Christian evangelist Franklin Graham blasted the “Evangelicals for Harris” organization for using footage of his late father in an attack ad against former President Trump.
Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, which were founded by his father, the late Billy Graham. Billy Graham was a world-famous evangelist and considered to be an icon of American culture. A statue of him was installed at the U.S. Capitol in May.
Evangelicals for Harris, formerly Evangelicals for Biden, is a project of Faith Voters, a 501(c)4 organization.
On Wednesday, the group held a Zoom conference hosted by “reparations activist” Ekemini Uwan, who has argued that “Whiteness is wicked” and the police as an institution “needs to be destroyed and rebuilt. Policing was founded on the re-enslavement of Black people.”
‘WHITE DUDES FOR HARRIS’ TO HOLD CALL AFTER 160,000 WHITE WOMEN JOIN ‘KARENS FOR KAMALA’ ZOOM
President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Franklin Graham speaks during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024.((Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images))
A new attack ad from the pro-Harris organization against Trump juxtaposes footage of the late Billy Graham talking about confessing one’s sins with an old interview of Trump saying he wasn’t sure at the time whether he had ever asked God for forgiveness.
Franklin Graham responded on X by sharing a screenshot of the ad on the official Morning Joe account and condemning Evangelicals for Harris using his father’s image. He argued that if his father were alive, he would support Trump.
“The liberals are using anything and everything they can to promote candidate Harris. They even developed a political ad trying to use my father @BillyGraham’s image,” he wrote in a social media post. “They are trying to mislead people. Maybe they don’t know that my father appreciated the conservative values and policies of President @realDonaldTrump in 2016, and if he were alive today, my father’s views and opinions would not have changed.”
The official Evangelicals for Harris account replied, “Praying for you” along with a heart emoji beneath his post and later said in a retweet that Graham has “forsaken the gospel.”
“The issue, Franklin, is that in your worship of Trump you have forsaken the Gospel,” the group’s account posted. “We are voting for Harris but we only worship Jesus. Remember the calling to which you were called. You know the Lord’s grace is always ready to receive you.”
FRANKLIN GRAHAM ARRIVES IN POLAND FOR ‘GOD LOVES YOU’ TOUR AFTER AUSCHWITZ VISIT: ‘VERY SOBERING’
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At the Republican National Convention in July, the reverend said of Trump, “I am grateful and thankful for what he did as the 45th President of the United States. And I know that as the 47th President he will keep his word to the American people to Make America Great Once Again.”
He led a prayer thanking God for saving Trump’s life, after the president narrowly avoided an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania. Graham went on to implore God, “And we ask that if it be thy will that you would Make America Great Again.”
Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Alexander.hall@fox.com.
BUTLER, Penn. – Local artist Bill Secunda not only describes Donald Trump as “tough as nails” after the former president shook off an assassination attempt here, he created a life-size sculpture to hammer the idiom home.
Secunda was so inspired by Trump’s actions, in which he raised his fist defiantly and exhorted rallygoers to “Fight, fight, fight” moments after being grazed by an assassin’s bullet, that he built a unique likeness of the former president out of nails. Secunda unveiled the statue at the Butler Farm Show on Saturday, the same venue where the deadly shooting took place on July 13.
“I tried to give him the expression of ‘Let’s fight,’ but let’s do it nonviolent[ly]. Let’s do it right,” Secunda told Fox News Digital at his garage studio.
Like many Americans, Secunda was inspired seeing Trump raising his fist in the air as Secret Service agents whisked him to safety seconds after shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks clipped his ear with a rifle shot.
BUTLER RESIDENTS STILL FURIOUS ABOUT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAY MORE THAN INCOMPETENCE TO BLAME
Butler artist Bill Secunda stands in front of his nail-based structure of former President Trump.(Michael Dorgan/Fox News digital)
His carefully curated installation – made up of around 4,000 twisted and bent metal nails – portrays Trump in a light navy suit with his arm upraised.
“I tried to give him that look of firm determination,” Secunda said. “When he got shot a lot of Butler people, they didn’t run away. They were upset [but] they were going to stay there and make sure he was OK.”
The life-size statue is made from 4,000 twisted and bent metal nails and portrays Trump defiantly raising his right fist in the air.(Michael Dorgan/Fox News digital)
“I hope [the statue] helps people get a little bit more strength,” he continued. “This guy is tough, he’s strong. You know, maybe we need to be a little stronger. This is kind of a tough time for our country and I kind of hope it helps. People were upset that it happened here, and I think they’re more upset that it happened at all.”
The 6-foot 3-inch high sculpture is made entirely from traditional flat-headed cut nails which Secunda says are typically driven into concrete. It’s a technique Secunda often uses in his artwork.
“I build an armature first and then I start welding each nail, a lot of them need heating up and [are] bent into place,” Secunda said of his nail-based structures, many of which pepper his expansive garden, including a life-size moose. He’s made plenty of other life-size animals during his 30-year career, including a bear, a bison and a lion, while other installations include a giant tin man made out of wood that features imposingly on his property.
“The hair was a lot of fun,” Secunda says of Trump’s iconic hairdo in his piece. “I did a lot of research on his ears and a lot of research on his hair. Once I got it formed right, I used a brazing rod and welded it on there to give it the yellow [finish].”
He says the Trump structure is his first politically themed creation, although he’s also made two giant statues of Jesus Christ on a cross.
Secunda’s Trump statue is being displayed at the Butler Farm Show.(Bill Secunda)
Secunda had a head start on his latest project. In 2020, he created a sculpture depicting Trump ripping open his shirt like Superman to reveal a gold-colored letter “T.” After the assassination attempt, his cousin suggested he revamp it to reflect the shooting, so Secunda got back to work.
He removed Trump’s right arm and then re-welded it to show him now raising it with a clenched fist. He got rid of the “T” on his chest, re-made the shirt and chest area and then finally burned a hole in his right ear to represent the bullet striking it.
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Secunda says he turned down an offer to sell the original piece back then, yearning to some day proudly show his handiwork to Trump. His hope now is that if the former president returns to Butler for another campaign rally, as he has hinted he will, he’ll finally get that opportunity after all these years.
“I turned down a sale a long time ago on it just because I wanted to see if I could show it to [Trump]. After all these years… maybe the reason I still had it was to make it better… This is a much better message.”
The base of the structure contains the words “tough as nails.”(Michael Dorgan/Fox News digital)
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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BUTLER, Pa. – FIRST ON FOX: Police bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday through a records request shows two officers attempting to intercept Thomas Matthew Crooks on a roof seconds before he allegedly tried to assassinate former President Trump at a campaign rally last month.
The footage is taken from two officers from the Butler Township Police Department who made a desperate attempt to stop Crooks moments before he fired his DPMS AR-15 rifle, striking Trump in the ear, killing Corey Comperatore and injuring two others.
“F—ing this close, bro. Dude, he turned around on me,” the officer who was hoisted can be heard saying later on in bodycam video released Thursday.
One officer can be seen hoisting another officer onto the roof where Crooks was stationed, which is about 12 feet above the ground.
PAKISTANI MAN WITH TIES TO IRAN CHARGED IN FOILED ASSASSINATION PLOT POTENTIALLY TARGETING TRUMP, DOJ SAYS
One officer signals to hoist another officer onto the roof where would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was stationed.(Butler Township Police Department)
Crooks pointed his weapon at the officer who scaled the building, before the officer ultimately ducks his head and loses his grip on the roof’s edge and falls about 8 feet to the ground, spraining his ankle, Butler Township Manager Thomas Knights previously told Fox News Digital.
The footage captures Crooks toward the end as officers surround his body after countersnipers fatally shot him.
“I’m f—ing p—ed. We couldn’t find him,” another officer can be heard saying in the bodycam footage.
Bodycam footage shows an officer spotting Thomas Matthew Crooks on the roof of the AGR building seconds before he opened fire.(Butler Twp Police Dept.)
Buildings that are adjacent to The Butler Farm Show, site of a campaign rally for former President Trump, are seen on July 15 in Butler, Pennsylvania.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
“Before you motherf—ers came up here, I popped my head up there like an idiot by myself, dude,” the officer who was boosted onto the roof says. “Then he turned around and I f—ing dropped, and I started f—ing, I was calling out, ‘Bro, f—ing on top of the roof.’ F—ing, we’re not on the same frequency?”
“F—ing we’re not on the same frequency?”
— Officer in bodycam footage
Butler Township PD Lt. Matthew Pearson told a local outlet that the officer was unable to draw his weapon since he was hanging from the building.
Seconds later, Crooks opened fire and grazed Trump’s right ear. Three rallygoers were also shot, including Comperatore, 50, who was killed protecting his family from danger.
Additional footage from the Butler Township police department shows officers immediately after Crooks was neutralized:
BODYCAM SHOWS PA POLICE RESPONSE TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT:
David Dutch and James Copenhaver were injured after being shot at the rally. They have both since returned home, and Copenhaver’s attorney provided an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital as he continues to recover.
Officers can be seen standing over Crooks’ body on the roof in the footage released Thursday.
Officers surround Thomas Matthew Crooks on the AGR roof after countersnipers killed him.(Butler Twp Police Dept.)
In other bodycam video, officers are clearly confused about why the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) building, where Crooks shot from, was unmanned.
“I thought you were on the roof?” one officer says.
“Why were we not on the roof…why weren’t we?”
— Officer in police-worn bodycam footage
There also appears to be confusion about whether the shooter was neutralized and why the shooter wasn’t taken out before he opened fire.
PA OFFICERS ASK WHY ROOF CROOKS SHOT FROM WAS UNMANNED
“If you’d all had a gun up there … I’d have shot him. He wouldn’t have ripped out a gun up there,” one officer says in the bodycam.
“I’d say this is a f— up…somebody f—ed up.”
— Officer in police-worn bodycam footage
The footage is the latest crucial piece of publicly available information released that attempts to shed light on exactly what transpired that day and what efforts were put in place to stop Crooks.
The Butler Farm Show, site of a campaign rally for former President Trump, is seen July 15 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was wounded on July 13 during an assassination attempt while speaking at the rally. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The security breaches that paved the way for the shooting have been muddied by finger-pointing among the various agencies involved at the local, state and federal levels.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said video of someone moving along a roof minutes before Trump was shot confirms a “failure.”
The video, taken by Copenhaver and exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, shows a figure moving across the roof of the AGR building just minutes before gunfire rang out at Trump’s rally.
VIDEO SHOWS TRUMP SHOOTING VICTIM’S POV
The FBI previously revealed that Crooks had driven to the rally site at 11 a.m. on the day of the shooting and spent an hour there before heading home.
Crooks did not return to the scene until 3:50 p.m. Local law enforcement officers, in their designated positions, spotted him for the first time around 5:10 p.m. — approximately 50 minutes before Trump took the stage, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who obtained them from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit (ESU).
BUTLER POLICE GATHER WITNESSES AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT:
On his return to the rally site, Crooks flew a drone about 200 yards away from where Trump was going to be speaking, according to the FBI. The FBI later said that no photos or videos were taken from the drone and that the agency found no memory card in the drone.
Thomas Matthew Crooks is seen crawling on a roof moments before he attempted to assassinate former President Trump.(DJ Laughery (background))
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: NEW TEXTS SHOW LOCAL POLICE SCRAMBLE TO ASSIST WITH COVERING RALLY
At 5:30 p.m., local law enforcement snapped a picture of Crooks and escalated it to command.
“Kid learning around building we are in,” an officer wrote in a text message, along with an image of Crooks. “AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out.”
A map details the locations of interest pertaining to the investigation of Thomas Crooks’ attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. (Sen. Chuck Grassley )
“I lost sight of him,” the officer added.
A follow-up message said: “Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out.”
By 6:12 p.m., the “kid” would be killed by a counter-sniper after he opened fired on the rallygoers.
Law enforcement circulated a picture of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the texts showed.(Fox News)
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On the day of the rally, Crooks parked his vehicle and flew a drone between about 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. about 200 yards from where the former president would be speaking on July 13. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 congressional hearing that Crooks had been at the rally site for about 70 minutes the morning of the assassination attempt.
Fox News Digital is reviewing the bodycam footage. This post will be updated.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, attempted to confront Vice President Kamala Harris over not answering reporters’ questions while both of their planes were on the tarmac of a Wisconsin airport on Wednesday.
Vance, who is former President Trump’s running mate, also told a press gaggle at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport that he was trying to get a better look at Air Force Two because it’s “going to be my plane in a few months.”
The Republican told reporters that he worried Harris’ press gaggle “might get a little lonely” because Harris doesn’t answer their questions.
“Hey, guys. How are you?” Vance asked the group as he walked towards them. “I just wanted to check out my future plane, but I also wanted to go say hello to the Vice President and ask her why Kamala Harris refuses… why does she refuse to answer questions from the media?”
TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, walked over to Air Force Two after his plane landed at the same airport as Vice President Kamala Harris’. He said he wanted to get a closer look at his “future plane.”(AP / Getty Images)
“And I also thought that the press gaggle following her might get a little lonely,” he added. “I, at least, have enough respect for you all, and for the American people you report to, to come and talk to you and to answer some questions. And so I thought her reporters might actually benefit from that as well.”
Vance described the incident as “a little bit of fun.”
“So I had a little bit of fun. I don’t think the vice president waved at me as she drove away, but, I’m glad to have done it,” he continued. “And I’m glad to be here in Wisconsin, actually trying to persuade people to vote for us as opposed to just giving another scripted speech.”
Vance referenced the incident while speaking to employees of Wollard International, a manufacturing company, later that afternoon.
“We’ve had a good day,” Vance told the audience. “We actually just saw the vice president’s plane on the tarmac. We landed about the same time that she did, and I went over there because I thought it might be nice to check out this plane that’s going to be mine in a few months, if we all take care of business, and I think we will.
“But mostly, actually, I want to go and say hello to the journalists who are traveling along with the vice president, because I figured they must be lonely because Kamala Harris doesn’t take any questions.”
VIDEO FROM TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM’S POV SHOWS FIGURE MOVING ON ROOF MOMENTS BEFORE GUNFIRE
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, the Republican vice presidential candidate, speaks at NMC-Wollard Inc. / Wollard International in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Wednesday.(Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
Ammar Moussa, the Harris campaign’s director of rapid response, later called Vance’s behavior “weird” in an X post.
“Okay just to clarify: JD Vance is flying around the country following Vice President Harris,” Moussa wrote. “He approached her plane today because he just wants to talk. And now he’s begging her for a debate?”
“Ummm this is getting weird,” he added.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, tried approaching Vice President Kamala Harris at a Wisconsin airport on Wednesday.(Getty Images)
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In 1958, the National Election Study began surveying Americans’ trust in government, revealing that approximately 75% believed the federal government would do the right thing almost always or most of the time. However, according to Pew Research in 2023, this trust has plummeted to a seven-decade low of merely 16%.
Alarmingly, only 2% of Americans now believe that the government consistently acts correctly, and confidence in elected officials continues to erode. The primary reason for this decline is clear: our government leaders no longer take responsibility for their decisions.
In the upcoming 100 days leading up to the election, consider whether you hear either candidate admit to mistakes on the campaign trail. Statements such as “I made a mistake,” “That was a bad decision,” or “We shouldn’t have gone down that path” have become rare.
In the upcoming 100 days leading up to the election, consider whether you hear either candidate admit to mistakes on the campaign trail.(Getty Images)
True leadership is challenging and often solitary. It requires making tough decisions and, more importantly, acknowledging both successes and failures. Unfortunately, our politicians no longer engage in this level of honesty, contributing significantly to the diminishing trust in the federal government. People understand that no one can be right all the time… we are only human.
69% THINK US IS THE BEST COUNTRY, UP 5 POINTS SINCE LAST YEAR
During this election season, you will also witness both sides of the political spectrum engaging in the blame game. Whether through television soundbites, newspaper columns or social media, it is common to see one side blaming the other for current issues, including the economy, immigration, crime, abortion or climate change.
When leaders resort to blaming others, it sets a precedent that if we cannot solve our problems, we are justified in blaming someone else for the difficulties or inaction.
True leaders do not solve problems by shifting blame. Instead, they strive to unite people around a shared vision and actionable solutions. When top elected officials indulge in blame games, it further erodes public trust in their ability to accomplish anything meaningful.
TRUST IN SUPREME COURT PLUNGES AHEAD OF KEY DECISIONS ON PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, JAN. 6
Restoring trust in government requires addressing the disconnect between what politicians say and what people perceive. For instance, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., once remarked, “Anyone who would think that they’re at some advantage because of Joe Biden’s age thinks that at their peril because he’s very sharp.” Yet, a few months later, she questioned Biden’s capability to run for president and immediately endorsed Kamala Harris once he dropped his re-election campaign.
Similarly, Harris famously deflected when asked about her plans to visit the border by saying, “And I haven’t been to Europe yet.” Despite her role in addressing illegal migration, she failed to acknowledge the incomplete efforts.
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Even more starkly, in the years following the 2020 election, President Trump continually described the election as “rigged.” True leaders accept defeat graciously and work toward a comeback, akin to athletes in sports who often achieve remarkable comebacks.
As we approach the upcoming election, it remains to be seen whether voters will prioritize personality over policies. Social media also plays a significant role in eroding trust, with many people relying on their smartphones for information. The rapid consumption of news through brief soundbites often prevents people from getting the full story, influencing their perceptions and actions significantly.
Americans yearn to restore their trust and faith in their leaders. Politicians need to understand that showing vulnerability and admitting to mistakes does not signify weakness but strength.
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In any leadership role, be it in corporate America or a family-run business, making wrong choices is inevitable. However, confidence is instilled by leader.s who can persist in their vision despite setbacks.
It’s time for our leaders to rebuild our trust, starting with three simple words: “I was wrong.”
Sen. JD Vance fired back at a CNN reporter who asked him whether former President Trump’s comments about Kamala Harris’ race were concerning to him as a “father of three biracial children.”
Vance visited the U.S. southern border on Thursday where he attacked Harris’ record as the border czar during a press conference in Cochise County, Arizona. At one point on the trip, CNN correspondent Steve Contorno asked the vice presidential contender about Trump’s comment a day earlier, when he told a crowd at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention that Harris “became a Black person,” after years of identifying as Indian.
THE ‘WEIRD’ CAMPAIGN: THE STUNNING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HARRIS AND VANCE COVERAGE
“He [Trump] said that Vice President Harris is ‘all the sudden Black.’ As a father of three biracial children, do those comments give you pause at all?” the CNN correspondent said in a clip shared on X.
Vance is married to attorney Usha Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants, with whom he shares three biracial children.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance hugs his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance during the Republican National Convention Wednesday, July 17, 2024.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
“They don’t give me pause at all,” Vance fired back. “Look, all he said is that Kamala Harris is a chameleon. She goes to Georgia two days ago, she was raised in Canada, she puts on a fake southern accent. She is everything to everybody and she pretends to be somebody different depending on which audience she is in front of.
KAMALA HARRIS MOCKED FOR ‘FAKE’ SOUTHERN ACCENT DURING GEORGIA RALLY
“I think it’s totally reasonable for the [former] president to call that out,” Vance continued. “And that’s all he did. Look, she’s running as a tough on crime prosecutor even though she implemented open border policies. She’s saying that she wants to support the police, yet she wanted to defund the police just three years ago. It’s totally reasonable to call out the fact that she pretends to be somebody different depending on the audience she’s talking to.”
Trump made the comment Wednesday after ABC News’ Rachel Scott asked the former president if he agreed with Republican lawmakers who have characterized Harris as a “DEI,” or diversity, equity and inclusion, hire.
“I’ve known her for a long time, indirectly, not directly… and she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black. And now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 18, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
VANCE BRUSHES OFF DEM ATTACKS, DISCUSSES WHAT ISSUES HE WANTS TO TACKLE AS VP
Scott then told Trump that Harris has always identified as Black, adding she went to a “historically Black college.”
“I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way. And then, all of a sudden, she made a turn and… she became a Black person,” Trump said. “I think somebody should look into that.”
This comes as Harris faced a wave of criticism on social media after appearing to suddenly use a Southern accent during a speech in Atlanta, as referenced by Vance.
“You all helped us win in 2020 and we gonna do it again in 2024,” Harris, who is from California, told Atlanta rally goers while seemingly debuting the new accent.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate J. D. Vance(Fox News)
The accent immediately caught the attention of critics online, who accused the presumptive Democratic nominee of pandering to her audience.
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Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to yael.halon@fox.com.
Video shows Trump shooting victim’s POV moments before gunfire
A new video from James Copenhaver, one of the victims critically wounded in a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump, shows a figure moving across a rooftop just minutes before gunfire rang out at Trump’s rally in Butler, PA.
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI on Thursday responded to a video recorded by James Copenhaver, one of the victims wounded in a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump, showing a figure moving across the roof of the building gunman Thomas Crooks shot from.
The video that Copenhaver shared exclusively with Fox News Digital was taken at 6:08 p.m. on July 13, minutes before Crooks fired at least eight gunshots at 6:11 before counter snipers killed him.
“The Secret Service is committed to better understanding what happened before, during, and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure that never happens again,” the agency told Fox News in a statement. “That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations.”
The FBI told Fox News it is aware of the video but has no further comment.
TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Crooks killed 50-year-old Corey Comperatore — a father and volunteer fire chief — and critically wounded 74-year-old James Copenhaver and 57-year-old David Dutch in his attempt to assassinate the former president. Because Trump turned his head at the last second to look at a projection screen displaying immigration statistics, a bullet sliced Trump’s ear, but he was rushed out of the rally otherwise unscathed.
Law enforcement officials have been working to piece together a timeline of events since that evening to determine how and why Crooks was able to carry out the assassination attempt.
VIDEO FROM TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM’S POV SHOWS FIGURE MOVING ON ROOF MOMENTS BEFORE GUNFIRE
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office released text messages obtained through a public records request showing that law enforcement was aware of a suspicious person near the rally site approximately 90 minutes before gunfire began and took photos of Crooks around 4:36 p.m.
FBI officials told reporters during a press call on Monday that Crooks gained access to the roof of the AGR building by climbing HVAC equipment and piping. He then traversed multiple rooftops before he found his position on top of the AGR building, where he had a direct line of sight to the former president.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM JAMES COPENHAVER ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US
Pictures of Thomas Mathew Crooks taken by a sniper.(Sen. Ron Johnson’s Office)
Leading up to the shooting, on July 6, Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, researched how far Lee Harvey Oswald was from the late President John F. Kennedy when Oswald assassinated the former president in 1963.
On July 7, he traveled to the rally site and spent approximately 20 minutes in the area, according to Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge at the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.
A sniper spots Crooks looking at his phone and a range finder. At 5:38 p.m., the sniper then sends a message to the “Sniper Group” regarding the suspicious person, later identified as Crooks, according to Johnson’s office.(Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office)
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On the day of the rally, Crooks parked his vehicle and flew a drone between about 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. about 200 yards from where the former president would be speaking on July 13. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 congressional hearing that Crooks had been at the rally site for about 70 minutes the morning of the assassination attempt.
Fox News’ CB Cotton and Seth Andrews contributed to this report.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.
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America’s declining birthrate is a far greater risk to our future than, say, climate change. Yet most politicians are too scared to talk about it. Now, it’s apparently taboo.
The entire Democratic Party and all their media allies have spent the past week smearing vice presidential nominee JD Vance as “weird” because he dared to suggest policies to reward family formation.
You can agree or disagree with his proposals. Maybe you favor mass immigration or Hungary-style child stipends. We should welcome a robust debate about how to address the fertility crisis. What we can’t do is turn up our noses at it.
JD VANCE SAYS ‘ANTI-FAMILY’ DEMS TOOK ‘CHILDLESS CAT LADY’ REMARK OUT OF CONTEXT: ‘LIE OF THE LEFT’
Here are the facts: our nation’s birth rate is now down to 1.62 births per woman, the lowest in history and well below replacement rate.
It’s not even that people don’t want kids. In fact, American women on average have *fewer* children than they say they’d hoped for.
The “graying” of America means an overloaded health care system, as the elderly become a larger share of the U.S. population.
US BIRTHS SAW NOTABLE DECREASE IN 2023, MARKING END TO LATE PANDEMIC REBOUND, EXPERTS SAY
It’s already leading to higher taxes for all. In the early years of Social Security, there were more than 40 people in the workforce for every retiree receiving benefits. Today, there are only about three workers per retiree. By 2060, that number will be down to two. This is partly the result of increased longevity, but the declining birth rate certainly doesn’t help.
GLOBAL FERTILITY RATES MAY BECOME TOO LOW TO SUSTAIN POPULATION LEVELS, STUDY SAYS
An aging labor force also means lower rates of business formation and slower economic growth. Every 10 percent increase in the proportion of individuals over 60 is estimated to reduce GDP per capita by 5.7 percent.
The birth dearth is a symptom of a deeper economic malaise. Thankfully, we know how to fix that. Drill, baby, drill and frack, baby, frack – because when energy is cheaper, everything’s cheaper.
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Slash the oppressive regulatory state to make it easier to create the jobs that feed families. End senseless occupational licensing laws so qualified workers use their God-given talents in the trade of their choice instead of getting locked out by anti-competitive cartels.
Reform zoning and other restrictions on new housing. Monthly mortgage costs have nearly doubled since January 2020, and in 2022 more than 22 million households spent over a third of their income on rent. If we increase housing supply, we bring down costs. That’s basic economics.
But this isn’t just an economic issue. If it were, richer nations would have higher birth rates, when in fact the opposite is true. The fertility crisis is a symptom of a deeper crisis of meaning.
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If you’ve embraced false religions like wokeism or climate-ism or think your kids won’t have the same shot at the American Dream that you did, you’re less likely to have any – or bother to be productive yourself.
If we fix the economy and solve our national meaning crisis, we fix the fertility crisis too. But we don’t have a lot of time left to do it.
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FBI Director Christopher Wray offered new details about the explosive devices found in Thomas Matthew Crooks’ car and home during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Wray is facing questions from lawmakers about the FBI’s investigation into Crooks’ attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Here are the key details Wray offered regarding the explosives.
The FBI found 3 ‘relatively crude’ devices:
Wray says investigators have so far found three explosive devices they believe belonged to Crooks. Two were found inside Crooks’ vehicle near the Butler rally, and one more was found inside his home.
ROOFTOP BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS CONFUSION AMONG OFFICIALS, RIFLE SHOOTER USED IN DEADLY ATTEMPT ON TRUMP
Thomas Matthew Crooks had three explosive devices in his vehicle and home when he attacked former President Trump.(Bethel Park School District/Getty Images)
Wray described the bombs as “relatively crude,” but he added they still posed a major threat.
The bombs were rigged for remote detonation:
Despite the crude nature of the explosives, Wray said they were rigged for remote detonation.
Wray did not offer details about the range of the remote detonators, but he said it does not appear that Crooks attempted to set them off before being killed by Secret Service counter snipers.
SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CHEATLE RESIGNS AFTER MOUNTING PRESSURE IN WAKE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
FBI Director Christopher Wray offered new details about the explosive devices found in Thomas Matthew Crooks’ car and home during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Crooks had the detonator on the rooftop:
Crooks had the remote detonator for the explosives with him on the rooftop when he opened fire at Trump.
Wray did not detail the size of the detonator but said Crooks was able to carry it with him onto the rooftop along with his rifle. The FBI director said that the state of the on-off switch on the detonator indicated it would not have worked had Crooks attempted to activate the bombs after opening fire on Trump.
Crooks used encrypted messaging apps:
Wray confirmed that the FBI has gained access to Crooks’ phone, but he said their efforts have been hampered thanks to Crooks’ routine use of encrypted messaging apps.
Wray said the investigation has not ruled out the possibility that Crooks was working with one or more accomplices.
FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the FBI has gained access to Thomas Crooks’ phone, but he said their efforts have been hampered thanks to Crooks’ routine use of encrypted messaging apps.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The FBI recovered Crooks’ drone:
Wray said FBI investigators have found and recovered the drone Crooks used to scout out the area where Trump’s rally was taking place.
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He said both the drone and the controller were in Crooks’ vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Investigators believe Crooks flew the drone around near the venue between 3:50 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the day of the rally. The drone was roughly 200 yards away from the stage during the flight.
