Monday morning news: July 15, 2024

SOUND: [National anthem]

RNC kickoff » The Republican National Convention will begin this morning just as it did 8 years ago when Donald Trump was first nominated for president with the singing of our national anthem.

But this year’s convention in Milwaukee will be unlike any other, kicking off just hours after a would-be assassin’s bullet pierced the right ear of the former president.

SOUND: [Shooting]

Secret Service investigation » We’ll have more on the Republican convention shortly. But many unanswered questions remain about that shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. And President Biden said after the incident …

BIDEN:  I've directed an independent review of the national security at yesterday's rally to assess exactly what happened. And we'll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well.

The FBI is leading that investigation.

One of those unanswered questions is how the shooter was able to take position on a nearby rooftop with a clear line of sight to President Trump, aim his rifle and fire several times before the Secret Service could respond.

FBI special agent Kevin Rojek told reporters:

ROJEK: It is surprising, but again, all the details of that will come out later in investigation.

Congress also wants answers. House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC’s Today Show:

JOHNSON: We need to know, how could an individual be at that elevation that was seen by apparently bystanders on the ground? How could that not be noticed by Secret Service? Lots more questions than answers this morning.

Questions about the shooter » Questions also remain about the shooter.

What we do know right now is that he was a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man. He drove nearly an hour from his home to the Trump event.

And FBI special agent Kevin Rojek said the shooter was armed with a high-powered rifle, which was purchased legally.

ROJEK: We located the weapon at the scene, located directly adjacent to the shooter at the scene.

Secret Service counter-snipers shot and killed him on the rooftop of a warehouse.

But authorities said they still don’t know why he did it, and that they’ve not yet been able to determine any clear ideology that might have motivated him to kill.

Shooting victims » While former President Trump was not seriously wounded, three others at the rally were, at least one, fatally. The bystander killed instantly in the bleachers behind Trump was 50-year-old former fire chief named Corey Comperatore, a husband and father of two girls.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told reporters:

SHAPIRO:  I asked Cory's wife if it would be okay for me to share that we spoke. She said, yes. She also asked that I share with all of you that Cory died a hero. Cory dove on his family to protect them.

Multiple nearby physicians tried to render aid, but were unable to save him.

Two other people were shot and listed Sunday in critical condition.

Condemnation of shooting » The attempt on Donald Trump’s life drew swift condemnation from both sides of the aisle in Washington and from President Biden:

BIDEN:  The idea, the idea that there's political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It's just not appropriate. And we, everybody, everybody must condemn it. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “an attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country.”

And Attorney General Merrick Garland added:

GARLAND:  Justice Department has no tolerance for such violence. And as Americans, we must have no tolerance for it. The violence that we saw yesterday is an attack on our democracy itself.

Rhetoric » But Republicans note that many Democrats, including President Biden have repeatedly declared that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy itself.

And that has sparked a conversation about overheated rhetoric in modern politics.

In an Oval Office address last night, the president told the American people:

BIDEN:  I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics, and to remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We're neighbors, we're friends, co workers, citizens, and most importantly, we're our fellow Americans.

However, in a recent post to social media, he said “Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation” to our freedom, and to our democracy. And “He's literally a threat to everything America stands for.”

And he previously told Americans:

BIDEN: Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic, a clear and present danger to our democracy.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham reacted Sunday to the assassination attempt:

GRAHAM:  I wish I could say I was surprised, but I've been worried about this for a very, very long time. You know, if he wins, democracy's not gonna end. He's not a fascist. He represents a point of view that millions of Americans share.

At the same time, many Republicans agreed that it is time to dial down the rhetoric, but called on the president to lead by example.

RNC preview » Despite the Pennsylvania shooting, the Republican National Convention is largely unaffected.

Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin Brian Schimming:

SCHIMMING: Everything for the convention is going on as planned. There are no major changes.

No major changes, but there is at least one noteworthy change. Politico’s Alex Isenstadt told C-SPAN:

ISENSTADT: The only change in the schedule that we know of is that Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s main opponent in the Republican primary has been added to the schedule. That’s actually quite notable because one of the themes here is going to be unification around Trump.

And Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he was traveling to Milwaukee on schedule that very afternoon.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: eye-witnesses in Butler, Pennsylvania. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat.

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