“The Superseding Indictment is DISMISSED because Special Counsel Smith’s appointment violates the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution,” the order reads.
The 93-page opinion and order was issued after days of oral arguments over the special counsel’s appointment and the statutory authority the Justice Department argued Attorney General Merrick Garland used to appoint Mr. Smith.
“A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not occur,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC, on July 15, in regards to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, two days ago.
“That is precisely why President Biden directed that an independent review of the incident occur.”
The secretary stressed the importance of an investigation being undertaken “by an independent body outside of the Department of Homeland Security,” in order for the American public and the government to have “full confidence” in the integrity of the investigation, the conclusions, and recommendations made.
Former president and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump rewrote his speech for the Republican National Convention (RNC) following the July 13 assassination attempt against him.
He told The Washington Examiner that his speech will be about unity as opposed to hitting President Joe Biden on his policies.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he said. “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden on July 14 addressed the nation from the Oval Office, highlighting a need to “lower the temperature in our politics” in the wake of the assassination attempt against his 2024 political rival, former President Donald Trump.
“We are not enemies. We’re neighbors or friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we’re fellow Americans,” the president said. “We must stand together.”
This was his first Oval Office address since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel last year. He spoke for just over 6 minutes.
A slight turn of his head meant the difference between life and death, former President Donald Trump said in a Monday interview that was published just 36 hours after he survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
He added that if he only made a “half-turn” of his head, the bullet would “[hit] the back of the brain,” adding that “the other way goes right through [the skull].”
Former President Donald Trump was hustled off the stage with a bloodied face after a bullet pierced his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Authorities are now investigating what they’ve called an assassination attempt.
The attack marked the first shooting of a U.S. president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
Here’s a timeline of what happened at the shooting that led to the death of one rally-goer, with two more sustaining serious injuries.
6:02 p.m. —Trump Takes the Stage
Former President Trump takes to the stage to the tune of “God Bless the USA,” waving to the crowd under the scorching sun.
A municipal police officer had encountered the gunman on the rooftop before he fired at former President Donald Trump at his Pennsylvania campaign rally but was unable to stop him in time, the Butler County sheriff said.
The gunman had been spotted by bystanders on the roof of a building outside the rally perimeter for Secret Service, and the area was being guarded by local law enforcement. As the officer tried to climb onto the roof to inspect it, the shooter who was already lying on the roof turned and aimed his gun at him, forcing the officer to withdraw back to ground level for cover.
FBI officials say they believe the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump acted alone.
The agency is investigating the attack as both an attempted assassination and an act of domestic terrorism, officials told reporters in a call with news media on July 14.
The new details emerged less than 24 hours after the United States saw its first major assassination attempt of a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
RNC Opens
MILWAUKEE—A resolute Republican Party will convene its national convention on July 15, less than 48 hours after an assassination attempt against presumptive presidential nominee Donald J. Trump.
Amid uncertainty about the motivation for the attack and escalating political tension in the country, party leaders and others have also called for calm as the party nominates former President Trump as its candidate for the nation’s highest office.
More than 2,400 Republican delegates, thousands of invited guests, and hundreds of journalists will attend the four-day convention. In all, some 50,000 people are expected in Milwaukee.
Audrey Gibson-Cicchino of the U.S. Secret Service said on July 14 that the convention already has the highest security designation the federal government issues and that she is confident adequate provisions are in place. “We’re not anticipating any changes to our operational security plan for this event.”
However, multiple law enforcement officers from various agencies posted in the downtown area on July 14 told The Epoch Times that security arrangements were evolving based on changes made by the Secret Service in the wake of the July 13 shooting.
Groups of up to 10 officers were posted at various locations around and within the secure perimeter of Fiserv Forum, the convention site. Squads of five to six officers patrolled the area on bicycles.
Related Stories
Officers from various municipalities are providing security for the event, including those from the city and county of Milwaukee. State police officers from other states, including Indiana and New Jersey, are also on duty. Members of the Transportation Security Administration man pedestrian screening checkpoints around the arena.
Security at Trump campaign offices in Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach, Florida, has been enhanced in the wake of the event, according to Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles.
RNC Plans Unchanged
The former president survived the attack at a campaign rally in Bradford, Pennsylvania on July 13, suffering a gunshot wound to his right ear.
Before he was escorted from the platform by a cadre of Secret Service agents, former President Trump, blood streaked across his face, paused to pump his fist to the crowd and appeared to voice the words, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Former President Trump was treated and released from a medical facility. Two people were killed, including the attacker, and two were seriously injured.
The next day the former president repeated his intention both to continue his political struggle and to appear at the convention where he will be formally nominated on the final day of the event, July 18.
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, senior members of the Trump campaign staff, issued a memo to campaign staffers on July 13.
“In moments of tragedy and horror, we must be resolute in our mission to reelect President Trump,” Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles wrote. “The RNC Convention will continue as planned in Milwaukee, where we will nominate our president to the brave and fearless nominee of our Party.”
Tamping Down Rhetoric
At the same time, members of the Trump campaign and others have cautioned against allowing speculation and political rhetoric to escalate tension in what has become the most contentious election cycle in recent memory.
Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles likewise urged campaign staffers to avoid fueling tensions further.
“We also urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election,” they wrote. “Please do not comment publicly on the occurrence of today. We condemn all forms of violence and will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media.”
President Joe Biden also called for calm discourse.
“We’ll debate, and we’ll disagree. That’s not—that’s not going to change. But it’s going to—we’re going to not lose sight of the fact of who we are as Americans.” President Biden said in a statement on July 14.
He later addressed the nation from the Oval Office, saying, “Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy. It’s human nature. But politics must never be a literal battlefield. We stand for an America not of extremism and fury, but of decency and grace.”
Political figures from both parties roundly condemned the attack on the former president.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who challenged former President Trump in the primaries, wrote on social media, “This should horrify every freedom loving American. Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized.”
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
Running For Office? Conservative Campaign Consulting – Election Day Strategies!