There's *ANOTHER* Disturbing Update on the Trump Assassination Attempt

It keeps getting worse: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, reportedly flew a drone over the rally area shortly before he executed his attack. Crooks scaled a rooftop unmolested, despite scores of attendees watching him army crawl on the roof, which was left unprotected by the Secret Service, as he lined up to take shots at Trump.

The roof was less than 200 yards from the stage. Donald Trump Jr. responded to this update tweeting, "Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying my own drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house" (via WSJ):

WSJ, breaking: “The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring…

— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) July 19, 2024

A gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring the stunning security lapses ahead of Trump’s near assassination. 

Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day on July 13 to scour the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Trump’s ill-fated rally, the officials said. The predetermined path, the officials added, suggests Crooks flew the drone more than once as he researched and scoped out the event site. 

The 20-year-old would-be assassin fired at least six rounds from the roof of the American Glass Research building roughly 400 feet away from where Trump spoke, killing one spectator, critically injuring two others and leaving Trump with a graze wound to the ear. A Secret Service sniper team shot back, killing Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery. 

Multiple investigations are under way into how a gunman was able to climb onto a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump and open fire with an AR-15 rifle. Police had become suspicious of Crooks more than an hour earlier, when officers saw him milling about the edges of the rally with a range finder and a backpack.

Why the Secret Service left the rooftop unprotected remains the predominant issue, especially since it was flagged as a security vulnerability. There were snipers in the adjacent building at the time of the attack, with another Secret Service sniper team having their sights on Crooks two minutes before he fired the first shot. Yet, even before the rally, the Secret Service was informed that there was a credible threat against Trump’s life 10 minutes before he took the stage but allowed him to proceed anyway.

Trump was the target of an Iranian assassination plot, so he was given increased security, and this shooting still occurred. Trump missed a fatal headshot by millimeters. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed today that most of Trump’s security detail weren’t even Secret Service agents. There is a mountain of questions that need answers. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle should be prepared to be grilled when he testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday.

Authorities spotted crooks over an hour before he scaled the roof, being caught scouting the location with a rangefinder. It's a security failure worthy of Cheatle's resignation, but she has the protection of Jill Biden, who reportedly pushed for her to get the job. 

UPDATE:  What a mess via Bill Melugin:

Per federal law enforcement source  w/ knowledge of the security planning for Trump’s Butler, PA rally, the event was staffed by 22 Secret Service agents, including advance, assault, and sniper teams, 16 HSI agents, and it is believed there was no SS drone in the air.

Per source, Secret Service did not request any tactical support from HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) beforehand, including the HSI elite Special Response team. HSI agents were assigned to “post standing” security duties at the street entrance and the media area, and were not responsible for the close proximity around Trump, or the buildings on the exterior of the area where the shooter was. 

The entire operational security plan was created and carried out by Secret Service, which told HSI and local law enforcement where they needed bodies, and was responsible for the advance planning.

Trending on Townhall Videos

 

MSNBC Attempts to Trick Viewers Into Thinking They Were at the RNC

The lunatic ladies of MSNBC criticized the Republican National Convention (RNC) despite not even being there. However, according to them, they were. 

Hosts Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, and Jen Psaki used a large LED screen to make it look like they were at the Milwaukee RNC when, in reality, they were broadcasting from the comfort of their Manhattan headquarters. 

However, this didn’t stop them from criticizing Trump and his vice presidential pick, JD Vance (R-OH). 

Their lack of transparency on the location of their broadcast raised ethical concerns about trying to convince viewers the hosts were somewhere they were not. 

“If news organizations don’t represent where they are clearly, then how is the audience to have faith and confidence in the actual content of the reporting?” former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno told The New York Times.

He acknowledged that it could seem “frivolous” to make a big deal out of the network not actually being at the RNC but insisted that there is “something profoundly important here.”

“News organizations need to be very careful and very transparent about what they represent and how they represent it,” he said. 

“The arrangement — which several veteran television news producers described as unorthodox — has created something of a trompe l’oeil effect. A casual glance at the screen would suggest that MSNBC’s top anchors were covering the convention in person,” the NYT added. 

The outlet noted that MSNBC hosts regularly announce their location at the top of every broadcast hour, such as in New York or at MSNBC headquarters. However, throughout the week, they only mentioned their location a few times over several hours of coverage. 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) mocked MSNBC for pretending as if they were at the RNC.

Trending on Townhall Videos

 

Georgia Appeals Court Order Makes Fulton County Trump Verdict Nearly Impossible Before Election Day

(L) Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Former first lady Melania Trump on stage and the conclusion of the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) / (R) Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis arrives for the final arguments in her disqualification hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.

A decision in the Fulton County election meddling lawsuit against former President Donald Trump prior to election day is all but impossible, due to an order issued late on Tuesday afternoon by the Georgia Court of Appeals.

The order, shared by the lead counsel for former President Trump, approved petitions for oral arguments in an ongoing appeal by eight defendants in the case, including the former president, to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case.

Most notably, those oral arguments were scheduled by the appeals court for December 5^th, over a month after the presidential election.

Trial proceedings are halted until the Court of Appeals reaches a ruling.

During oral arguments, the appeal court will take up the co-defendants’ appeal of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s March decision, which resulted in the removal of special prosecutor Nathan Wade from the election interference case but left D.A. Willis in place.

The co-defendants contend that McAfee’s decision was insufficient and that Willis’s disqualification and the dismissal of the charges should have resulted from it. They also argue that an unlawful conflict of interest resulted from Willis and Wade’s romantic relationship.

However, according to McAfee, there was no conflict of interest arising from the circumstances under Georgia law. He continued, saying that the facts gave the prosecution team an “appearance of impropriety” that “infected” them.

Wade later chose to step down, which gave Willis permission to proceed with the case after the judge’s ultimatum declared that she must recuse herself from the case or remove the special prosecutor.

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Texas: Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda Laid To Rest After Ambush

Members of the Houston, Texas, community and law enforcement came together to honor the life of 28-year-old Deputy Fernando Esqueda, 

 

who was killed in an ambush last week.

Attended the funeral service today for @HCSOTexas Dep. Fernando Esqueda. He was tragically taken from this world too soon (28 years old) by cowards! May his memory be a blessing for all who knew & loved him. #RIP pic.twitter.com/NsYjfp2ju6

— Constable Alan Rosen (@ConstableRosen) July 19, 2024

Hundreds gathered to mourn and remember the life of the brave, fallen deputy on Friday, with some officers even traveling all the way from areas like Boston, Chicago, New York, and beyond. 

“He loved being a deputy; he loved being a part of this community, and he did so until his final breath,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

As a member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Violent Persons Warrant Task Force, Esqueda had located a suspect’s vehicle and was notifying fellow deputies when he was fatally shot.

“His kind heart and pure spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” said Esqueda’s sister, Vanessa. “His energy was electric and always full of energy. He was our family’s life of the party.”

The tragic murder occurred after police were called to a Little Caesars Pizza location in Houston. 44-year-old Ronald Palmer Jr. had allegedly pistol-whipped and verbally assaulted a worker while he argued that his pizza “didn’t look like” the advertised picture.

Palmer Jr. has now been charged with capital murder, and prosecutors say that the state is currently considering the death penalty.

“When a cop is killed in Houston, the death penalty is on the table every time; that’s Texas law,” one prosecutor in the case said. “It does hurt our community the most when a first responder is taken out of the line of duty.”

Additionally, a second suspect, Dremone Francis, 26, is also facing a capital murder charge for purportedly tampering with evidence after he allegedly assisted Palmer Jr. in disposing of the weapon.

Palmer and Francis were both taken into custody in handcuffs and are being held without bond on the capital murder charges. 

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CartoonDems

 

Trump: 'I Had God on My Side'; 'We Would Not Be Here Together

 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump delivered an emotional call for peace, prosperity, and a return of the American dream in his official acceptance speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

"The discord and division in our society must be healed," Trump said in an acceptance speech live on Newsmax and the free Newsmax2 streaming platform. "As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.

"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.

"So tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States."

Buildup to Trump

Before Trump spoke, Kid Rock delivered a musical introduction, shouting Trump's "fight! fight! fight!" and "Trump! Trump! Trump!" and offering up a mix of his hits, including "American Bada**."

Next, UFC founder Dana White introduced Trump, and the crowd heard the familiar notes of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The U.S.A."

"President Trump is literally putting his life on the line for something bigger than himself," White said. "And he's willing to risk it all because he loves this country. And I know he wants what's best for the American people — all American people. I know he's running for president to save our American dream."

Gratitude

Within his convention speech, Trump referred back to his weekend brush with a would-be assassin's bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania.

"Let me begin this evening by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday," Trump said.

He wanted Republicans, his supporters, detractors, and open-minded voters to take note that he is willing take a bullet for them. And he recounted the event, he said, so many people have asked.

"I will tell you exactly what happened, and you'll never hear it from me a second time, because it's actually too painful to tell," he said.

"Despite such a heinous attack, we unite this evening more determined than ever. Our resolve is unbroken, and our purpose is unchanged — to deliver a government that serves the American people," Trump said.

"Everything I have to give, with all of the energy and fight in my heart and soul, I pledge to our nation tonight: This election should be about the issues facing our country and how to make America successful, safe, free, and great again."

Hulk Hogan, Hype-Man

There were, even before the speech, other moments sure to be memorable to those at the convention hall. Among them, famed wrestler Hulk Hogan came out as a hype man, delivering an impassioned speech and doing his trademark move, ripping off his top, to reveal a Trump-Vance campaign shirt.

"Even though you guys are real Americans, you better get ready, because when Donald J. Trump becomes the president of the United States, all the real Americans are going to be nicknamed Trumpites because all the Trumpites are going to be running wild for four years," Hogan said. "So with the power of Donald J. Trump in all the Trumpites running wild, America is going to get back on track.

"And like Donald J. Trump said, America is going to be great again.

"After everything that's happened to our country over the past four years and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent," he added. "I'm here tonight because I want the world to know that Donald Trump is a real American hero. And I'm proud to support my hero as the next president of this United States."

Eric Mack ✉

Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.

© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

 

Microsoft Glitch Brings Worldwide Halt to Business and Government Operations

Millions of users of Microsoft products found themselves without service Friday as a security update pushed out by Crowdstike went terribly wrong. Across the globe, the outage knocked out operations for banks, trains, airlines, and emergency services.

Windows computers and tablets crashed in countries from the U.S. to China and Australia, with reports of forced restarts of devices spreading across social media throughout the day.

The problem appeared to be caused by an update from CrowdStrike, Microsoft employees and outside technology professionals familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. Several cited an error message related to Crowdstrike on affected devices, and a subsequent workaround that was aimed at deleting a CrowdStrike file.

CrowdStrike shares were down nearly 14% in premarket trading. Microsoft was down 2.4%.

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

CrowdStrike Chief Executive George Kurtz said in a post on X that the issue had been identified and a fix had been deployed, adding that “this is not a security incident or cyberattack.”

Don't worry, though. The guy from IT with the neckbeard and the can of Red Bull will be on the case pretty soon.

 

Defiant Biden Handlers Just Threw Obama, Schumer, and Pelosi Under the Bus and Then Backed Over Them

After Joe Biden allegedly contracted COVID and left Las Vegas for his Delaware beach house on Wednesday, much speculation suggested he was preparing to leave the race. Even the betting markets shifted, showing the probability of Biden dropping out at an all-time high. 

That was exacerbated by an interview where the president said he would drop out if a medical issue arose. Still, I offered some words of caution on that front. 

---

SEE: Joe Biden Says He'd Drop Out If Doctors Told Him to, Sets Up a 'Dignified' Exit (Updated)

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With all that said, my money is still, for the moment at least, on Biden staying in the race. There's now a path for me to be wrong, but I won't believe Jill Biden will concede the White House until it happens. There is also a long list of handlers who derive their living from Biden who aren't going to want to go quietly. Further, he can't simply leave the presidential race. He'd have to resign the presidency as well. After all, how can you be too senile to run for president but not too senile to be president? 

The machinations that would need to happen going forward are almost unfathomable.

Perhaps I was on to something because Biden's handlers responded with a vengeance on Thursday. As RedState reported, a senior administration official rebutted claims that the president was close to bowing out, stating that he could start campaigning again as soon as next week.

White House coffee boy Andrew Bates also lashed out publicly in no uncertain terms.

Now, Biden's handlers are getting even more vicious. A report from NBC News quotes a "source close to Biden" throwing Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi under the bus before backing up over them. They even go so far as to say the three named above were responsible for Donald Trump being elected in 2016 because they pushed Hillary Clinton to the forefront. 

“Can we all just remember for a minute that these same people who are trying to push Joe Biden out are the same people who literally gave us all Donald Trump? In 2015, Obama, Pelosi, Schumer pushed Biden aside in favor of Hillary; they were wrong then and they are wrong now,” the source told NBC News.

The source pointed to polling in the 2016 election that showed Hillary Clinton leading by as much as nine points. 

“How did all this work out for everyone in 2016? Perhaps we should learn a few lessons from 2016; one of them is polls are BS, just ask Sec. Clinton. And two, maybe, just maybe, Joe Biden is more in touch with actual Americans than Obama-Pelosi-Schumer?” the source added.

That doesn't sound like Biden is about to drop out of the race, does it? As I've said before, there's more going on behind the scenes than just what the president wants. Jill Biden is wildly ambitious and shows no sign of wanting to give up the life of luxury her husband's position provides. There's also a laundry list of hangers-on both working for Biden's campaign and within the administration itself who do not want to lose their gravy train. If the president leaves the race, they will be largely sidelined, and they know. 

Then there's Biden himself. He's a deeply egotistical man who will not want to go down in history as someone who gave up against Trump. Never mind that he'll almost assuredly be blamed if he does drop out and then Kamala Harris goes on to lose. There's no easy path out of the race for Biden that allows him to save face. 

With that said, attacking the biggest names in the Democratic Party seems less than helpful. If Biden's handlers burn the party to the ground in their attempt to keep their jobs, then a loss is all but certain come November anyway. So what's being gained? 

This entire thing is an unbelievable cluster. Admittedly, I'm not that old, but I've never seen anything like this in all my time following politics, and certainly not in my time commenting on politics. There's no good answer here for Democrats, though that's a reality no one seems keen to accept at this moment.