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Join Telegram ChannelCNN initially reported Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as if he had simply fallen off a stage — a characterization that was quickly condemned by conservative lawmakers and those commenting on social media.
“Secret Service pushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally,” ran the headline on CNN shortly after news of a possible shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania broke.
The headline sparked anger among conservative lawmakers, as well as others on social media, who described the headline as a “conscious deception” and “shameful.”
“Falling at a rally? Is that a real headline? It’s a disgrace,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, wrote on X-rated TV Friday night.
SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by U.S. Secret Service personnel after gunshots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
“Even in a horrible moment like this, they just can’t help themselves,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida.
While addressing the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, Trump was seen abruptly grabbing his right ear before ducking and crashing to the ground on stage. Secret Service personnel quickly surrounded Trump before he was escorted off stage, his right ear covered in blood.
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Before being led out, Trump appeared to shout “Fight!” while fist-bumping the crowd to indicate he was okay.
The shocking assassination attempt came just two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump will officially become the party's nominee for president.
Donald Trump Jr. also criticized CNN's live coverage Saturday night, criticizing the network for focusing on Trump telling the crowd “Fight!” after he was shot by the shooter. Trump was taken to a local hospital before traveling to New Jersey.
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“Someone tried to assassinate my father tonight and that’s what @CNN is focusing on. These people are despicable,” Trump Jr. posted.
The headline was “published before we had 100% confirmation of the details surrounding the assassination attempt on former President Trump,” a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The article has been updated as new details about the assassination attempt have emerged.
SHOTS FIRED AT TRUMP RALLY
Other commentators and media critics also lambasted the Washington Post for a headline that read: “Trump escorted out after loud noises at Pennsylvania rally.”
Trump Jr. says father 'in good spirits' in hospital after shots fired at rally by US
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as several gunshots ring out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Fox News confirmed that the shooting was being investigated as attempted murder. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service and identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian. No motive has yet been released.
One participant in the rally was killed.
Attendees disperse after gunshots rang out during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump collapsed before being taken away by Secret Service with visible wounds to the side of his head. Butler County Prosecutor Richard Goldinger said the shooter and an audience member died and another was injured. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
“The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation of the incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred earlier today in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the FBI said in a statement Saturday night obtained by Fox News Digital.
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The office added: “Special agents from the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office “We responded immediately, including members of the Crisis Response Team and Evidence Response Technicians. We will continue to support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI, alongside our partners in the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement.”