Elon Musk took to X to praise former President Donald Trump’s pick of Ohio Senator JD Vance as running mate.

“Congratulations,” Musk said to Vance. “Excellent decision by @realDonaldTrump.”

Trump announced on his own social media platform, Truth Social, his selection of Vance on Monday, picking the Ohio Senator over contenders such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgrum.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said of the pick. “J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association.”

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Republican Committee, released a statement Monday congratulating Sen. JD Vance
, R-Ohio, on being selected as former President Trump’s running mate.

Daines joins a chorus Vance’s GOP colleagues offering strong support for Vance.

“As chairman of the Utah delegation to the Republican National Convention, I just cast all of Utah’s 40 votes for President Donald Trump and for his running mate, my friend and colleague JD Vance,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted to X.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called Vance a “friend” and “a conservative chamption who fights for American workers.”J.D.

“He’ll make an outstanding vice president,” Cotton said. “I commend President Trump’s excellent choice of a patriot who served our nation in uniform.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.,  a former ambassador to Japan in the Trump administration, called Vance a “true patriot” who will “implement his America First agenda, fight for the forgotten men and women of America, and Make America Great Again!”

Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, former President Trump’s running mate, was first elected to the Senate in 2022, having never before held elected office.

Vance first rose to prominence after authoring a 2016 book called “Hillbilly Elegy,”
a memoir about his upbringing in a poor Appalachian family that reflects the values of many Americans who support Trump’s policies. Prior to his run for office, Vance worked as a venture capitalist at entrepreneur Peter Theil’s firm, Mithril Capital, and for a short time at a corporate law firm.

He also served as a U.S. Marine, including on a deployment to Iraq. Vance came out on top in a crowded Republican primary field in his Senate race before facing Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan, a former presidential candidate, in a closely watched November general election that year. 

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is out with a statement praising the pick of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio as former President Trump’s running mate.

“The America First ticket just became stronger with Senator JD Vance joining President Trump as his running mate,” Blackburn said in a statement.

“JD is a true freedom fighter, who will champion the issues important to Americans: secure borders, safer communities, lower taxes, a lethal fighting force, and the rule of law. It has been an honor to serve with JD in the U.S. Senate and to witness his hard work on behalf of Ohioans.”

“I know he will make an incredible Vice President for the American people, and I’m all in for Trump-Vance 2024! Together, we’ll defeat Joe Biden and the Democrats in November and save our country,” she said.

MILWAUKEE — Former President Trump has decided on his running mate, and it won’t be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Multiple sources told Fox News on Monday that Rubio – the three-term conservative senator who was considered to be among the names on a short list of contenders for running mate – was informed that he wouldn’t be named as the GOP’s 2024 vice presidential nominee.

And sources also told Fox News that Burgum, the two-term North Dakota governor and top Trump surrogate, was also informed that he would not be named as the former president’s running mate.

The Trump campaign says that the first time we will see the running mate in-person will be at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday, at 4:37PM ET, just ahead of the vice presidential roll call nominating process. 

Besides Rubio and Burgum, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio was also considered to be a front-runner to serve as Trump’s running mate.

The Republican National Convention was called to order on Monday at 1:59 p.m. ET.

Former President Trump will be officially named the Republican presidential nominee for 2024 at the event.

Trump’s campaign has said that the former president plans to call for unity at the convention, following his close call during an attempted assassination at his rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump said in an interview afterward. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

Trump has also said he plans to announce his choice for running mate shortly after the festivities begin on Monday.

There have been several contenders for the vice presidential nominee, but leading the pack have been frontrunners Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D.

As speculation continues, Vance was observed leaving his Ohio home in a motorcade en route to the convention. However, a source familiar told Fox News the motorcade was made up of Ohio police and Capitol Police, not Secret Service.

Fox News’ Alexas McAdams contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump will not choose either Sen. Marco Rubio or Gov. Doug Burgum as his 2024 running mate, sources tell Fox News.

Rubio and Burgum were both floated as top candidates Trump was considering as his vice president.

Trump reportedly has made his decision on who will join him on the 2024 ticket, but sources confirmed to Fox News that is his pick will not be Rubio or Burgum.

The former president is expected to announce his running mate on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) Monday.

Former President Trump has chosen his running mate, Fox News has confirmed. He will be revealing his choice at the Republican National Convention.

Ahead of the announcement of Trump’s vice presidential nominee, the former president has finally determined his preferred running mate.

Two of the frontrunners, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., have received calls informing them that they have not been selected as Trump’s running mate, sources confirmed to Fox News.

Another frontrunner for vice presidential nominee
has been Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. However, there are also several other contenders such as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., who are also being speculated.

Rep. Wesley Hunt spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of Republican National Convention events on Monday and relayed his takeaways from watching the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“What it really articulated in my mind was the idea of what combat really means to me and to watch his courage under fire,” Hunt said.

“He knelt down and he wanted to put his shoes back on, stood back up, and then told the crowd to fight because he wanted to walk off that stage with dignity,” he added.

Hunt, a West Point graduate and War on Terror combat veteran, said he had seen horrible things while serving in the military.

“But nothing compares to watching a man that I admire, and a man that is fighting for this country, and is fighting for our values, and is fighting for our way of life every single day become a political target. For what? For what?,” he asked.

Hunt added that he believes Trump will be President of the United States again and emphasized his disgust for some social media posts regarding Trump surviving the shooting.

“We should all be appalled by what we saw,” Hunt said, adding that some tweets were “utterly disgusting.”

Fox News’ Outnumbered broke down the dismissal of the case against former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents on Monday.

“Former President Trump’s Motion to Dismiss Indictment Based on the Unlawful Appointment and Funding of Special Counsel Jack Smith is GRANTED in accordance with this Order,” U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon wrote in a 93-page ruling. “The Superseding Indictment is DISMISSED because Special Counsel Smith’s appointment violates the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.”

Trump had faced charges stemming from special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his possession of classified materials at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. He pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony counts from Smith’s probe, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

Trump’s classified documents case was thrown out by Judge Cannon Monday on the basis that Special Counsel Jack’s Smith’s appointment violated the Constitution.

Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida cannot appear on the 2024 ticket alongside former President Donald Trump unless one of them changes their residency from Florida.

Rubio has been floated as one of the top contenders on Trump’s shortlist for vice president, however, living in the same state presents a roadblock for potentially running on a ticket together.

Given that both Rubio and Trump live in Florida, the politicians are currently barred from running on a 2024 ticket together under the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution that states that a president and a vice president may not reside in the same state.

However, in the case that either Trump or Rubio moved out of Florida before the election, then they could legally appear on the ticket together.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Doug Burgum, R-S.D., are also among the top candidates Trump is reportedly considering as his running mate, an announcement expected on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) Monday.

Former longtime Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel is an extremely familiar face in the GOP.

But there’s no word yet on whether McDaniel will attend the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee.

And if she does make an appearance, it’s clear she’ll have no formal speaking role at the convention.

But McDaniel would be among scores of friends in a party where she’s made plenty of strong relationships during her tenure as Michigan GOP chair and her more than seven years steering the national party committee.

Then-President-elect Trump picked McDaniel to run the RNC after he won the White House in the 2016 election. She was overwhelmingly re-elected to the post in 2019 and 2021, and convincingly won a final re-election in January 2023 over a handful of challengers.

But earlier this year, Trump repeatedly urged changes at the committee – following lackluster fundraising last year and his opposition to the RNC’s presidential primary debates.

His criticism of the RNC essentially pushed McDaniel out the door, and she stepped down at a party meeting in Houston in March as Trump clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

First-term House Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, is a part a growing group of young, Black conservative lawmakers who are steadily changing the face of the Republican Party – and he believes that more non-White voters will follow.

“This is what the party is today. This is the future of the party as well,” Hunt told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Despite only being elected to Congress roughly a year and a half ago, Hunt – a retired Army captain who served in Iraq – is slated to speak at this week’s Republican National Convention (RNC), where former President Donald Trump will be formally declared the party’s White House nominee.

Hunt said it was important for more non-White Americans to join the GOP because it reflects the country’s own changing demographics. He pointed to his own home state of Texas, for instance, which is projected to be a majority-Hispanic state by the next census, Hunt said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.

Former President Trump will announce his pick for vice presidential running mate, and delegates are expected to approve that pick via acclamation, not a roll call vote. 

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are among the contenders on Trump’s short list, but “it’s almost an embarrassment of riches that there are so many good people” for Trump to choose from, one senior campaign adviser said on “Fox & Friends” last Monday. “What President Trump has said is that whoever he does pick needs to be able to step in and do the job on day one,” he added.

The process has changed over time. At one point, vice presidential candidates were chosen by the party
to balance a ticket either geographically or ideologically. Conventions used to be a place for delegates to negotiate or debate a potential vice presidential candidate.

Now, presumptive presidential nominees choose their own running mates, and typically announce their pick before the convention.

Protesters have started to gather at the Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention rally at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ahead of the RNC’s events kicking off
on Monday afternoon, people have begun demonstrating against the GOP. Dozens of signs were seen at protests in the city, including those calling former President Trump and Republicans “racist,” and some that called to end support for Israel.

“Ban bombs not books,” another sign read.

For months ahead of the RNC, Republicans had fought with law enforcement and Secret Service leaders about the security for the event. The GOP and former President Trump’s campaign argued that the protesters were going to pose a security concern if they were allowed to be too close to the RNC site.

Protesters claimed it was a First Amendment violation to prevent them from being within sight and earshot of the RNC.

After the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, the conflict over security was spotlighted again as concerns for safety were elevated.

However, Secret Service said it was confident in its plan for the event, adding that there aren’t plans for additional security aside from what was already being provided for.

While no official schedule of the Republican National Convention’s speakers has been released as of press time, several of former President Trump’s family members are expected to attend.

Donald Trump Jr., the nominee’s eldest son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, reportedly will speak and introduce the yet-unannounced vice presidential nominee.

However, former first lady Melania Trump will attend, along with family members who themselves are also state RNC delegates.

While youngest son Barron Trump was selected but declined to stand as a delegate from Florida, Trump Jr.’s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, as well as Tiffany Trump – the former president’s only child with ex-wife Marla Maples – will serve. Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s husband, will represent Florida.

The 2024 Republican National Convention, to be held the week of July 15, will be hosted in Milwaukee, Wis.

While there are few specifics on the thought process that went into the choice of venue, it is notable that Milwaukee was previously named the convention site in 2020.

However, the coronavirus pandemic rendered most of former President Trump’s renomination convention remote that year.

Milwaukee will join the list of cities that have hosted both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

The core of the festivities will take place at Fiserv Forum, where Fox News also moderated a 2023 Republican presidential primary debate.

During her remarks at the 2020 Republican National Convention, then-first lady Melania Trump recalled how thankful her family was that voters in 2016 “were willing to take a chance on the businessman who has never worked in politics” when they chose then-President Donald Trump.

Melania telegraphed confidence in her husband in taking on COVID-19, which was posing a serious problem for people, businesses, and ways of life across the country, assuring listeners that he would tirelessly work to develop treatments and vaccines. She further reflected on her life as an immigrant and growing up in Slovenia under communist rule, noting the wonderful things she heard as a child about America.

“As I grew older, it became my goal to move to the United States and follow my dream of working in the fashion industry,” she said, thanking her parents for their work to get their family to America.

The first lady called becoming an American citizen, “one of the proudest moments in my life.” Melania promised, “Just as you are fighting for your families, my husband, our family, and the people in this administration are here fighting for you.” 

A Florida judge dismissed the case against former President Trump for the handling of classified documents, and some legal experts are calling it a “strongly reasoned” opinion that eliminates the “greatest legal threat” to the presumptive 2024 GOP just ahead of the Republican National Convention. 

On Monday, Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a 93-page opinion dismissing the case on the grounds that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith to oversee the case was unconstitutional. 

“Upon careful study of the foundational challenges raised in the motion, the Court is convinced that Special Counsel’s Smith’s prosecution of this action breaches two structural cornerstones of our constitutional scheme – the role of Congress in the appointment of constitutional officers, and the role of Congress in authorizing expenditures by law,” Cannon wrote. 

Jonathan Turley, a defense attorney and law professor at George Washington University, told Fox News Monday that “of all of the cases that could be dismissed, this would be at the top of the list. This was the greatest threat. And for now, at least, it’s gone.”

Former President Trump reflected on the now world-famous photo of him holding his fist in the air after an assassination attempt during an interview published on Monday, quipping you “usually have to die” for it to become iconic.

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump told the New York Post.

“They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”Trump was shot in the ear on Saturday in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The photo of Trump has been re-posted across social media following the shooting and was on front pages across the country and world Sunday. After shots were fired at the president, Secret Service agents surrounded him, and the former president was seen pumping his fist in the air and telling the crowd to “fight.” 

Trump told the Post that he “wasn’t supposed to be here” in the interview following the assassination attempt. Experts have said Trump was extraordinarily lucky to survive, as just a few centimeters and a coincidental head turn were the difference between life and death.

Recently installed Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley is far from a household name.

But those watching the Republican National Convention this week may become quite familiar with Michael Whatley, who will receive plenty of screen time during the four-day confab in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Whatley succeeded longtime RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who stepped down at a national party committee meeting in Houston, Texas in March as former President Trump clinched the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Then-President-elect Trump picked McDaniel to run the RNC after he won the White House in the 2016 election. But earlier this year, Trump repeatedly urged changes at the committee – following lackluster fundraising last year and his opposition to the RNC’s presidential primary debates. His criticism of the RNC essentially pushed McDaniel out the door.

Whatley, who had served as the North Carolina GOP chair since 2019, and also as the general counsel for the RNC, was partially handpicked by Trump to succeed McDaniel because of Trump’s repeated unproven claims that his 2020 election loss to President Biden was due to massive voter fraud.

Prior to his work with the Republican Party, Whatley served as a federal law clerk, a senior official in the administration of former President George W. Bush and as the chief of staff for former Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina. He also served as a senior adviser to the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign, Florida Recount and Transition Teams, as well as the Trump-Pence campaign and transition teams.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, reportedly departed on Monday before noon from his home in Ohio with a motorcade as speculation continues about his potential status as former President Trump’s running mate.

Footage showed the Ohio senator leaving his house in a motorcade, presumably on his way to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported Forbes.

The motorcade is not Secret Service detail, a source familiar told Fox News. The security are Capitol Police officers as well as Ohio state police. Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, approved the added security out of an abundance of caution after the assassination attempt on Trump.

DeWine’s office confirmed the approval to Fox News.

Vance is considered a frontrunner for Trump’s vice presidential nominee, alongside Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D.

The Republican is one of the lawmakers who has been supportive of Trump for the longest, even during the early stages of the GOP primary race.

After the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Vance slammed President Biden
for his rhetoric. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” he wrote on X.

“That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination,” the senator continued.

Fox News’ Alexas McAdams contributed to this report.

“Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt recounted receiving the news of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

Earhardt said she received a phone call from a FOX employee to turn on the television as the president had just been shot.

“To see that happen to someone who wants to give so much to our country is just very emotional and something I’d never experienced before,” Earhardt said. “When Reagan was shot I was 5 or 6 years old.”

She went on to express condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter, husband and father who lost his life at the rally, “I’m so sorry for the family that did lose their loved one.”

Comperatore died shielding his family from bullets. Two others, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, are fighting for their lives.

“I wish them all the best, lots of prayers going up,” she added.

Earhardt concluded, “Stop the vitriol and just move forward as a country the red white and blue is more important than these politics.”

Former President Donald Trump is demanding independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “immediately” get Secret Service protection.

“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately. Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Monday.

RFK Jr. previously said that the Biden administration denied his request for Secret Service protection, but more lawmakers are calling for him to receive the same service as other presidential candidates after Trump survived an assassination attempt.

Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., called on President Biden to change his administration’s previous decision to deny Kennedy Secret Service protection just hours after the Trump rally shooting.”I encourage [Biden] to immediately provide secret service protection for [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.],” Polis wrote on X.

Local law enforcement had responsibility for the building where Thomas Matthew Crooks fired several shots at former President Trump on Saturday, Fox News has learned.

The building Crooks fired from was a “rally point” for one of the local counter sniper teams, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the security plans.

The source also said that a team was actually stationed in, or near, the building. There were four counter sniper teams at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, including two from the Secret Service and two from local law enforcement.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson, David Spunt, Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood made a surprise appearance at the 2012 Republican National Convention, where now-Sen. Mitt Romney was nominated as the GOP nominee to challenge then-incumbent President Barack Obama. 

Eastwood opened his speech with the line,  “I know what you’re thinking”, referencing the number of .44 Magnum rounds his “Dirty Harry” Callahan character fired in the 1971 film. Eastwood improvised much of his speech, addressing an empty chair, which was supposed to represent Obama. The speech lasted 12 minutes, despite being scheduled to last just five. 

After directing the beginning of the speech to the empty chair, Eastwood spoke directly to delegates and the audience, saying:

“We own this country…it’s not politicians owning it; politicians are employees of ours … And whether you’re Democrat or whether you’re a Republican or whether you’re Libertarian or whatever, you’re the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let ’em go.” 

The speech ended with another reference to “Dirty Harry.”

Eastwood’s speech was seen by more than 30 million people.

Former President Trump is now breaking his silence on the assassination attempt against him during a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump also told the newspaper onboard his private plane while heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for this week’s Republican National Convention. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, retired Army captain and West Point graduate, joined Brian Kilmeade on “Fox & Friends” this morning to discuss Secret Service planning to brief lawmakers over concerns with rally safety preparedness following Trump’s assassination attempt.

“The biggest question is, is how does an assailant get on a rooftop that close to the former and future president of the United States?,” Hunt asked.

He added that being within 150 yards of anything is an “easy shot.”

“With my AR, I could absolutely make that shot,” Hunt said.

When Kilmeade asked if he were in Trump’s situation, would he return to rally events, Hunt said, “If I know President Trump, of course he’s going to.”

“God had his hands on him in that moment and I know what it feels like to get shot at,” Hunt said. He revealed that after he was fired at during missions, he felt a “reinvigorated spirit” for life and that he expects to see the same from Trump this week at the 2024 RNC.

While Republicans in Wisconsin and New Hampshire have long traded fire over which state is the birthplace of the GOP – which stands for Grand Old Party – there is no dispute over where the party’s first national convention took place.

The party, which was founded in the mid-19th Century, held its first national nominating convention at Musical Fund Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 17 to 19, 1856.

The party – formed just two years earlier – nominated then-Sen. John C. Fremont of California for president. Fremont was an explorer who had also served as a military officer in the Mexican-American War. Former Sen. William L. Dayton of New Jersey was nominated for vice president.

Democrat James Buchanan, who defeated then-President Franklin Pierce at the Democratic convention, went on to defeat Fremont in the general election, in a three-way contest that also included American (Know Nothing) Party nominee Millard Fillmore. 

What is a delegate?

During the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, delegates from all over the country gather in one location and elect their respective nominee for president. Delegates are traditionally elected by their state party, mostly including local officials and party members, and they are sent to the convention on behalf of their state. Each party has a set number of delegates available — 4,672 Democrats and 2,429 Republicans — a certain percentage of whom are referred to as “superdelegates.”

What is a superdelegate?

Both parties use superdelegates slightly differently, but the key concept is that a superdelegate is one who is not bound to vote for their assigned candidate. While a Democrat delegate from Texas is bound to vote for the Democrat who won the state of Texas, a superdelegate from Texas can vote for whoever they wish, but only in a contested convention, as established in 2018. Additionally, while Democrat delegates are local party leaders and officials, superdelegates make up members of the Democratic elite. They are senators, representatives, party leaders, prominent officials, etc.

Republican superdelegates are more hamstrung. Each state automatically gets three, assigned by the RNC, and they are bound to vote for the candidate who won their state. They are also not allowed to vote in the first round of voting, limiting any power they have to a contested convention, as established in 2016.

A new national poll conducted in the wake of the Biden-Trump presidential debate has found that nearly 80% of voters are concerned about Biden “not having the necessary mental and physical health to be a president for a second term.”

The NBC News survey of 800 registered voters, which was conducted over July 7-9 and before the assassination attempt against former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania this past weekend, has Trump leading Biden by 45% to 43% in a head-to-head race. 

While the matchup remains close, the poll found that 62% of Democratic voters wish someone else was at the top of their party’s ticket instead of Biden and that 79% of all voters are worried about the 81-year-old Biden’s mental and physical capabilities.

Only 50% of respondents had the same mental and physical fitness concerns about Trump, who is 78.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Former President Trump told Fox News that he will be announcing his choice for his running mate on Monday during the Republican National Convention.

“He did confirm that he’s going to make a VP choice today,” Fox News’ Bret Baier said, noting Trump said so on the phone.

The frontrunners for Trump’s running mate are considered to be Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as well as Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D.

The former president has held out and did not announce his running mate prior to the RNC, which is beginning on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

There were initial concerns that the RNC may need to be postponed after there was an assassination attempt against Trump
at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. However, Trump refused to push back the event.

Trump’s choice of running mate will come after months and months of speculation that began during the Republican presidential primary race before he became the presumptive GOP nominee.

Democrats have pressed pause on their efforts to replace President Biden as the 2024 Democratic nominee in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against former President Trump, with one lawmaker saying they’ve all resigned themselves “to a second Trump presidency,” according to one report.

The concern among many Democratic lawmakers surrounding Biden’s cognitive decline and his ability to defeat Trump in the election has taken a “back seat” as they focus on their own security and unifying language for a country reeling from the attempt on Trump’s life over the weekend, Axios reported Sunday.

A growing number of House Democrats and one Democratic senator have called on Biden to withdraw from the race since his debate debacle last month. However, Trump’s attempted assassination may have dwindled their momentum, the report suggests.

Fox News’ Yael Halon contributed to this report.

A prominent security presence outside the residence of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, over the weekend heightened speculation around former President Trump’s pick for vice president.

Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on Saturday, reportedly suffering a gunshot wound to his right ear in the shooting that took the life of one rally goer and injured several others.

After the incident, several black trucks and police vehicles were reportedly seen outside of Vance’s residence as he remains on of the top three candidates on Trump’s shortlist for vice president.

A spokesperson for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, however, told an NBC reporter that he approved the security presence at Vance’s residence on Saturday, with sources saying that it was not Secret Service, but state state law enforcement.

Vance, along with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Doug Burgum, R-S.D., remain on the top of list for Trump’s potential vice president.

Fox News’ Bret Baier reports that senior GOP officials indicate Trump could announce his running mate as soon as 1p.m. ET Monday after the Republican National Convention (RNC) commences.

​​Sen. Tim Scott
, R-S.C., a candidate being floated as a potential vice president for Trump, delivered a heart-felt speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC). Scott talked about his upbringing and eventually being elected to serve in the Senate, which he described as an “American journey.”

“Regardless of the challenges presented to us…every four years…Americans come together to vote…To share stories of what makes our nation strong, and the lessons we have learned that can strengthen it further for our children and grandchildren,” Scott said, adding that “while this election is between Donald Trump and Joe Biden…it is not solely about Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”

Scott also took aim at President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
— the then-Democratic ticket.

“Make no mistake: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris want a cultural revolution. A fundamentally different America.”

“If we let them…they will turn our country into a socialist utopia…and history has taught us that path only leads to pain and misery, especially for hard-working people hoping to rise.”

Federal criminal charges against former President Trump for mishandling classified documents were dismissed on Monday by a Florida judge.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon
granted a motion to dismiss the superseding indictment against him, based on a violation of the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.

Trump’s defense team had filed the motion, making the argument that Special Counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed.

Justice Clarence Thomas notably mentioned the issue of Smith’s appointment to the Trump investigations in his concurrence to the Supreme Court immunity ruling earlier this month.

Cannon’s decision to grant the motion agreed that the critical Appointments Clause gives Congress a considered role in determining the propriety of vesting appointment power for inferior officers. 

It was argued that the special counsel’s position effectively usurped that important legislative authority, transferring it to a head of department, and in the process threatened the structural liberty inherent in the separation of powers. 

Cannon explained that there is a legal route by which to appoint Smith to the role, writing that he could be appointed and confirmed through the default method prescribed in the Appointments Clause. This, she notes, is what Congress has directed for United States attorneys throughout American history. Congress could also authorize his appointment through enactment of positive statutory law consistent with the Appointments Clause, she said.

Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss security preparations for the Republican National Convention (RNC) following the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

“We plan as much as we can plan in regards to that there is always going to be something that can throw a little screwball, but then we have to have the resources to be able to respond,” the chief said.

Norman added that security is “continuing to work with our partners” and “continuing to communicate in regards to that this is a respected event in regards to that we need to be able to work with each other and have that communication. But also, resources are here. We’re making sure we have the ability to respond the way that we need to based on behaviors and based on the intelligence we are receiving.”

The RNC will commence Monday, just days after former President Trump survived an assassination attempt.

MILWAUKEE, WI – The Republican National Committee
kicks off in a couple of hours, just two days after former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s standard-bearer, survived an assassination attempt.

And the Saturday shooting at Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania – where one spectator was killed and two more critically injured, and the former president visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear – has altered the tone and raised the stakes of the convention.

At the four-day confab which is being held in swing state Wisconsin’s largest city, Trump will formally become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, and the official roll call will take place during the opening session Monday.

But as the convention gets underway, all eyes are on the former president as Trump’s expected to announce his choice for running mate, which would bring to a conclusion weeks of vetting and intense media speculation.

Fox News’ Bret Baier reports that senior GOP officials indicate a running mate announcement could occur soon after the convention is gaveled into order at 1pm ET. “It will be part of the hooplah today kicking things off”.

Considered the front-runners for the Republican vice presidential nomination are Sens. JD Vance of Ohio, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota.

Others thought to be in contention are Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Byron Donalds of Florida.

MILWAUKEE – The Republican National Convention
 kicks off on Monday, just two days after former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s standard-bearer, survived an assassination attempt.

And the Saturday shooting at Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania – where one spectator was killed and two more critically injured, and the former president visibly bloodied after a bullet grazed his ear – has altered the tone and raised the stakes of the convention.

U.S. Secret Service and other officials announced on the eve of the convention that there are no plans to expand the security perimeter and that there are no known threats.

“The arena’s set, the security is here and we feel very comfortable that we’re working with the Secret Service,” Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”

The last Republican National Convention was held in Charlotte, N.C.,, but was far from a traditional one, taking place during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in late August 2020.

The RNC and the Trump campaign canceled the originally planned gathering due to the COVID pandemic, which had been set for Jacksonville, Florida, in July.

The convention’s overall theme was  “Honoring the Great American Story” with different nights focusing on America as the “Land of Promise,” the “Land of Opportunity,” the “Land of Heroes,” and the “Land of Greatness.” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Trump family members, and law enforcement officials were among the featured speakers.

The Trump campaign raked in $76 million during the lightly attended, largely virtual convention.  

The 2016 GOP convention took place in Cleveland, Ohio. Many feared a contested convention, amid concerns within the party over Trump, but his nomination was ultimately not challenged from the floor. 

On July 19, 2016, the convention formally nominated Donald Trump for president and then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence
for vice president. They went on to win the general election, defeating the Democratic ticket of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. 

The Republican National Convention’s high-profile attendees will include former 2024 GOP presidential candidates who have since become some of former President Trump’s strongest allies.

That reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott – both of whom have generated buzz as possible Trump running mates.

Vivek Ramaswamy, among the first Republicans to drop out and endorse Trump, is also reportedly expected to be there.

Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis, with whom Trump had a bitter feud, is also expected to attend and even speak at the convention.A notable exclusion, however, is former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley. The ex-Trump administration official is the only woman who challenged Trump for the 2024 nomination and the final major challenger to drop out.

A Haley spokesperson told Politico that she “was not invited, and she’s fine with that. Trump deserves the convention he wants. She’s made it clear she’s voting for him and wishes him the best.”

Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News on Monday that after hearing his father was shot, he called and said he was “the biggest badass” he ever saw.

Trump Jr. spoke to Fox News during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was asked how former President Trump
was feeling and what he said after learning it had happened.

“My first words…the first words out of my mouth were, ‘You’re the biggest badass I’ve ever seen,’ and I actually meant that,” he said. “Everyone these days is a tough guy on the internet or on a keyboard, but when you’ve actually been shot, you can get up defiant, you know, fist in the air telling people to stay in the game to fight. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we need. That’s actually a man that’s been tested.”

Trump Jr. said it was “very tough” to get any kind of information locked down. He said he assumed there were no cell phones in the hospital because of emergency medical equipment.

But he got a call saying his father had been shot, and that was the only information he had.

“It took about 90 minutes to even find out that he’s alive and well, so that was a rough time,” Trump Jr. said. “It was actually a couple of hours later, when you sit down, you start reading it, you start seeing the videos. You…so that’s what it was like. Just the adrenaline dump hits and it’s, it was different. It was a… life changing experience.”

He was also asked about the Secret Service, the oversight hearings on Capitol Hill and what he thought happened that led to his father getting shot.

“I know a lot of those guys and some of them are incredible patriots. I had a Secret Service detail for four years, but I also know, having had it, having been in it, having been both my father as a president, as a candidate, and, you know, my own details, someone to get out on an open roof within 130 yards…I’m not going to be the guy to be conspiratorial, but something went wrong,” Trump Jr. said.

President Biden took to social media to react to Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio
, being chosen as the running mate for former President Donald Trump, arguing that Vance and Trump “want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.”

“Well, I don’t intend to let them. And if you’re with me, pitch in,” Biden said.

Following the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee is sounding the alarm over concerns of security failures by the agencies.

“We are gravely concerned by the assassination attempt on former President Trump and the loss of life of an innocent bystander and injuries to several others during a campaign rally in Butler, PA, on Saturday, July 13, 2024,” the letter reads. “In light of Saturday’s shooting, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (Committee) is initiating a bipartisan investigation into how this was able to occur, what security, personnel, or other failures contributed to the attempt, and steps that must be taken to ensure any mistakes are avoided in the future.”

The committee is requesting that the appropriate representatives from Homeland Security, the FBI,
and U.S. Secret Service provide a briefing to members of the Committee on the security failures that allowed the incident to transpire.

“Specifically, we would like to understand the security posture at the Trump campaign rally, how the suspect was able to get this close to a Secret Service protectee and cause injury to the protectee, and what steps the Department is taking to increase its protection of presidential candidates and ensure the safety of the election,” the letter continued.

The final request was that the agencies share information on whether any additional security requests were made by former President Trump’s campaign or protective team since November 15, 2022 as well as provide the Committee with updates on this incident and the agencies’ responses on a rolling basis. 

President Biden
has ordered an independent review of the assassination attempt on former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed Monday.

Per Mayorkas, the review will examine the actions of the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement officers before, during, and after the shooting “to identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions required to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.”

Mayorkas said earlier Monday that a direct line of sight like the one the shooter had to Trump “should not occur.”

He also denied reports that the agency rebuffed requests for more resources for Trump’s detail, saying it was “unequivocally false.”

New York Times photographer Doug Mills stunned Americans with the iconic image he captured of a bullet whizzing past former President Trump after grazing his ear at a Pennsylvania rally over the weekend.

The moment remains a focal point as the Republican National Convention kicks off Monday, where Mills sat down with Fox News to share his firsthand account of the shocking ordeal.

“I just happened to be down, shooting with a wide angle lens just below the president when he was speaking. There was a huge flag waving right above his head, and I just happened to be taking pictures at the same time,” he told “America’s Newsroom” in Milwaukee.

“Then, when I heard the pops, I guess I kept hitting on the shutter, and then I saw him reach for his [ear]. He grimaced and grabbed his hand and looked. It was blood, and then he went down, and I thought, ‘Dear God, he’s been shot,'” he continued.

Read more about the iconic image of Trump.

Fox News’ Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

Robert F. Kennedy will receive protection from the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday.

The protection is being given to Kennedy, an Independent presidential candidate, following the assassination attempt of former President Trump over the weekend.

“In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr.,” Mayorkas told reporters.

Trump joined growing calls for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection in the days since the assassination attempt. In a Truth Social post, Trump said it was “imperative” that Kennedy receive the protection detail.

“Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump wrote, referencing the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the 1968 killing of Robert Kennedy, then a presidential candidate.

A virtual meeting between the House Homeland Security Committee and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is being pushed back to either tomorrow or Wednesday due to the director’s schedule, a senior committee aide tells Fox News.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn., and ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., reportedly spoke to the FBI assistant director Monday afternoon.

Cheatle, the 27th director of the United States Secret Service (USSS), was appointed by President Biden to lead the Secret Service in 2022, making her only the second woman ever in history to lead the agency.

Cheatle has been under scrutiny following the assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday.

Former President Trump on Monday, who survived an assassination attempt on Saturday, said it was imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should receive U.S. Secret Service Protection given recent events.

“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!”

Kennedy’s campaign racked up $1.4 million in debt by early spring to a private security firm, while the Biden administration has repeatedly denied his requests for Secret Service protection.

Kennedy has assailed Biden for having rejected at least three requests for protection while on the 2024 campaign trail, going back to last year.

Kennedy’s father, the late former Democratic New York senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, the late former President John F. Kennedy, were both assassinated in the 1960s.

Kennedy appeared on Fox News following the assassination attempt against Trump, and praised the Secret Service agents who rushed to protect Trump amid the shooting, but avoided leveling further criticism at the Biden administration for denying him protection.

Homeland Security Secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas, on Monday, was critical of the Secret Service’s security at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, admitting the gunman should have never had a clear line of sight on the president.

“A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not occur,” Mayorkas, who oversees the Secret Service, told “Good Morning America.”

Trump was shot in the ear on Saturday in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed, and two others were critically injured at the rally.

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents after he opened fire.

Mayorkas said he was in favor of President Biden’s call to have an “independent review of the incident” conducted.

“We are going to really study the event independently and make recommendations to the Secret Service and to me so that we can assure the safety and security of our protectees, which is one of our most vital missions in the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and across the government,” Mayorkas said.

Still, Mayorkas praised the Secret Service for quickly neutralizing the threat, despite faults with security.

Days after a would-be assassin killed a bystander and wounded two others while trying to kill former President Donald Trump, questions remain about how an armed man was able to climb onto a rooftop less than 150 yards from a major political candidate with a rifle and a clear line of sight.

The modern Secret Service is “stretched too thin” with new responsibilities and protectees, while its budget and manpower haven’t caught up with the times, according to a former agent and security consultant who said there were missed chances in the past two decades that left his former agency overworked.

“They got a real opportunity after 9/11 to ask for increased funding, double the size of the agency, really increase the capabilities, and none of the directors did that,” said Bill Gage, an expert on active shooter response who retired from the Secret Service after 13 years with the agency, including 6 ½ as a member of the counter assault team.

“In a perfect world, you have 30 CS teams and 500 agents,” he said, using the agency’s acronym for the counter-sniper team that took out the assassin. “But the Service just doesn’t have those resources.”

Even a third of that manpower would have been sufficient, he said.

Instead, videos from the rally show just a single CS team returning fire and neutralizing the suspect as a group of agents on the ground swarmed the former president, shielding him with their bodies.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Michael Ruiz

“The View” co-hosts called for gun control on Monday during a discussion about the assassination attempt against former President Trump. 

“So I know everybody always says, it’s too soon to talk about guns, and we should, because there has been a terrible death of a father of two, that thoughts and prayers should be where we go. I say no. I say now is the time to talk about the common denominator when it came to this assassination attempt, is America’s fascination and obsession with owning guns,” liberal co-host Sunny Hostin said, after also condemning political violence. 

Trump was shot in the ear on Saturday in an assassination attempt at a rally
in Butler, Pennsylvania. One attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed, and two others were critically injured at the rally. The shocking attack is being investigated as an assassination attempt and an act of domestic terrorism, and the shooter’s exact motives remain unknown. 

Hostin, a rabidly anti-Trump media voice, said she feared the attempt on his life would spark rhetoric about needing more “good guys with guns.”

“I think gun ownership will probably, because of this event, go up in this country instead of going down, and that is my fear. I think we need to have an honest and real conversation about real gun control legislation,” Hostin added. 

Ana Navarro, another staunchly anti-Trump host, also demanded action, invoking the race of the killer while doing so. 

“I hope that at some point in this country, we do have a conversation about what is happening, because we can’t just react when it is our side. What was this again? It was a 20-year-old lone wolf, White whack job with easy access to a gun, and we have to have a conversation about that, because it wasn’t a drag queen. It wasn’t an immigrant. It wasn’t a pissed-off liberal woman, and this keeps happening, and we need to react not as left or right, not as Republicans or Democrats. We need to react as Americans, and we need to ask better,” Navarro said.

Co-host Joy Behar’s commentary focused heavily on the shooter, Thomas Matthew Brooks
, who was killed by Secret Service shortly after he opened fire. She questioned why no one reported that a 20-year-old “White guy” had recently purchased 50 rounds of ammunition before his ambush. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck

Nationally syndicated political reporter Salena Zito detailed her eyewitness account of the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Sunday.

Zito, who was at the presumptive Republican nominee’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday before she was supposed to interview him at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, told Fox News’ Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer what happened in the moments before, during and after the shooting. 

Zito said she was about three feet away from the former president when she heard a “pop, pop, pop” and because she has been around guns all her life, she said she knew exactly what the sound was when it rang out. But, Zito said, the sound is often mistaken for fireworks. 

While he had a red streak on his face, Zito said Trump “didn’t have a crumbling effect.”

“They often say when people see a traumatic event, and it goes in slow motion, they’re absolutely right,” she said. “I immediately saw law enforcement surround him. They formed the protective shield around him. They took a protective stance.” She clarified that the Secret Service “had him go down” and that Trump did not “fall down.” 

While Zito said the Secret Service made sure everything was clear, she said she could hear the president ask to get his shoes before he turned to the crowd with his fist and said, “fight, fight, fight.”

“I think he actually said it more than three times,” she recalled. “He raises his fist, and I’m watching this, I’m right there and what I thought in that moment, is that he was trying to, and I think presidents intuitively do this, he wanted people to know, ‘It’s okay, we’re okay.'” 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Kendall Tietz

“Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt recounted receiving the news of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

Earhardt said she received a phone call from a FOX employee to turn on the television as the president had just been shot.

“To see that happen to someone who wants to give so much to our country is just very emotional and something I’d never experienced before,” Earhardt said. “When Reagan was shot I was 5 or 6 years old.”

She went on to express condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter, husband and father who lost his life at the rally, “I’m so sorry for the family that did lose their loved one.”

Comperatore died shielding his family from bullets. Two others, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, are fighting for their lives.

“I wish them all the best, lots of prayers going up,” she added.

Earhardt concluded, “Stop the vitriol and just move forward as a country the red white and blue is more important than these politics.”

The gunman at former President Trump’s rally purchased ammunition shortly before he attempted the assassination on Saturday, according to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the matter.

Thomas Matthew Crooks has been identified as the shooter, and it is unclear how much ammunition he purchased prior to the rally. Crooks fired on Trump with a rifle several times before being killed by Secret Service counter snipers.

Crooks’ volley struck Trump in his right ear as well as three other people in the crowd. One of the crowd members was instantly killed, and two others were critically injured. Corey Comperatore was killed shielding his wife and daughters. The the others who were injured have not been identified.

Trump recovered from the incident quickly and has stuck with plans to move forward with the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is expected to announce his running mate selection later Monday.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report

Footage from former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania shows rallygoers attempting to alert police to the shooter on a nearby rooftop before shots were fired on Saturday.

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, could be seen climbing into position in the video. He soon fired several shots at Trump, striking the former president and three crowd members, one of whom was killed.

Local law enforcement had responsibility for the building where Crooks was positioned, Fox News has learned. The building was a “rally point” for one of the local counter sniper teams, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the security plans. 

The source also said that a team was actually stationed in, or near, the building. There were four counter sniper teams at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, including two from the Secret Service and two from local law enforcement.

The source also added that the Butler County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that one officer climbed up onto the roof, saw Crooks armed with a rifle and retreated. Soon after that, Crooks began to fire, according to the source. Moments later, a Secret Service counter sniper fired on, and killed, Crooks.

An unknown person could be seen adjusting the window shades inside the home of deceased 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks on Monday, named by the FBI as the “subject involved” in the attempted assassination of
former President Donald Trump.

Crooks was killed shortly after opening fire at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Investigators later found his vehicle and explosive materials inside.

But Crooks killed one spectator: Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania. He also critically injured two others, whose names have not been released.

Comperatore was killed while shielding his wife and two daughters from the gunfire.

President Biden addressed the nation regarding the shooting on Sunday night. He called for unity and for cooler temperatures in political rhetoric.

First lady Jill Biden also called former first lady Melania Trump to express her condolences and concern on Sunday.

Former President Trump reflected on the now world-famous photo of him holding his fist in the air after an assassination attempt during an interview published on Monday, quipping you “usually have to die” for it to become iconic.

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump told the New York Post. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

Trump was shot in the ear on Saturday in an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot,” the former president said.

The photo of Trump has been re-posted across social media following the shooting and was on front pages across the country and world Sunday. After shots were fired at the president, Secret Service agents surrounded him, and the former president was seen pumping his fist in the air and telling the crowd to “fight.” 

Trump told the Post that he “wasn’t supposed to be here” in the interview following the assassination attempt. Experts have said Trump was extraordinarily lucky to survive, as just a few centimeters and a coincidental head turn were the difference between life and death.

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents after he opened fire. 

One attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, a former fire chief of Buffalo Township, was killed, and two others were critically injured at the rally. It’s being investigated as an assassination attempt and an act of domestic terrorism, and the shooter’s exact motives remain unknown. 

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck

UFC President Dana White posted about former President Trump in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania.

White, who is reportedly set to speak at the Republican National Convention, posted an iconic image of a bloodied Trump being escorted offstage following the shooting and called him an “American bad a–.”

“I’m on a plane right now flying to Italy and my phone has been blowing up with text messages from people informing me @realdonaldtrump was shot,” White wrote on Instagram Saturday. “I am absolutely SICK to my stomach and in complete shock. I still don’t know how bad it is or if he’s ok. But @mickmaynard2 just sent me this picture and I’m praying President Trump is 100% healthy. 

“This image perfectly reflects EXACTLY the man I know Donald Trump to be. He is the toughest, most resilient, AMERICAN BAD A– on this planet. I hope the weak coward that shot him gets what he deserves, and I can’t WAIT to stand up on stage with him on Thursday and introduce him at the Republican National Convention and tell the WORLD exactly the character of the friend and man I KNOW!!”

The would-be assassin was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks and a federal investigation was launched in the hours after the shooting.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos

CBS “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan addressed her comments chiding former President Trump for not “lowering the temperature” with a statement he issued following an assassination attempt against him on Saturday. 

“Our country has been living in a heightened threat environment for some time now. Yesterday’s assassination attempt against Mr. Trump confirmed our greatest fears. Last night, we reported on inflammatory statements made by some of our elected or political leaders and some of those who had called for calm,” the anchor began.

“Mr. Trump issued a statement after his traumatic experience, and I noted that his statement did not include a call to lower the temperature. It was not meant as a critique, but rather an observation I made in the moment of that breaking news,” Brennan continued.

She concluded, “Today, he said, that, ‘In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united’ so, in that spirit, let’s all hope for a safe campaign for all of those involved. And the former president and his family deserve our empathy after what happened. I wish him and his family the best as he recovers from the attempt on his life.”

Brennan came under fire Saturday night for calling out the former president’s Truth Social statement shortly after being rushed off a Pennsylvania rally stage bleeding from his right ear.

“He is recovering from these injuries now, this was a traumatic event, no doubt, for him,” Brennan said. “But I did notice there was no call for lowering the temperature, condemning all political violence, and really trying to signal to his supporters as well not to retaliate or have any kind of escalation here.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Monday in honor of Corey Comperatore, who was slain in the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Saturday.

Flags are to be lowered from noon on Monday through Tuesday evening, the order reads.

“Virginia stands in solidarity with and extends prayers to all Pennsylvanians, especially those who remain in critical condition and their families,” Youngkin said in a statement.

Comperatore was killed while shielding his wife and daughters at Trump’s rally in Butler, PA. Two other rallygoers were also shot, and they remain in critical condition.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired on Trump and the crowd from the rooftop of a nearby industrial building. The investigation into his motives and the attack is still ongoing.

Trump himself was grazed by the bullet on his right ear. He is moving forward with campaign plans and is attending this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Local law enforcement had responsibility for the building where Thomas Matthew Crooks fired several shots at former President Donald Trump
on Saturday, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the security plans.

The building Crooks fired from was a “rally point” for one of the local counter sniper teams, according to the source, who also pointed out that team was actually stationed in, or near, the building. There were four counter sniper teams at the Trump rally in Butler, Pa on Saturday, two from the Secret Service and two from local law enforcement.

This source also added that the Butler County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that one officer climbed up onto the roof, saw Crooks armed with a rifle and retreated. Soon after that, Crooks began to fire, according to the source. Moments later a Secret Service counter sniper fired on, and killed, Crooks.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report

MSNBC pulled its flagship AM program “Morning Joe” from airing on Monday in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

Viewers who tuned in Monday expecting to see the staunchly anti-Trump program, hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, were greeted instead by continued NBC News special reporting on the attempt on Trump’s life on Saturday. A spokesperson said “Morning Joe” will resume airing on Tuesday.

According to a CNN report, a person familiar with the decision said it was made in part over fear that one of the show’s many guests over a four-hour broadcast “might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole.”

According to CNN’s report, Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, decided to yank the show in consultation with MSNBC president Rashida Jones, as well as the show’s co-hosts.

The call by MSNBC to keep “Morning Joe” off the airwaves shocked political observers, with some conservatives saying it demonstrated a lack of trust in one of its most high-profile shows to sensitively cover a fraught situation.

“The fact that Morning Joe’s own network can’t trust its flagship brand not to spew reckless and inflammatory crap during breaking news tells you all you need to know about the credibility of the MSNBC line-up,” a veteran Republican consultant told Fox News Digital.

The news stirred up the left, too.

Liberal journalist Jeff Jarvis fumed on X, “What the f—, MSNBC? You preempted your excellent weekend programming… and now you’ve silenced [Morning Joe] in favor of your anodyne streaming news cos-play called Now? This is when we need the analysis and conversation these shows bring us (yes, with controversy; that is how public discourse works through it: with discussion). It is shocking that NBC/Comcast do not understand their own company’s programs and raison d’etre.”

Scarborough and Brzezinski have a complicated history with Trump. The two hosts
stood out in their bullishness on his political chances in 2015 and 2016 and frequently interviewed him on their show, but they became two of his most vehement critics after he became president.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ David Rutz and Brian Flood

A rabbi and head of the American Faith Coalition is speaking out about the “open miracle” related to former President Trump’s close call at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday.

“I cannot see the recent attempted assassination of former President Trump as anything but an open miracle that has left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness,” Rabbi Pincas Taylor of Plantation, Florida, told Fox News Digital on Monday morning. 

He said this is why, “regardless of our political affiliations, we must stand united in condemning all forms of political violence, as such actions are a threat to the very fabric of our democracy and to the principles upon which this great nation was founded.”

After shots rang out at the rally on Saturday and Secret Service agents covered Trump on the floor of the stage, the former president, once he was standing again, gave the crowd a fist before he was ushered offstage.

He was taken to a medical facility and declared “safe” afterward. He is now already in Milwaukee for the start of the Republican National Convention.

Taylor added that “in the face of this miracle” on Saturday, “we must also recognize the need to tone down the political rhetoric that has become all too common in our society.”

He shared with Fox News Digital his belief that “words have power — and when used irresponsibly, they can stoke actions that threaten our unity and peace.”

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Maureen Mackey

CNN initially reported the Saturday assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as if the former president had merely fallen off a stage – a characterization that swiftly earned condemnation from conservative lawmakers and those commenting on social media.

“Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally,” CNN’s headline read shortly after news broke that there was possible gunfire at a Pennsylvania Trump rally. 

The headline angered conservative lawmakers, as well as others on social media, who described the headline as “conscious deception” and “disgraceful.” 

“‘Falls at rally’? Is this a real headline? This is disgraceful,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted to X on Friday evening. 

“Even in a horrifying moment such as this they just can’t help themselves,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., posted. 

While addressing the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, Trump was seen abruptly grabbing his right ear before ducking and he hit the ground on stage. Secret Service personnel quickly surrounded Trump before he was escorted off the stage, with his right ear covered in blood. 

Before he was ushered out, Trump appeared to yell “Fight!” while giving a fist pump to the crowd to indicate he was alright.

First lady Jill Biden spoke with former first lady Melania Trump over the phone on Sunday after the assassination attempt against former President Trump, Fox News confirmed.

The White House and Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

The details of Jill and Melania’s conversation have yet to be released. Biden also called Trump himself to express his condolences just hours after the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday.

Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday evening, calling for unity and condemning the attack alongside members of his cabinet.

“My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.”

The attempted assassination of Trump “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are,” he added.

Biden said he was “grateful” that Trump is “doing well” and said he is keeping “him and his family in our prayers.” He also extended “our deepest condolences” to the family of Corey Comperatore, who was fatally shot as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report

The politicians who are rumored to be in consideration to serve as former President Donald Trump’s running mate
in the 2024 election swiftly took to social media to show support for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee after an attempted assassination this weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who is considered a frontrunner to become the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee across three betting markets, blasted the rhetoric that had been emanating from the Biden campaign and its supporters.

“Today is not just some isolated incident,” Vance posted on X. “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.”

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also offered his support for the president on Saturday. 

“We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed it,” Burgum wrote on X.

One of Trump’s most stubborn challengers for the 2024 Republican nomination, former U.N. ambassador and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, also took to social media. It emerged on Sunday that Haley will speak at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday – even though as recently as last week she wasn’t planning to attend the event, which kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.

Haley wrote on X: “This should horrify every freedom loving American.”

“Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized,” she wrote. “We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire Trump family, and all in attendance in prayer.”

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Jamie Joseph

Amid a sea of inflammatory political rhetoric this election season, President Biden and White House Cabinet members unequivocally condemned
political violence after the attempted assassination of former President Trump over the weekend, with many also expressing sympathy for Trump and condolences to the family of a spectator killed during the attack.

Vice President Harris wrote on X that “assassination attempts have no place in our nation,” adding that she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were praying for the family of the deceased victim, identified as a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore.

“As @POTUS said, we must work toward unity as Americans. Assassination attempts
have no place in our nation, or anywhere. Doug and I pray for the family of the victim who was senselessly killed yesterday and hope for a speedy recovery for those injured.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also condemned “political violence in America.” 

“I’m shocked and saddened by the shooting at former President Trump’s rally
and grateful that he is safe. As @POTUS said, there is no place for political violence in America and we must all condemn it,” Blinken posted to X on Saturday night.

“This is not the way that we resolve our differences in America — and it must never be. I’m relieved that reports indicate former President Trump is safe, and I am praying for him and his family and everyone affected by this appalling incident,” he said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Jamie Joseph

A law enforcement expert joined “Fox News @ Night” on Sunday to detail what happened when an officer at former President Trump’s Pennsylvania rally allegedly confronted the gunman on a rooftop before the deadly shooting on Saturday.

Retired Las Vegas Police Lt. Randy Sutton says the officer was alerted to the gunman, now identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and was attempting to confront him on the roof, but there was “no ladder” or access point.

The officer decided to reach Crooks by climbing onto the back of another officer, according to Sutton’s sources.

“As he was lifting himself up over the roof line, suddenly the suspect pointed his gun at him, the officer ducked down, and when he did, he fell off the back of the other officer,” Sutton said.

Sutton explained that this was not a situation where an officer committed a “cowardly act,” dismantling an earlier report that the officer possibly retreated when he confronted Crooks.

“This is an officer who made an observation, saw that he was about to be shot, and fell off the back of the other officer,” Sutton said.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report

Former President Trump said he is “supposed to be dead” after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend.

Trump described the incident to the New York Post as a “very surreal experience” that nearly killed him as he prepares for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump told the outlet.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” the former president added. “I’m supposed to be dead.”

He also addressed confusion about his shoes, as the video of the incident showed agents attempting to rush him off the stage to safety while he says, “Wait, I want to get my shoes.”

“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” Trump said.

The former president also praised the Secret Service for their swift action and for killing the shooter.

“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” he said. “They did a fantastic job. It’s surreal for all of us.

“He spoke about the photo of him raising his fist and shouting “Fight” three times as the agents attempted to drag him off stage to safety.

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump told the NYP. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually, you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

Trump is scheduled to speak at the RNC on Thursday evening.