‘Major news outlet’ editor reportedly tells media to bury iconic photo of Trump
An unnamed photo editor at a major news outlet believes it is “dangerous” for the media to highlight the historic photo of former President Trump standing tall after the assignation attempt Saturday, calling it “free PR” for the Trump campaign, according to a report.
An Axios media trend assessment on Tuesday argued that the “overuse” of the iconic image can “pose risks,” citing unnamed photographers who reportedly told the outlet that promoting the viral photos could be a form of “photoganda” because the Trump campaign will use them to “further their agenda, despite the photographers’ intent of capturing a news event.”
The image captured Trump’s defiant reaction seconds after a bullet grazed his right ear, and he was pummeled to the ground at a rally on Saturday. The former president is seen raising a fist to the crowd of supporters as he was rushed off the stage with blood smeared across his face, Secret Service flanking him, an American flag flying above his head. Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci captured the image that immediately went viral and landed on newspaper front pages while dominating digital news sites and social media platforms across the world.
PHOTOGRAPHER WHO TOOK EPIC IMAGE OF TRUMP’S REACTION TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ISN’T READY TO CALL IT ICONIC
Axios cited a photo editor and photographer “from a major news outlet” who suggested the media refrain from using the photo “despite how good it is” to avoid casting the former president in a positive light.
“The amount that publications have been using Evan’s photo is kind of free PR for Trump in a way, and it’s dangerous for media organizations to keep sharing that photo despite how good it is,” the editor told the outlet.
LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
The photo has been praised as both iconic and instantly historic, and it will be on the next print cover of TIME Magazine. Some observers have said it could change some people’s perceptions forever of Trump, one of the most controversial, beloved and loathed political figures in American history.
The Washington Post’s art critic Phillip Kennicott called it “a photograph that could change America forever.”
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alter feels the image “encapsulates the essence” of what Americans want from its leaders.
“The image and the preceding event perfectly capture the raw vulnerability of a powerful former leader at his most vulnerable moment likely ever in his life, only to be followed by that of perseverance, strength, and defiance in the face of evil,” Alter told Fox News Digital.
“This image very well encapsulates the essence of what most Americans have come to admire in our heroes –both in fiction and in real life — and in those we look towards to lead: emerging from chaos with resilience and authority, and unwavering toughness,” he continued. “Frankly, one that might change the narrative on ‘toxic masculinity.’”
TRUMP REFLECTS ON STUNNING PHOTO OF HIM AFTER BEING SHOT: ‘USUALLY YOU HAVE TO DIE’ TO HAVE ICONIC PICTURE
Vucci, a Pulitzer winner who has covered thousands of similar events for the AP since 2003, told Fox News Digital that he understood he was experiencing a historic moment in time as shots rang out in the direction of the former president.
“I was literally just thinking about doing the best possible job I could, because I knew that this was a moment in American history that I had to be at the top of my game for,” Vucci told Fox News Digital on Monday from Milwaukee, where he was preparing to photograph the Republican National Convention.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I knew immediately that it was going to be one of the most important things I’ll ever photograph,” he added, “and that I needed to do the best job possible.”
Trump himself addressed the now world-famous photo during an interview with the New York Post on Monday, quipping “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
Republican pitches surprising name to replace JD Vance in the Senate
EXCLUSIVE – Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., is throwing his support behind former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, if he and former President Trump win the 2024 election.
“I hope Vivek is Governor DeWine’s choice. I mean, he’d be a great senator if he wants it,” Banks said, though he pointed out that he is not involved in Ohio politics.
Trump announced Monday that he would pick Vance as his running mate after weeks of speculation and furor over the GOP presidential ticket.
RALLYGOERS DOUBLE DOWN ON TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER WITNESSING HARROWING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘WE FIGHT HARDER’
Banks, who is running for the open Senate seat in the deep red state of Indiana, praised the ex-president’s decision and argued Vance would be an appropriate standard-bearer for the movement Trump has created within the GOP.
“Donald Trump is the leader, not just of the party, but of the America First movement. And I think Donald Trump picking JD Vance was not just picking his running mate, not just picking his vice president, but really putting someone forward who’s going to represent the future of our party and our movement,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “And JD Vance is the perfect person for that.”
He also echoed Trump’s argument that Vance, who has established himself as a populist so far in his first Senate term, would be critical to winning swing state voters.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
“JD will go into these swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and connect with regular working-class families, the voters that we need to win in November,” Banks said.
His suggestion that Ramaswamy could replace Vance in the Senate comes as jockeying has already begun for the possible vacancy.
The seat would become open if Trump beats President Biden in November, and it would be up to DeWine to appoint someone to fill out the rest of Vance’s term.
SPLIT-SECOND TURN COULD HAVE SAVED TRUMP’S LIFE, EXPERTS SAYS: ‘GOD MUST HAVE BEEN WATCHING DOWN ON’ HIM
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ramaswamy suggested he would be open to the nod in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, “I have rock-solid conviction that JD will be an outstanding VP for President Trump. The only negative is this leaves our side missing one of our best fighters in the Senate. If asked to serve, I would strongly consider the position and would discuss with President Trump which path makes the most sense for our country.”
Others floated for the possible vacancy are Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, who is close with both Trump and DeWine, and state Sen. Matt Dolan, who DeWine endorsed in the Republican primary against Vance.
Donald Trump Jr has surprising reaction to Iranian plot against his father
Donald Trump Jr. had a surprising reaction Tuesday to reports that Iran plotted to have his father, former President Trump, assassinated, calling it “maybe the great political endorsement ever.”
The eldest Trump son, who is a vocal surrogate for his father’s campaign, made the comment in an interview on “Hannity” live from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just as the former president arrived donning a visible bandage on his right ear for the second night in a row.
DONALD TRUMP JR. SPARS WITH MSNBC REPORTER ON CONVENTION FLOOR: ‘I EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM YOU CLOWNS’
“I think it’s sort of a great endorsement. When people like Iran want to take you out, that probably means it’s good for America, bad for Iran,” Trump Jr. said. “That may be the greatest political endorsement ever. But when that happens, their capabilities are much more than a kid with a rifle.”
The Department of Homeland Security received intelligence from a human source on an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Trump, Fox News has been told by two federal law enforcement sources. CNN first reported that there has been an increase in Secret Service protection for Trump in recent weeks because of this intelligence. DHS and Secret Service have increasingly been concerned about Trump holding outdoor events, Fox News is told.
The plot doesn’t appear to be connected to Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, the gunman who shot Trump during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, the sources said. Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations denied the allegations, calling them “unsubstantiated and malicious” in a statement to Fox News Digital. Trump directed the January 2020 strike that killed Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Forces.
TRUMP JR. WANTS ‘VETO POWER OVER THE RINOS, PRAISES VANCE TO KEEP MAGA MOVEMENT ‘GOING FOR GENERATIONS’
Trump Jr.’s defiant tone Tuesday comes a day after he was seen tearfully welcoming his father to the GOP convention in his first public appearance following the attempt on his life. As former President Trump walked through a packed convention floor roaring with applause, his eldest son became visibly emotional.
“It was allergies,” he quipped when Sean Hannity asked how Saturday’s assassination attempt against his father affected him personally.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Not a lot of crying in the Trump family, but that moment, it was so heavy. 48 hours later…just the emotion…but also the love that we felt here,” he said. “What I saw over the last couple days here in Milwaukee was just incredible.”
Haley met cheers and jeers but her line about Trump got the whole crowd rallying behind her
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made her highly anticipated appearance at the Republican Convention, taking the stage to a mixture of cheers and boos from those in attendance.
Haley, who was former President Donald Trump’s fiercest primary rival, gave the former president her “strong endorsement” during the appearance in Milwaukee, ending months of speculation on if she would throw her weight behind her former rival.
But the initial reaction to Haley’s arrival stood in stark contrast to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump’s chief primary rival during the 2016 campaign, who received a standing ovation from those in the crowd, including Trump themselves.
BIDEN ADMITS ‘BULL’S-EYE’ COMMENT ABOUT TRUMP WAS A ‘MISTAKE’ AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Nevertheless, Haley tried to send a message of unity, acknowledging that not everyone has to agree with Trump 100% to support him in this year’s election.
“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him,” Haley said. “Take it from me. I haven’t always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree.”
TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE
Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations before running against him, was not always a sure bet to speak at the convention. However, after a failed assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday, a message of unifying behind the former president soon spread across the Republican Party.
The former South Carolina governor was followed on stage by another former Trump primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who continued to preach the message of unity during his remarks.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“My fellow Republicans, let’s send Joe Biden back to his basement and let’s send Donald Trump back to the White House. Life was more affordable when Donald Trump was president,” DeSantis said. “Our border was safer under the Trump administration, and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander in chief.”
Classmates give chilling insight into gunman’s behavior as investigators search for motive
Although investigators have not yet determined his motive, a picture of the 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Trump is becoming more clear as his former classmates come forward with their impressions.
Few people clapped when slender, bespectacled Thomas Matthew Crooks was handed his diploma at his graduation from Bethel Park High School in 2022, a YouTube video of the ceremony shows.
Former peers who have spoken out since he was shot dead by Secret Service agents on Saturday have characterized the Pennsylvania resident as a quiet loner.
Jason Kohler, who attended the same high school as Crooks, described him to Fox News as an “outcast” who was always alone and “bullied every day.”
TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS’ PARENTS REGISTERED PENNSYLVANIA PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: RECORDS
Kohler told reporters that Crooks sat alone at lunchtime and was mocked for his clothing, which often included “hunting outfits.”
Julianna Grooms, who graduated one year after Crooks, also said that he dressed in camouflage or hunting attire and interacted awkwardly. In his freshman year, she said, he stood out with wide-legged jeans and Spongebob Squarepants T-shirts.
“If someone would say something to his face, he would just kind of stare at them,” Grooms told the Wall Street Journal. “People would say he was the student who would shoot up the school.”
“Those other kids would always say, ‘Hey, look at the school shooter over there!’” Grooms said, according to the New York Post. “They would tease him about his poor hygiene, his body odor. He was an easy target.”
“He was a nerdy kid, but I don’t think he was as harshly bullied as some people are saying,” Mark Sigafoos, who shared two classes with Crooks, told the Inquirer. “He never wore trench coats or anything of the sort to school.”
“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, told the outlet. During homeroom before classes began, she recalled him playing games on his laptop.
FBI HAS GAINED ACCESS TO THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS’ PHONE IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
“I feel like this is one of those things that you wouldn’t expect from him,” Sigafoos continued. “No one that I know said they ever found him to be a creepy, loner kind of guy.”
Crooks earned a National Math & Science Initiative Star Award in 2022, according to a Tribune-Review article from his graduation year. Sigafoos said that his now-infamous classmate would help him when he did not understand course material and was “very kind.”
Sigafoos did not recall Crooks making political statements in class, saying that he seemed interested in how government works but did not try “to insert his own beliefs into it.”
“Shocked would be an understatement,” Sigafoos added. “None of my friends can fathom that a dude we knew would try and kill Trump.”
Max R. Smith, who said he took an American History course with Crooks as a sophomore, said that Crooks did make political statements, but they did not explain his actions on Saturday.
DISCORD REVEALS DETAILS OF WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN’S ACCOUNT ON PLATFORM
“He definitely was conservative,” he told the Inquirer. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.”
In a mock debate, Smith recalled, their teacher asked students to stand on one side of the classroom or the other to signal their support or opposition for different proposals.
“The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side,” Smith said. “That’s still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other.”
“Everybody is in shock,” Smith said. “He was so quiet, I wouldn’t imagine him doing that. But I guess that was the same deal with Columbine.”
PENNSYLVANIA GUN CLUB WHERE WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN WAS MEMBER VISITED BY FBI
Crooks listed himself as unemployed in 2020, but he worked most recently as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a state-licensed transitional facility.
The center’s administrator, Marcie Grimm, said in a Sunday statement that Crooks “performed his job without concern” and that his background check was clean.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
ABC News reported that Crooks tried to join his school’s rifle club, but he was rejected and asked not to return, according to members of the team at the time.
He belonged to Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, which the FBI visited as part of its investigation.
New exclusive video shows chaotic moments immediately after Trump rally shooting
EXCLUSIVE: BETHEL PARK, Penn. – Shocking cellphone video shows chaos at the Butler Farm Saturday after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on a Pennsylvania Trump rally, injuring the former president, killing one spectator and critically wounding two more.
The video shows ducking spectators flagging authorities for help after the gunfire stops.
“We’ve got someone down,” a man can be heard shouting as he waves his arms. “Hey!”
SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: TRUMP RALLY SHOOTER WAS IDENTIFIED AS ‘POTENTIAL PERSON OF SUSPICION’
The camera pans toward the stage, as Trump returns to his feet, flanked by Secret Service agents, and raises a fist.
Todd, the Army veteran who took the video and asked to be identified only as Todd the Driller, said he initially offered to bring his son to the rally but was concerned the crowd might be too boisterous.
WATCH: Exclusive video shows the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Trump
He said he was relieved when the 9-year-old wanted to back out. But then both the boy and his 12-year-old daughter asked for Trump campaign hats, so he wound up attending alone.
OFFICER REPORTED MAN AT TRUMP RALLY WITH RANGE-FINDER 30 MINS BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SOURCE
Todd arrived early and called his kids on FaceTime from a row of vendors. They chose their hats. He bought them. Then he made his way toward the stage.
WATCH: Exclusive video shows new perspective of Trump attempted assassination
The rally started late, he said, but by the time Trump arrived, he had a good vantage point near the north fence.
He had been taking pictures and videos to send his son, but when the gunfire erupted, his phone was in his pocket and he was listening to Trump’s remarks.
“I had no idea I was in the lane of fire between the shooter and President Trump, but when I heard the crack-crack-crack, I knew what that was,” he said. “It was directly behind me, and bullets whizzed like maybe 20 feet to my left.”
FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT WARNS AGENCY ‘STRETCHED THIN’ WITH NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, LACK OF MANPOWER
Todd, who is not a Democrat or a Conservative, said he’s a two-issue voter. He’s pro-life and, as an oil driller, he favors lawmakers who support the industry that puts food on his family’s table.
Counter-snipers neutralized the threat, but not before Crooks, 20, killed a 50-year-old father of two named Corey Comperatore, critically wounded David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, according to authorities.
Todd whipped his phone out and recorded the president climbing back to his feet, surrounded by Secret Service agents.
But when he turned around to see what was going on behind him, what he saw shocked him. Members of the Secret Service and law enforcement inside the secure perimeter couldn’t get out without jumping a fence – until a deputy eventually drove through it to let them out.
“The befuddled law enforcement that couldn’t do their jobs because no one had enough foresight to have that gate unlocked and have a guard posted there and control entrance to it,” he said.
Fortunately, a Secret Service counter-sniper neutralized the gunman before other agents and law enforcement officers reached him on the roof.
Still, the security lapse has prompted widespread criticism of the preparations in place for a presidential candidate’s campaign event.
United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle conceded that Crooks had been dubbed a “potential person of suspicion” before the assassination attempt.
In an interview with ABC News Tuesday, she said the Secret Service was aware of the security vulnerabilities presented by the building Crooks took a sniper’s position on to aim at Trump. However, a decision was made not to place any personnel on the roof.
“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside,” she said.
Although he was just steps from one of the victims, Todd escaped injury. He said he was still “decompressing” Tuesday.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“I shouldn’t have been there that day, and that was God’s plan for me for some reason,” he said. “I had no idea that I was stepping into history when I went to go get a hat for my kids.”
When things calmed down, Todd left and went to see his family.
“I gave my kids the hats,” he said. “And I took a silver Sharpie, and I wrote inside the bill in small print “7/13/24, Love Dad,” and gave them a big hug and a kiss.”