Trump’s assassination attempt brings out class acts, clowns

Article content

It’s been a mind-blowing few days following the attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump.

Article content

A lot has been written since a gunman opened fire, hitting Trump in the ear, at Saturday’s rally in Pennsylvania.

While the assassination attempt brought out the best in some people, it also showed how tasteless others can be.

Here’s what you may have missed:

IN MELANIA’S WORDS

Former first lady Melania Trump released a lengthy note the morning after the Pennsylvania campaign rally shooting, calling for Americans to put “love, compassion, kindness and empathy” above politics.

“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change,” she wrote.

“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion — his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration,” she added.

Article content

Article content

Article content

She also spoke of “political games” and “concepts” and how they are unimportant compared to humanity and love, and how people need to rise above the hate.

“We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends.”

SECRET SERVICE QUESTIONED

There are many questions and concerns about how a sniper was able to get so close to Trump’s position at the podium at his campaign rally because had the former president not narrowed the target by turning his head to the right, there would have been a different outcome.

President Joe Biden has since directed the Secret Service “to review all security measures” for the Republican National Convention, as well as launch an “independent review of the national security” at Trump’s rally to “assess exactly what happened.”

Article content

ROOFTOP ROOKIES?

That said, many onlookers saw want-to-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks crawl onto that roof, even pointing him out to police officers for nearly a minute — long before any authorities took notice.

Trump, video showed, can be heard in the background giving his remarks as a camera zoomed in on Crooks while he was face-down on the roof. Several people can be heard trying to alert officers.

“Officer!” a man shouted, before a woman yelled, “He’s on the roof!”

Another person called out, “He’s getting up now!” as Crooks, who appears in the entire clip, can be seen in the moving forward on his stomach.

Article content

Police appeared unresponsive, though it was not known whether cops, who were not seen in the video, took any immediate action.

Eventually, one officer climbed a ladder of a nearby building to investigate, law enforcement officials, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Associated Press.

Crooks pointed his rifle at the officer, who descended back down the ladder, and that’s when he took aim at Trump — grazing him in the ear, killing a former firefighter and wounding two others.

CANCELLED

An employee for a Democratic congressman from Mississippi was fired after she posted on social media shortly after the assassination attempt that she hoped the shooter who targeted Donald Trump “wouldn’t miss next time.”

Article content

Jacqueline Marsaw’s Facebook post read: “I don’t condone violence, but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking.”

Marsaw worked as a field director for Rep. Bennie Thompson before she was canned, the Natchez Democrat reported.

She added that the shooting “couldn’t [have] happened to a nicer fellow,” despite also remarking that the whole incident seemed “staged.”

Despite being ordered to take down her posts, screenshots of her messages were widely shared on the internet where she continued to get ripped, with many calling for her to be fired.

By Sunday afternoon, Thompson obliged.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Marsaw’s firing follows the resignation of a Pennsylvania fire chief who posted, “Too bad it didn’t hit him square,” soon after Trump was shot, and former fire chief Corey Comperatore was killed while protecting his wife and daughter, and two others were wounded.

Article content

Tony Bendele took to X to share his resignation letter after he, his family and friends were “threatened.”

“I’m ashamed that I’ve brought this to you,” he wrote to his loved ones in a post.

“I’ve already lost several people extremely close to me. I expect to lose more.”

Article content

NETWORK NONSENSE

Hosts at CNN and CBS were slammed for their reactions after Trump was targeted.

As he was being hustled off the stage by Secret Service agents, we all saw Trump raise his fist and yell, “Fight!,” to cheering supporters.

However, CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel thought it sent the wrong message, calling it “odd” due to “all of the heated rhetoric.”

Article content

Similarly, CBS host Margaret Brennan slammed Trump’s first statement on social media, saying he failed to urge supporters “not to retaliate or have any kind of escalation here.”

Article content

Meanwhile, MSNBC yanked its left-leaning talk show Morning Joe from the air on Monday because the news network feared an anti-Trump guest would make an inappropriate comment, CNN reported.

“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” an NBCUniversal spokesperson said.

Hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, staunch Joe Biden supporters, are expected to return to their anchor chairs on Tuesday.

NOW WHAT?

The attempted assassination of Trump has only bolstered his chances of being reelected in November, according to BetOnline.ag, where he is now a -300 (1/3) favourite, equating to a 75% implied probability.

One X account noted: “Anyone remember how the election turned out after they tried to assassinate Reagan?”

It accompanied a red-dominant graphic of how the states voted in 1984.

Article content

Article content