Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them), by Posobiec and Joshua Lisec, purports to be a history of progressive social movements, but is full of dubious factual claims and scathing opinions dismissing the views of millions of Americans, according to Mother Jones, which reviewed a copy of the book.
Josh Marcus reports on the stunningly unsurprising revelation.
What’s Kamala going to do, asks Trump
Friday 26 July 2024 18:12
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump writes:
Russian and Chinese jets are flying over our West Coast. Russian warships are now in Cuba, 70 miles off our Coast. What’s Kamala going to do?
It’s unclear whether he means now as vice president or in January 2025, potentially as president...
Watch: Trump ally attacks Wray for questioning if Trump was hit by bullet or shrapnel
Friday 26 July 2024 18:00
Oliver O'Connell
GOP Rep. Pat Fallon on Wray questioning whether shot was actually shot: "I bet Christopher Wray hasn't talked to Dr. Ronny Jackson. Admiral Jackson, who is my best friend in Congress." pic.twitter.com/IN1X58qGJg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 26, 2024
Trump shows Netanyahu where the bullet hit
Friday 26 July 2024 17:50
Oliver O'Connell
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked @realDonaldTrump about his bullet wound as they walked to their meeting at Mar-a-lago. Former President Trump showed him where he was hit. pic.twitter.com/USaHwVNXiG
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 26, 2024
Why does Trump continue to profess love for Hannibal Lecter in speeches?
Friday 26 July 2024 17:45
Oliver O'Connell
His campaign finally reveals why.
Mike Bedigan reports.
North Korea snubs Donald Trump for saying Kim Jong-un misses him
Friday 26 July 2024 17:15
Oliver O'Connell
North Korea delivered a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump for flaunting his supposedly friendly relations with Kim Jong-un, saying “we do not care” about the Republican.
But what about the love letters?
Shweta Sharma reports.
