President Joe Biden’s social media alluded to former President Donald Trump as a “dictator” just minutes before 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks tried to assassinate Trump.
“America wants a president, not a dictator,” Biden posted to his Facebook page.
Americans want a president, not a dictator.
Posted by Joe Biden on Saturday, July 13, 2024
The post was published at 6:oo p.m. on Saturday, minutes before Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, tried to assassinate President Trump during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Some of the first reports of President Trump being shot at came in at 6:12 p.m. on Saturday.
Trump was injured and rushed off stage by the U.S. Secret Service while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania after shots were fired and one bullet hit the 45th president in the ear.
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Images and videos of the harrowing scene poured into social media, showing what appears to be blood on Trump’s face.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 13, 2024
No words.
Donald J Trump for President of the United States.
This election is now over. pic.twitter.com/0Tqb5j3QY9— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) July 13, 2024
Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) reacted to the assassination attempt on Trump’s life, saying, “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 to directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination,” Vance added.
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.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 14, 2024
Secret Service veteran Dan Bongino took to X after the assassination attempt to proclaim that he “can absolutely confirm the USSS Director Kim Cheatle has repeatedly turned down requests for a larger security footprint around President Trump. Despite knowing the threat level is catastrophic.”
Bongino called on Cheatle to resign.
I want to repeat, and can absolutely confirm, the USSS Director Kim Cheatle has repeatedly turned down requests for a larger security footprint around President Trump. Despite knowing the threat level is catastrophic.
Resign tonight. https://t.co/v3UQyTt1dK— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) July 14, 2024
Notably, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the leader of then-Speaker Pelosi’s (D-CA) now-defunct January 6 Select Committee, introduced legislation in April 2024 targeting President Trump that would take away his Secret Service protection upon a conviction.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.