A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump
During a presidential rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, Former President Trump began to speak about immigration, and several shots were heard from the bleachers behind him. Secret Service agents rushed to the podium to shield him and as they moved him off the stage, Trump put a fist in the air as blood trickled from his ear. Later, the former president went on social media and said the shot had pieced the upper part of his ear. The gunman who attempted to assassinate Trump was 20-year-old, Mathew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., who used his father's AR-15. Crooks was quickly killed by a Secret Service Sniper moments after the event. Crooks acted alone, and the FBI is unclear of his motive but is investigating this as an act of domestic terrorism. A review of public records indicates that Crooks may have held differing political beliefs. He was registered as a Republican voter and donated to a Democratic-leaning group.
It has been reported that spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed at the rally while shielding his family. Two other attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were critically injured but are in stable condition. The Republican National Convention is to be held in Milwaukee today which will proceed as planned where Trump will officially be nominated as the Republican candidate for President.
President Biden’s Response
After the incident on Saturday, Biden responded in a short televised statement from the Oval Office condemning the actions of Crooks and calling it sick. He asked for Americans to reject political violence and to resolve indifferences peacefully. He has directed the Secret Service to review all security measures for the RNC. His team quickly paused political messaging, freezing all outbound communication and pulling their TV ads. Biden has also paused all travel but will be interviewed by Lester Holt today, in the White House.
Recommendation
We recommend limiting social posting as much as possible. Any content that goes live should be reevaluated for potential flags and monitored for sentiment in the comments.
We also recommend continuing to monitor the situation updates and how people are talking online. Over the weekend the temperature was high with many reacting to the news across both sides of the aisle. Conversations and op-eds will continue to dominate the internet over the next several hours to days.
Resources: 1 & 2
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