‘God wanted him to live’: Trump staffers reveal miracle that saved president at rally
In a matter of minutes on a hot summer Saturday in northwestern Pennsylvania, the already unprecedented 2024 election cycle was rocked by an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life that had a sweeping effect not only on the upcoming presidency, but also staffers who witnessed the harrowing moment.
Eight shots rang out at the Butler Farm Show Grounds at about 6:11 p.m. Eastern Time, roughly six minutes after Trump took the open-air rally’s stage. The rally began on its typical lively note, with the former and upcoming president swaying to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and engaging with supporters by pointing at them as they clapped and held up signs declaring, “Joe Biden, you’re fired.”
The rally came to a screeching halt after Trump began his address and was seen grabbing the side of his head before abruptly dropping to the ground. Rally-goers were also seen ducking for cover as confusion gripped the small fairgrounds located just north of Pittsburgh.
Secret Service agents threw their bodies over Trump as shields as they worked to get him off of the stage and to a secure location.
FIRST RESPONDERS SIT DOWN WITH WIDOW OF FIREFIGHTER KILLED AT BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP RALLY
Acting Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran, one of the agents who rushed to protect Trump that day, told Fox News Digital that July 13, 2024, has remained at the top of his mind since he was tapped to lead the Secret Service.
“One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Curran said. “My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him.”
“Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,” he continued. “Nothing is more important to the United States Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees. As director, I am committed to ensuring our agency is fully equipped, resourced and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day.”
ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, BUTLER WIDOW DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FROM SECRET SERVICE
Trump emerged into the camera’s view with a trail of blood streaked across his cheek and famously raised a fist before defiantly chanting, “Fight, fight, fight” as law enforcement escorted him from the stage.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who served as Trump campaign manager in 2024 and witnessed the harrowing attempt, told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine earlier in July in a podcast interview that she “100%” believes divine intervention protected Trump from a greater tragedy that day.
“The way the rally itself unfolded, the chart he had them put up on the screens… it was always the last chart in the rotation. And it was always on the other side” of the stage, Wiles told Devine in an interview that published Wednesday. “To have him ask for that chart eight minutes in and to have it come on the side that is opposite caused him to look in a different direction… I believe God wanted him to live.”
SECRET SERVICE SUSPENDS 6 AGENTS TASKED WITH PROTECTING TRUMP DURING JULY 2024 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, who was in the midst of his election cycle to unseat longtime Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, said in comment to Fox News Digital that he was just feet from Trump when the gunshots rang out.
“I was sitting just 15 feet from the stage at the Butler rally when the shots rang out. Moments before the attempted assassination, President Trump asked me to come on stage to give my remarks. As I was headed onstage, he prompted me to wait until after he spoke to the crowd about an immigration chart. Returning to my seat, I watched as President Trump turned his attention and head towards the chart—a decision that likely saved his life,” McCormick said.
“Moments later, a bullet meant for his head struck his ear. He went down, then stood up and raised his fist in defiance. That moment captured who he is at his core—a strong leader—and marked a turning point in the 2024 election. Strong leadership sets a tone — like a ripple effect. President Trump didn’t panic and stood strong and so did the crowd. Instead of chaos, chants of ‘USA’ rang out.”
The shooting injured three people, including Trump, and killed local father and former fire chief Corey Comperatore.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reflected on Comperatore’s tragic death in a comment to Fox Digital, underscoring that the president “will never forget Corey and his beautiful family.”
“One year ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, we tragically lost an American hero, Corey Comperatore, who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him,” she said. “President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family. On that dark day, God spared President Trump’s life by a miraculous millimeter. Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people.”
Comperatore’s widow, Helen, spoke to Fox News in an emotional interview about her husband’s death earlier in July, demanding accountability from the Secret Service over how a gunman was able to fire off shots without intervention.
“We were all sitting ducks that day,” Helen Comperatore told Fox News. “Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry. I lost the love of my life. They screwed up.”
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AFTERMATH, REACTIONS FROM INNER CIRCLE REVEALED IN NEW BOOK
“Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren’t they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn’t need covered?” she asked. “I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me.”
McCormick remembered Comperatore as a heroic dad and husband who died protecting his family.
“Corey Comperatore—a Pennsylvanian, volunteer firefighter, and father—was sitting behind me. He died shielding his family. I’m remembering Corey and praying for the Comperatore family on this one-year anniversary,” the Republican Senator said.
Longtime political reporter Salena Zito published a book in July detailing her recollections of the day, and said in an interview earlier this month with Fox Digital that she refused to duck for cover as gunshots rang out.
I didn’t get down,” Zito said in an interview ahead of the book’s release Tuesday. “There was this inner voice that told me, ‘You have a job to do, continue doing it.’”
Zito was located near the stage and the Secret Service’s secure permitter when the gunman opened fire on Trump and the crowds.
“Time has these layers that happen,” Zito added while reflecting on the 2024 events. “It’s not remembering them. It’s experiencing them. It’s this interesting thing that happens. I see a sea of navy blue suits immediately surround him. Then, I hear the second four shots. I still didn’t get down.”
TRUMP TELLS FOX NOTICIAS HE ‘WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE EXPLANATION’ BEHIND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS
McCormick told Fox Digital that recent politically-motivated attacks, including the targeted attacks and murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker in June, need to end and be replaced with civility that protects democracy.
“From the attempts on President Trump’s life, to arson at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, to the murder of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, these politically-motivated attacks are an assault on democracy itself. Regardless of party, we must choose to engage civilly. This anniversary serves as a solemn reminder that for our country, violence borne from political disagreement is never the answer,” he said.Following the assassination attempt, Trump quickly was whisked away from the rally to receive medical attention. Just a day later, June 14, 2024, the Republican National Convention was set to kick off in Milwaukee, with concern initially mounting that Trump might not be able to attend the convention due to the injury.
The president, however, made his public return in Milwaukee that week while wearing a bandage over his ear. Trump officially accepted the party’s nomination for him to serve as president, and delivered a 93-minute speech that was underscored by how the attempt on his life changed him.
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“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump told the crowds of supporters on the final night of the RNC. “The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had NOT moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.”
The secret behind endless waves of cheap, deadly drones
Russia’s military has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Ukraine over the past month, stepping up the intensity of attacks in a terrifying tempo that has driven many Ukrainian civilians underground, seeking safety in bomb shelters every night.
Last week saw the biggest attacks since Russian launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But with long-standing sanctions packages in place – and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on Wednesday for even tougher sanctions still – where does Russia’s seemingly endless supply of drones come from?
“We’ve really seen a surge in the use of these long-range drones,” Fabian Hoffmann, a military technology expert at the University of Oslo, told FOX Business.
HEGSETH TEARS UP RED TAPE, ORDERS PENTAGON TO BEGIN DRONE SURGE AT TRUMP’S COMMAND
“They’re easy to manufacture, basically a wooden construct with lightweight material and a warhead inside it. The biggest bottleneck in production will be procuring the conventional explosives, but the satellite navigation system, the inertial measurement unit, these things are fairly easy for Russia to produce or to get in the international markets.”
“The drones are not the same high military grade that we are used to in the West, but it is good enough,” he said.
Russia initially imported a couple of different Shahed drone variants from Iran, and when they saw how effective they could be, Moscow set up a licensed production agreement, which involved Iranian engineers and drone experts establishing production plants in Russia and importing many of the parts they needed.
JACK KEANE: PUTIN WANTS TRUMP ‘SO FRUSTRATED’ THAT HE STOPS AIDING UKRAINE
But the production systems rapidly evolved, with Russia developing its own version of the Shahed, called the Geran-2, which comes with upgrades.
“There have been at least six fairly major adaptations that the Russians have made to the Shahed drones, including just painting them black instead of white so it is more difficult to shoot down at night,” Hoffmann says.
“Russia is now the Shahed expert, even though the drone comes originally from Iran.”
The drones that Russia is firing in such huge numbers at Ukraine are slower and less powerful than conventional missiles, but their number one purpose is to saturate the skies and overwhelm defense systems. Ukraine has to use expensive interceptors to target the Shahed or Geran drones, and its defensive arsenal can quickly become depleted.
Zelenskyy said that on Tuesday night, “dozens of enemy targets were downed” using interceptor drones, and that his country is “scaling up” the interceptor drone technology.
At the start of the week, President Donald Trump promised to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine in the face of the renewed Russian aerial onslaught, just days after the Pentagon had paused weapons shipments, citing concerns that U.S. stockpiles might be running low.
US WILL ‘HAVE TO’ SEND WEAPONS TO UKRAINE, TRUMP SAYS DAYS AFTER PENGAGON PAUSE
Hoffmann says Ukraine could adopt a strategy of hitting drone launch sites, and target Russia’s defense industries, including factories that produce component parts for the drones like explosives, computer chips and other advanced electronics.
“Trying to deal with the drone attacks just using missile defenses is a losing game. Europeans are heavily bolstering air missile defense capabilities, but it is not enough. Russia is expanding its offensive capabilities faster, and offensive weapons are cheaper to produce than defensive,” he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week issued sweeping new orders to fast-track drone production and deployment, allowing commanders to procure and test them independently, as part of an aggressive push to outpace Russia and China in unmanned warfare.
The other area where the West could hit Russia’s capability to produce more drones and missiles is to sanction third countries, where the Kremlin has been able to skirt around international restrictions.
Countries including Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan have been flagged as hubs for transferring higher-level sanctioned components to Russia, says Hoffmann, who cautions that sanctions can end up hurting the countries imposing them by disrupting trade and global supply chains, and increasing costs.
It’s a harsh reality of international diplomacy.
“Sanctions against Russia are hurting us [in the West] to some extent. But if you start sanctioning every other country that does business with Russia, it would hurt us even more,” Hoffmann notes.
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Still, Zelenskyy said there is more that can be done by the international community to hurt Russia’s ability to buy weapons.
The latest wave of attacks, he wrote on X on Wednesday, are “yet another proof of the need for sanctions – biting sanctions against oil, which has been fueling Moscow’s war machine with money for over three years of war.”
AG slams AOC, ‘communist caucus’ mourning ‘traffickers, rapists,’ touts ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier slammed progressive “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., and other “communist caucus” members for opposing the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans, while also touting the successful opening of the immigration detention facility in the Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
“Speaking of crying, AOC and the communist caucus, they want to cry at every ICE facility. They want to cry and mourn the traffickers and the rapists and the horrific individuals that are victimizing so many American families,” Uthmeier said. “Let them cry. But I tell you what, you know where they can’t cry. Alligator Alcatraz. That’s right. They can’t cry there because they can’t get there.”
The state attorney general said he first realized the remote location’s potential when President Trump Donald first floated reopening the original Alcatraz in California.
“We’ve got a great piece of land in Florida. An old, abandoned runway from the 70s and 80s, 30 square miles, the largest 11,000-foot runway in the state, great for big deportation planes, completely surrounded by the Everglades,” he said of Florida detention site. “So if the gators don’t get them and the pythons don’t get them, the mosquitoes just might.”
Uthmeier said it was a privilege to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem “had the great observation that the Biden administration was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on fancy New York hotels for immigrants, so we’ve just repurposed that money to alligator, Alcatraz, and some other sites that will be revealed soon.”
“We’re going to get them out right away,” he said.
Uthmeier noted the increased attacks against and the doxxing of federal immigration enforcement agents, vowing protections for them and their families in Florida.
“We told our law enforcement if people throw rocks at you, if they obstruct traffic, use as much force as you can. We are going to be rule of law,” Uthmeier said. “You see the left freaking out, coming to the defense of these dangerous, dangerous people crying outside of these facilities, attacking ICE agents. And the reality is this they are realizing and panicking because they now know the jig is up.”
Andre Bauer, the Republican former lieutenant governor of South Carolina, explained his decision to take on Sen. Lindsey Graham in the 2026 primary during a speech at the Turning Point USA summit.
“We need to cut the head off the biggest snake, the biggest two-faced viper of them all, and that’s liberal Lindsey Graham,” Bauer told the Tampa, Florida, crowd, arguing Graham is among Republicans who’ve been disloyal to President Donald Trump. “We want him to join the McConnell retirement party.”
“When he’s not pushing amnesty, he’s pushing globalist foreign policy and more military intervention,” Bauer said. “I couldn’t believe just a few weeks ago, I turned on the TV and he said, our military men and women would be happy for regime change in Iran. He wants to put boots on the ground. What a disgusting thing to say. Can you imagine the forever wars to foreign aid he’s been a cheerleader for? They haven’t just cost us American lives, they’ve contributed to the national debt.”
Graham, a longtime Trump ally in the Senate, notably told Fox News last month that the United States should “absolutely not”
intervene in Iranian regime change.
“The people of South Carolina deserve a senator who shares conservative values, who truly is an ally of President Trump,” Bauer said Sunday. “Liberal Lindsey gets applauded in Ukraine, but he gets booed in Pickens [County], South Carolina, where he was born. It’s time to deport him from the United States Senate. It’s time that he joins McConnell’s retirement party.”
Attendees of Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit told Fox News Digital whether they agree with President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump took to TRUTH Social on Saturday to stand by his attorney general and alleged that the Epstein files were a hoax perpetuated by the Democratic Party similar to the “Steele dossier.”
“I think that Pam has brought a secretive energy to the administration and that it is not a good look for the president at all and not a good look for our party in general” one student told Fox News Digital at the Turning Point USA summit in Tampa, Florida.
“I do not agree with the president on that,” another student said. “I think that there’s a lot of instances where the president should just keep his mouth closed and not give out such opinions, especially on something like this where the misspoken words from President Trump will absolutely affect how his fan base looks at him.”
“It’s clear that she’s kind of in it for the glam, in it for herself. I kind of side with Bongino and Patel in this situation, and I know that it’s basically come down to either Bongino is going or Bondi is going and I would much rather keep Dan Bongino.”
“I do not,” one student, wearing a Trump ’47 white baseball cap, said. “She had come out in the past saying they had thousands of videos they were just waiting to release. And then all of a sudden now they’re saying, ‘yeah, there’s nothing.’”
“It’s disappointing. I don’t trust her,” he added of Bondi.
“As much as I like the president, I think that’s a little bit of mistrust put into the people because he did say that was something he was going to deliver on in his campaign speeches that we would see the Epstein list,” another student said.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this post.
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, longtime Trump ally and GOP strategist Roger Stone, Savannah and Todd Chrisley and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk are among those scheduled to close out the third and final day of Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday.
On Saturday, attendees heard from celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and border czar Tom Homan, among others. Click here for previous Fox News Digital live coverage.
Marine hopeful found naked on roadside may have been ‘beat to death,’ lawsuit claims
A Marine hopeful from Oklahoma who was found dead and naked on the side of a road in 2023 may have been beaten to death, a new wrongful death lawsuit states.
Noah Presgrove, 19, had attended a multi-day Labor Day party with friends that weekend before his body was found off U.S. Highway 81 in Terral on Sept. 4, 2023. Officials found teeth, a necklace and basketball shorts next to Presgrove’s lifeless body.
While authorities initially speculated that Presgrove may have been struck by a car after the party, the lawsuit filed on June 23 seeking at least $75,000 in damages alleges that the 19-year-old’s death “was not caused by being hit with a motor vehicle.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the plaintiff’s attorney for comment.
FAMILY OF OKLAHOMA TEEN NOAH PRESGROVE SPEAKS OUT 2 YEARS AFTER MYSTERIOUS DEATH
Presgrove had attended the Labor Day party that weekend, which allegedly involved underage drinking, hosted by defendants Avery Howard, Carter Combs, and Logan Jernigan, according to the lawsuit.
The party took place on a property owned by defendant Johnnie Trout Wilcoxson Jr. in a trailer owned by defendant Stevie Howard, the complaint states.
Some of the defendants did not have legal representation listed at the time of publication, and none of the defendants had responded to the lawsuit at the time of publication. Andrew Benedict, an Oklahoma-based attorney representing Wilcoxson and Howard, has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
OKLAHOMA AUTHORITIES ‘HESITANT’ TO RULE TEEN’S DEATH A HOMICIDE, FAMED PATHOLOGIST SUGGESTS
The complaint alleges that defendant Jack Newton, despite being under 21, purchased the alcohol from Napoli’s convenience store, operated by Val Petrol, LLC. Fox News Digital reached out to Val Petrol, LLC for comment.
OKLAHOMA TEEN MILITARY HOPEFUL’S FAMILY ‘CAN’T IMAGINE’ HE WAS MURDERED, OFFERS THEORY ABOUT HIS LAST HOURS
Presgove’s blood alcohol level was about twice the legal limit at the time of his death.
“Either intentionally or accidentally, the defendants killed the decedent.”
Presgrove had apparently been drinking at a house party where he was involved in a rollover incident while riding an ATV that Newton apparently permitted Presgrove to ride even though he was intoxicated at the time, according to the medical examiner’s full report, upon further investigation.
“The highway was poorly lit at night. There were no vehicle parts or debris observed on the scene. Further investigation revealed that the decedent was at a house party and drinking on September 3, 2023,” the full report reads, in part. “Then he rode an ATV ranger vehicle with several men that had a roll over incident. … The decedent left the house party and was not found until the morning of September 4, 2023, on the side of the highway.”
An investigation also revealed that Presgrove had returned to the party after the ATV incident. He was last seen in a “verbal argument” with Howard and Newton around 3:41 a.m. on Sept. 4, the lawsuit states.
The medical examiner ruled Presgrove’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities.
CAUSE OF DEATH DETERMINED FOR OKLAHOMA TEEN MILITARY HOPEFUL FOUND ON SIDE OF ROAD
“Decedent was beat to death by one or more of the defendants,” the complaint says, though it does not include factual allegations demonstrating that Presgrove was beaten to death, adding that “two or more defendants engaged in a civil conspiracy to beat [Presgrove].”
THIRD TEEN DEATH IN NATIONAL FOREST RAISES ALARM AS TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS FOUND SHOT DURING CAMPING TRIP
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of duty of care violations, civil conspiracy, negligence and recklessness in connection with Presgrove’s death.
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Presgrove had graduated from high school three months early with plans to enlist in the military alongside his cousin.
‘Shots started going everywhere’: Witness describes terrifying Tennessee gathering
Four people were hospitalized Saturday after a shooting erupted at a class reunion in Tennessee, according to authorities and local reports.
Police in Chattanooga responded to a report of multiple people shot at the Tyner Community Center, the Chattanooga Police Department said.
Four people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were rushed to a local hospital.
Police said there was no active threat to the public, though they did not say whether a suspect was arrested.
CHICAGO DRIVE-BY SHOOTING LEAVES AT LEAST 4 DEAD, 14 WOUNDED
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Chattanooga Police Department for more information.
One individual was seen being placed in the back of a police car, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. No further details about the person were immediately available.
Witnesses told Local 3 News that there was a class reunion happening at the center, saying that there was “chaos” when the gunfire erupted.
“Everybody was just having a good time and all of sudden just shots just started, going everywhere, and little kids and babies and everything was on the ground. It was bad,” witness Jeoff Herman told the station.
SEVERAL PEOPLE INJURED IN SHOOTING INCIDENT AT GEORGIA SHOPPING MALL: POLICE
Another witness told WTVC-TV that he rushed to the aid of a girl on the ground after she was shot.
“They covered all the bullet wounds, kept her from bleeding out,” Dominic Burkes said. “And I covered the sun off her face and made sure I held her hand and made sure she was OK.”
The circumstances leading up to the shooting were unclear.
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Police said the investigation is ongoing and more information would be released when available.
Largest ICE raid of Trump’s second term reveals sick criminal history of pot farm worker
Federal authorities have confirmed that more than 300 illegal aliens were arrested Thursday during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Ventura County, California cannabis farm.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on X that 319 unlawful immigrants were apprehended during the raid at Glass House Farms, and said that “law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential forced labor, exploitation, and trafficking.”
The raid is believed to be the second-largest single-state ICE worksite operation in history, behind the first Trump administration’s 2019 Mississippi chicken plant raids that netted almost 700 illegal alien arrests.
IMMIGRATION OPERATION AT CALIFORNIA CANNABIS FARMS LEADS TO CLASH BETWEEN FEDERAL AGENTS AND PROTESTERS
One man taken into custody has a history of violent crime, including attempted child exploitation.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott posted a photo of the unnamed migrant on X.
“This illegal alien was apprehended at the CA marijuana facility,” he said.
“Turns out he had been sentenced to 7 yrs for kidnapping & attempted rape, w/ a prior conviction for attempted child molestation.
And this felon was working at the same farm as 10 kids – one being 14 yrs old.”
Fox News has learned that the children rescued at the farm are from Mexico and Honduras, and that immigration authorities are analyzing the criminal histories of all 319 of the detained illegal aliens.
NEWSOM DONOR’S CANNABIS FARM UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR ‘CHILD LABOR VIOLATIONS’
Glass House Farms is under investigation for possible child labor law violations.
The company’s co-founder, president and board director, Graham Farrar, donated $10,000 to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018, among other Democratic politicians. He has also donated to Republicans, and shown support for Republicans who expressed support for liberalizing cannabis laws.
A violent clash erupted between ICE agents and protesters during the massive raid. Federal law enforcement agents were assaulted during the operation, and one combatant appeared to fire a handgun towards agents as the crowd was dispersed with tear gas.
One worker died during the raid after climbing a 30-foot greenhouse and subsequently falling from it.
An irate Trump took to his Truth Social platform to blast the protesters, and authorize ICE to take whatever precautions are necessary to protect themselves during future raids.
“I am on my way back from Texas, and watched in disbelief as THUGS were violently throwing rocks and bricks at ICE Officers while they were moving down a roadway in their car and/or official vehicle,” he said.
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“Tremendous damage was done to these brand new vehicles. I know for a fact that these Officers are having a hard time with allowing this to happen in that it shows such total disrespect for LAW AND ORDER.
“I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public,” he wrote. “I never want to see a car carrying a Law Enforcement Officer attacked again! AUTHORIZATION IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FOR ARREST AND INCARCERATION. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
F-16 jet’s mysterious collision with ‘unknown object’ raises alarming questions
Declassified documents revealing a United States military aircraft was previously struck by an unknown flying object is raising eyebrows as experts point to other unexplainable sightings suggesting otherworldly technology flying within the country’s airspace.
The incident occurred in January 2023, after an unidentified object collided with the left side of an F-16 Viper jet participating in training exercises near Gila Benda, Arizona, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The flying object struck the clear “canopy” at the top of the aircraft and was first spotted by an instructor pilot sitting in the rear of the plane, officials said. An initial investigation determined no damage was done to the near $70 million jet, with officials ruling against a possible bird strike.
OVER 60 UFO SIGHTINGS REPORTED WHIZZING ACROSS STATE IN FIRST HALF OF 2025, NATIONAL TRACKING GROUP SAYS
Authorities ultimately determined the aircraft was struck by a drone, but the location and operator of the device have yet to be determined, the spokesperson said.
The incident was the first of four encounters with unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that were reported a day later, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents obtained by the War Zone.
“According to military personnel I’ve personally met with, there were objects 200 miles off the East Coast that were extensively loitering and had no visible means of propulsion,” James Fox, a director specializing in films about UFO activity, told Fox News Digital. “So a report from 2023 about an actual impact with a UAP doesn’t really surprise me.”
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The concerning collision comes as the Department of Defense reported 757 incidents involving UAPs from May 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024, according to an unclassified document released by the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office.
Of those encounters, 708 occurred in the air, with only 49 instances marked as “case closed” by officials. Additionally, the department received 18 reports regarding UAP incidents near nuclear infrastructure, launch sites and weapons, according to the report.
“None of these resolved cases substantiated advanced foreign adversarial capabilities or breakthrough aerospace technologies,” the report states.
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The sightings of UAPs near military sites are nothing new, according to Fox.
“There are reports dating back to the 1930s and 1940s,” Fox said. “Where you had mysterious, glowing, and orb-like objects that emitted very bright light that could just fly rings around the military planes from World War II.”
Fox pointed to the sheer advanced technology showcased within these sightings, such as aircraft that do not emit a heat signature or have the ability to fly stationary in high wind conditions.
“This has been well-documented for decades,” Fox said. “So either we’ve managed to track the same thing it’s been, [possibly] non-human intelligence, since the 1940s. Or someone has managed to replicate the technology, reverse engineer it and they’re flying it around.”
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In 2020, the Department of Defense established an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) to further research and investigate the various UAPs spotted throughout American skies.
“The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security,” the department said in a statement.
Fox also cited officials’ use of updated technology to pinpoint the location and characteristics of UAPs possibly contributing to the influx in reports over recent years.
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“They’ve adjusted the frequency on particular radars to pick up smaller objects that maybe have been here all along,” Fox said, adding, “it’s a global phenomenon exhibiting the technology that’s just lightyears ahead from anything we have. Has there been a successful effort in reverse engineering? [If not], then it falls into the category that many would say is non-human intelligence.”
While a vast majority of UAPs spotted by officials are quickly identified, Fox insists there are a select few that have origins unknown to even the highest of government authorities and do not match the technology owned by the country’s adversaries.
“A small percentage of these objects display a technology that’s just light-years beyond anything that we or anybody else on the planet has,” Fox said. “Which would imply, once you do the process of elimination, if it isn’t Russia or China, and if it’s not us, what’s left?”
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER MYSTERIOUS SPHERE IN COLOMBIA, SPARKING UFO SPECULATION
Fox also attributes overall public skepticism regarding UAPs to the U.S. government remaining tight-lipped about its findings over the years. However, officials have continued to work toward transparency with the American public, with a congressional hearing on UFOs occurring for the first time in decades in 2022 and continuing to take place on the floors of Congress.
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“The primary reason for secrecy is that it’s difficult for any governing body to admit that there are structured craft of unknown origin whizzing around with impunity,” Fox said. “They fly rings around our fastest jets, and [the government] doesn’t know who they are, where they come from or what they want.”
Phillies veteran fumes over ‘terrible’ All-Star pick that has baseball buzzing
The selection of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski to the MLB All-Star Game after only five career starts drew immense backlash from some players in the league.
Philadelphia Phillies defended their own as they began to learn that Misiorowski was given the nod over players like Trea Turner, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez.
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“What a joke. That’s f— terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude,” Turner said on Friday night, via The Athletic.
Phillies star Nick Castellanos said he remembered what former reliever Craig Kimbrel told him once when it came to the MLB All-Star Game, “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas.”
Turner was asked whether the Misiorowski nod “cheapens” the selection.
“Yeah, 100%. I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into,” Turner added.
Misiorowski has been electric since he made his debut. He has a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts, with his only blemish being an outing against the New York Mets on July 2.
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He received support from his manager Pat Murphy and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts amid the uproar.
“People want to see Miz pitch,” Murphy said. “He’s the new shiny toy in the league. It’s not deserving, that has nothing to do with it. He’s been given this opportunity. It’s not his fault.
“This wasn’t a fly-by-night decision. This is something they thought through. I think it would be really tough for the kid to say no to that.”
Roberts said the nod will add some “more excitement” to the All-Star Game.
Murphy likened Misiorowski to former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who gained favor with the fans because of his idiosyncrasies on the mound. He was an All-Star the first two seasons of his career.
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“From what I know of The Bird, it just seems that he was really authentic and really super talented,” Murphy said. “There’s some parallels there for sure.”
‘Football guy’ Deion Sanders blasts players in ‘biker shorts’ and calls for fines
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders earlier in the week suggested a more rigid approach when it came to policing uniforms in college football.
Sanders appealed to the NCAA to enact NFL-style fines for college football players, specifically pointing to players who refuse to wear any gear below the knees, at Big 12 Media Days.
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“Let’s do something about the uniforms,” Sanders said, via Pro Football Talk. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I’m a football guy… I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that’s cool?
“I think there should be a fine implemented for that stuff, and let’s have more respect for this tremendous game.”
Sanders had a few things to say during Big 12 Media Days, including getting testy with a reporter over his health scare.
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“I’m here today,” he said, per ESPN. “I’m handling my responsibilities. So, I look forward to it. I can’t wait. You’ve got to understand, some of the young [players] I haven’t even met yet. I’m so excited about that.”
Sanders has dealt with blood clots in his legs in the past. He also had two toes on his left foot amputated in 2021, which has been well documented while he was coaching at Jackson State. He had to miss three games while being hospitalized at the time.
But Sanders, alongside former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin and more, was ready to answer all things Colorado on Wednesday, insisting he is all good.
“I’m not here to talk about my health. I’m here to talk about my team,” he said.
“I’m looking good. I’m living lovely. God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world, not a want or desire in the world.”
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Sanders agreed to a five-year extension worth $54 million to remain head coach of the Buffaloes. Colorado was 9-4 in 2024.