Trump Assassination Attempt Update
We don't know much but the early details are all too familiar.
President Biden addressed the nation last night to call for calm in the wake of the assassination attempt on his predecessor and rival in the ongoing campaign. Aside from a couple of embarrassing stumbles, notably saying, “we resolve our differences at the battle box” when he meant “ballot box,” it was a statesmanlike speech. (Former President Trump claims that he, too, will use his convention speech this week as “a chance to bring the country together.” I’ll believe it when I see it.)
As he had earlier in the day, Biden emphasized how little we know about what motivated the shooter and promised that the FBI will have all the resources necessary to get to the bottom of it.
Thus far, the profile that’s emerging is all too familiar. Futile though it may be, I’m avoiding using the killer’s name since celebrity was almost certainly his goal.
BBC:
In his well-to-do hometown, however, neighbours are in shock, seemingly unable to grasp how a quiet young man is now accused in the shooting.
[…]
State voter records show that he was a registered Republican, according to US media.
He is also reported to have donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021.
He had a membership at a local shooting club, the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, for at least a year.[…]
“We do not currently have an identified motive,” said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing on Saturday night.
[…]
Speaking to local news outlet KDKA, some young locals who went to school with him described him as a loner, who was frequently bullied and sometimes wore “hunting outfits to school”.
Another former classmate of his, Summer Barkley, cast him differently, telling the BBC that he was “always getting good grades on tests” and was “very passionate about history”.
“Anything on government and history he seemed to know about,” she said. “But it was nothing out of the ordinary….he was always nice.” She described him as well-liked by his teachers.
Others simply remembered him as quiet. “He was there but I can’t think of anyone who knew him well,” one former classmate, who asked to remain nameless, told the BBC. “He’s just not a guy I really think about. But he seemed fine.”
WSJ:
The man who authorities say tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump was a quiet student who took advanced classes and a sometimes-bullied loner who wasn’t vocal about his political views, classmates said on Sunday, as a portrait began to emerge of the gunman who shocked an American public already becoming inured to escalating political violence.
Schoolmates said [he], at times dressed in camouflage or hunting attire, had few friends and interacted awkwardly at school. “If someone would say something to his face, he would just kind of stare at them,” said Julianna Grooms, who graduated one year after [him]. “People would say he was the student who would shoot up high school.”
Others in his tidy, suburban neighborhood of brick ranch homes said they had no recollection of him at all. Students from area high schools, gathered at summer parties this weekend, were checking their social media feeds for any trace of him and found little.
[…]
[H]e acted alone, and investigators were still trying to determine his motive and ideology, said Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office. Part of the challenge, officials said, was that they hadn’t found any of the kind of writings or manifestos that often surface after such attacks. FBI agents were urgently working to get access to [his] cellphone, which they had shipped to the bureau’s lab at Quantico, Va. But the limited insights they had been able to glean into his recent communications hadn’t revealed anything about his motive or suggested anyone else was involved.
[He] hadn’t been on the FBI’s radar as a possible threat before the shooting, and investigators had found no indications of mental-health issues, Rojek said. [His] family was cooperating with investigators.
“We continue to look at all his social-media accounts and look for any potential threatening language,” he said, “but as of right now, we have not seen it.”
[…]
On President Biden’s inauguration day, [he] gave $15 to the Chicago-based Progressive Turnout Project, a Democratic-aligned political-action committee that rallies voters, according to Federal Election Commission records. Pennsylvania voting records show he was a registered Republican.
“He never outwardly spoke about his political views or how much he hated Trump or anything,” said Sarah D’Angelo, another classmate of Crooks at Bethel Park High. She recalled him playing games on his laptop during homeroom before the school day began.
She and others described him as somewhat of a loner, saying he had “a few friends,” but “didn’t have a whole friend group.” [He] would sometimes sit alone at lunch, said Kendall Spragg, who was a year behind him at Bethel Park High School. “He didn’t really fit in with everybody else,” she said.
The Philadelphia Inquirer adds:
In the sea of caps and gowns, [he] hardly stood out.
Few people clapped when his name was called. A YouTube video of his graduation two years ago from Bethel Park High School shows a slender and bespectacled student receiving his diploma with a soft smile.
But the class of 2022 awoke Sunday to learn that the 20-year-old Allegheny County man was notorious, the shooter in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally that left an ex-firefighter, Corey Comperatore, dead and two other attendees wounded.
[…]
[His] actions shocked residents in his hometown, sparked countless conspiracy theories online, and prompted investigators to begin combing through every aspect of his life, looking for motive.
The mystery has been fueled by a near-total absence of [his] social media postings, political writings, or other digital fingerprints.
Several former classmates appeared on national television Sunday, quickly casting [him] as a stereotypical loner who was bullied heavily during his time at Bethel Park. One of them, Jason Kohler, told reporters Sunday that students tormented Crooks “almost every day” and that he often wore “hunting” outfits to class.
“He was just an outcast,” Kohler said, “and you know how kids are nowadays.”
Yet, two former students interviewed by The Inquirer disputed the characterization.
They did not recall specific incidents of violence or other antagonism involving their now-infamous classmate in the community they described as generally tight-knit.
Mark Sigafoos remembered [him] as the quiet but friendly kid he shared two classes with at Bethel Park.
“He was very kind,” Sigafoos said Sunday, by phone. “He was a nerdy kid, but I don’t think he was as harshly bullied as some people are saying. He never wore trench coats or anything of the sort to school.”
Not to make light on an assault on American democracy that resulted in the death of a local hero and severe injury to two others, I can’t help but be reminded of the famous “Assassination of Buckwheat skit from Saturday Night Live more than four decades ago. It was a spoof on the sensationalistic media coverage of the murder of John Lennon and assassination attempts on President Reagan and Pope John Paul II.
The parody noted that all of the would-be assassins had three names. Check. They were loners. Check. They became “instant celebrities” because of incessant media coverage. Check. The only difference is that people in the community are genuinely surprised.
More importantly, Trump’s would-be assassin has something in common with more recent mass shooters that wasn’t the case with those in the early 1980s: an obsession with firearms. Not only was he a member of a local shooting club, but he’d also attempted to join his school’s rifle team. (He reportedly didn’t make it because he was a terrible shot.) And he was wearing a t-shirt for a YouTube channel devoted to guns and explosives.
For which we can all be grateful.
One political party, and only one political party, has spent the last couple decades ensuring everyone, including every quiet loner, can have an AR-15. Sow the wind …
I don’t doubt it. Republicans always call for unity after any disaster. They sincerely want us to drop all our silly concerns about abortion, civil rights, wealth and income inequality, guns (ironically), woke (whatever the hell that means), climate, etc. and join with them. I’ve yet to hear a Republican suggest they might make some concession to unity.
@gVOR10:
One thing I can say, at least the response of Republicans has been to offer prayers–their standard response to widely publicized shootings. At least they are consistent.
On the other hand, if those who are conspicuously religious Christians were to truly follow the example of Jesus, they would also offer up a prayer for the shooter himself. Maybe some have–the statements I have seen have not.
Like shootings that are merely one of the ‘costs of freedom’, conspicuous religiosity, regardless of actual belief, seems to be a (minimal) cost of achieving success in elections as a Republican. Aka: Virtue signal from the crowd who were all too happy to use that phrase in reference to those on the Left.
Serious question: has there ever been a political assassination in this country where the shooter was part of a group planning or committing the assassination? I don’t mean in the way that Lee Harvey Oswald was a Communist (depending on the day of the week) or the guy who shot McKinley was an anarchist, but where there were two or three or four others involved in the act itself?
One example I can think of, although it’s not American, are the young Bosnian nationalists who killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife, and kicked off WWI. The actual shooter had given up hope he’d get a clear shot and then FF’s chauffeur backed up the car right in front of him and he shot them.
@Not the IT Dept.:
“Serious question: has there ever been a political assassination in this country where the shooter was part of a group planning the assassination? I don’t mean in the way that Lee Harvey Oswald was a Communist (depending on the day of the week) or the guy who shot McKinley was an anarchist, but where there were two or three or four others involved?”
John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of Lincoln fits that. He was part of a group which also attacked Secretary of State Seward (and was supposed to attack VP Andrew Johnson, but the person who was supposed to do it lost his nerve) the same night. A total of 8 people were convicted in the plot, some of whom were only involved in providing protection and hiding places during their escape.
Because this assassination attempt was just some hot conservative-on-conservative action, surely the Unity being referenced will be the implementation of a desired policy plank of liberals. Conservatives reach across the aisle all the time!
I have thoughts and prayers for Trump. There! Now that I have said the magic words which is obviously the entirety of all that could possibly be done, Republicans will certainly stop the politicization of this insignificant matter.
Serious question: has there ever been a political assassination in this country where the shooter was part of a group planning or committing the assassination? I don’t mean in the way that Lee Harvey Oswald was a Communist (depending on the day of the week) or the guy who shot McKinley was an anarchist, but where there were two or three or four others involved in the act itself?
The Chicago police department and Hoover, when they murdered Fred Hampton.
One day, I’d love to encounter a positive use of the word unity. My take is that there is a type of person who thinks they are well-meaning and then gets angry if people who know them point out actual examples of where they are the exact opposite of well-meaning is a powerful constituency.
It’s like a man who makes sexist jokes and then gets angry when people call him a sexist. He’s just joking! Trump has capitalized on this. Unity is a way to say that January 6th and calls to lock up enemies are just jokes which have to be ignored. Reading the dumb twitter account of the man who was killed, and he’s just that guy. Unfunny jokes about killing activists and overweight people and god knows what else, but by and large he thinks of himself as a decent person who the world misunderstands by listening to how he talks and judging him accordingly.
But only if the manifesto/writings support the narrative the FBI is tasked with protecting.
The FBI is still working to keep the diaries/manifesto of the Covenant School killer from the public. They got an assist recently from a judge ruling them protected by copyright that is now held by the parents of the students and the church/school. The FBI has also sent informational memos to Nashville authorities on destroying the evidence.
We can’t trust any investigation regarding Donald Trump that is under the control of Chistopher Wray or Merrick Garland. An independent investigation is needed.
Trump has an opportunity here. He’s got a McKinley in 1896 opportunity.
I know, you all hope he can’t pull it off.
@JKB:
I personally hope he does. However, let’s not forget how many times we’ve been promised over the last 8+ years that Trump will move towards the center and unity only to revert to form quickly.
At this point, it’s foolish to act like Trump doesn’t have a well-established public record of behaviors and policy. We have long since the time when he was any kind of cipher.
It would be great if he chose to tone down the rhetoric going forward, but keeping with a fable he often shares on campaign stops, snakes have a hard time not being snakes. Here’s an example of Trump sharing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSrOXvoNLwg
JKB, your proof that the FBI is hiding something regarding the Covenant School is…. Stephen Crowder?
It’s great to see you never considered the objective reality that Stephen Crowder could have simply made the whole thing up for online clout. And yes, Ramaswamy would definitely footstomp baseless lies.
Speaking of the details being all to familiar, Dan Drezner’s ten thoughts on the incident in his Substack deserve wider circulation:
This is being treated as some sort of black swan unimaginable catastrophe. It was a day ending in y in these “United” States.
@Gavin:
I’m impressed that you know what @JKB is talking about. He loves to provide quotes and assertions without citation.
Sometimes, I know something about the subject. Sometimes, I do not, but it is easy enough to google. Occasionally, he cite a lengthy YouTube video with no timestamp, and given limited time, I decide it isn’t really worth the effort.
Most of the time, he provides nothing.
@gVOR10: Yup. Planning on highlighting Drezner in another post today.
Well, magnanimous Trump lasted… let’s see. less than 48 hours. Here’s his latest Truth Social posting on the news that Judge Cannon has dismissed the charges (in an appealable way):
@JKB: & @Matt Bernius: Somehow, I’m not seeing we (Caucasians) are all in this together and those people (Jim Crow blacks) are not part of “us” (or maybe US) as the same unifying moment you two are, for some reason. Can’t put my finger on why tho.
(Probably the corrupting influences of CRT.)
@Gavin:
To be fair to @JKB on this particular topic, the pages released by Crowder were confirmed as legitimate by Nashville Police Chief John Drake.
As a general principle, I am of the opinion that documents should be released. Of course, I have no illusion that it would quell conspiracism, because goalposts can always be moved. And if push comes to shove, a claim of forgery can be made. And questions can always be concocted to sow doubt.
@Matt Bernius: Good lord. What a piece of work he is.
Cannon should be disbarred. What a hack.
@JKB:
Gawd you are so full of shit.
@Matt Bernius:
I wonder why he did not mention the investigation of Hunter Biden?
@gVOR10: I’ve decided, finally, to share my initial reaction to the news of Trump being shot at.
First, note that I’m not willing to give the shooting the dignity of calling it an “assassination attempt.” Second, I acknowledged on Sunday that I fail continually at empathy related to anything related to Trump and right wing nuttery. I don’t give a flying flingaburger about anything that happens to anyone on that side of the spectrum which I aligned with for over half my life. I suspect that a significant part of my ennui is just being worn down by the “another day ending in ‘y'” banality of it all. Sadly, another part of it is that I can, in my amazing sociopathic moral code create the distinction that permits me to, on one hand, acknowledge as I did here a couple days ago that no one deserves to be shot while maintaining the ability to fully embrace the notion that “some people need killin'” (without getting into specifics here).
I think I’ll close by noting about Nietzsche’s warning about the dangers of hunting monsters that of course you’ll become one yourself; how are you going to get good at it otherwise?
@Kurtz: Only most of the time? Once again, I bow to the generosity of spirit of those here with whom I aspire to reach the state of being a peer.
@Gavin:
This is pre-judge’s decision
@Matt Bernius:
I’m not sure why you think “unity” means surrendering to the urban monoculture government functionaries. I understand why you might say that, but can’t believe you would actually think it. Coming together to find commonalities can always mean finding a common enemy in the government functionaries and bureaucrats everywhere.
@just nutha:
My first reaction was “I wonder what took so long.”
@JKB: may I point out that the laws of Nature don’t give a crap about one’s political background. You want to replace the “monoculture” of people at my agency with political appointees? Great! Just don’t be surprised when you get irradiated/blown up/infected/gassed to death. Enjoy!
@JKB:
Again, I will note that your definition of unity is everyone agreeing with your exceptionally biased and cynical view of the world. That isn’t unity–that’s extremely narrow conformity.
If the only way for people to be right is to 100% agree with you, then the issue isn’t with them.
Like I said, every time you post, I feel even more sorry for you. It must be lonely to go through life with that level of insecurity and intellectual inflexibility.
@Matt Bernius:
To abuse the message of a post you made a few days ago…
Like anger, sympathy mixed with pity is a choice. You can simply choose not to feel anything towards him. It’s really quite rewarding.
More seriously, I think he is playing a character. A pitiful but ultimately unsympathetic character. The character’s general politics might match his, but the character doesn’t have to make any kind of internal consistency or act in good faith.
— Mises, Ludwig von, Neoliberal Bestiary (1939)
@Grumpy realist:
Whether or not to eat soiled, infected and irradiated food filled with animal feces and broken glass is a complicated choice that should be made between an individual, the companies producing such foods, and the shareholders of those companies.
@Gustopher: it really is a case of “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” isn’t’t it?
Well, the USSR collapsed because they kept lying to themselves about economics and what was actually going on in the economy. Now that we’ve got an equivalent stupidity in the US we’ll undoubtedly get a similar collapse at some point.
@JKB:
I find it hilarious that you see such a sharp distinction between government functionaries and the functionaries who implement policy of any large organization–whether that organization is government, publicly traded, or private.
Decisions made by the latter two, also implemented by bureaucratic functionaries, have a clear ulterior motive in decision-making that is not subject to scrutiny by those most affected by them. Those functionaries likely behave with the same motive as civil servants–keeping their job.
Certainly, decision-makers in government can have all sorts of ulterior motives. At least in theory, their decisions are guided by public sentiment. But the functionaries that you despise, just like the ones you ignore, don’t have the power that you ascribe to them.
Oddly, you seem to ignore the fact that the nominee for President you support already tried to reduce the legal guardrails limiting those government functionaries in favor of bringing them under the control of the President.
Keep in mind that the laws governing the behavior of government functionaries are written by Congress. If Congress does not like how those functionaries behave, they have the authority to constrain that behavior via amended or new legislation.
Of course, Congress is dysfunctional. And much of the blame for that lies at the feet of the party you support. Dems certainly share some of that blame, but not to the extent of the GOP.
You are fond of quoting von Mises and other AnCap/’libertarians’. What do you think ol’ Ludwig or Rothbard would think of Trump, or MTG or Gaetz?
@Kurtz:
Whereas I find it hilarious that anyone believes that mid-level bureaucrats have such Awesome Powers(tm). Anyone who has ever worked in government knows that the GOP fantasy vision of what the executive branch spends its time doing is totally disconnected from reality. Of course, it’s not surprising that there are no actual public servants among the GOP’s supporters… it would interfere with their relentless taking.
@DrDaveT:
Yeah. That’s a good point, too. And not mutually exclusive. I mean, I made a similar point via legal constraints.
Regardless, yeah, that version of government is 100% fantasy. I have not worked for the government before, so I am sure plenty of people could make a much more detailed argument than I can.