On Friday, just under two weeks after he was nearly assassinated during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Donald Trump announced his intention to return to Butler for "a big and beautiful rally."
"I WILL BE GOING BACK TO BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR A BIG AND BEAUTIFUL RALLY, HONORING THE SOUL OF OUR BELOVED FIREFIGHTING HERO, COREY, AND THOSE BRAVE PATRIOTS INJURED TWO WEEKS AGO," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "WHAT A DAY IT WILL BE — FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS."
Thirteen days ago, Trump narrowly escaped an assassin's bullet thanks to a slight turn of the head before shots rang out. Trump was hit in the ear before the shooter was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper. Two rally attendees were seriously injured, and another, Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his family from the gunfire.
David Dutch, 57, was released from the hospital this week after being in critical condition. James Copenhaver, 74, another shooting victim, is still hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
The security lapses that resulted in the nearly successful assassination attempt caused bipartisan outrage. On Monday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle went before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to answer questions about those security lapses, and representatives from both sides of the aisle eviscerated her for her failure to answer questions.
"Today, you failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure and to reassure the American people that the Secret Service has learned its lessons and begun to correct its systemic blunders and failures," Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said in a joint letter to Cheatle after her testimony. "In the middle of a presidential election, the Committee and the American people demand serious institutional accountability and transparency that you are not providing. We call on you to resign as Director as a first step to allowing new leadership to swiftly address this crisis and rebuild the trust of a truly concerned Congress and the American people."
The following day, she resigned.
"As your director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse," Cheatle wrote in a resignation letter to her staff.
“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” she added. “I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.”
Despite her failure as Secret Service Director, President Joe Biden praised her.
"Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service. She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service," he said in a statement. "We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our Administration and we are grateful for her service to our family."
He added, "As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service."
Sadly, nearly a third of Democrats believe that the assassination attempt was staged.
This story is developing.
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