JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
Jo appreciates your support to help her keep doing what she does. This blog is funded by donations. Thanks!
Follow Jo's Tweets
To report "lost" comments or defamatory and offensive remarks, email the moderators at: support.jonova AT proton.me
Statistics
I have to repeat it.
Front page, lead story in The Australian, Cameron Stewart and Adam Creighton, in Washington, the Australian’s regular Trump haters, the headline is
“Trump survives attempt on his life by young Republican”
So 20 years old and likely never voted, an AntiFA killer with real sniper training and equipment and a plan to kill the ex President.
It’s a common age for a soldier in most wars.
Can’t two journalists think of any reason a cold blooded killer might need to be a registered Republican to attend the Republican Convention?
Or is that how you spin murder in the Washington press? Blame the victims, all Republicans.
380
The 20-year old was 130 years away — and missed.
He needs to go back to sniper training. {I haven’t seen that mentioned.} As JB says, “Anyway”, I grew up in PA and had my own 22-rifle w/scope at age twelve. We hill-country kids learned to shoot by hunting squirrels. By age 18, hitting a 5″ target at 130 yards with a high-powered rifle was customary (easy peasy).
Bottom line: the attempt on DJT missed.
222
And the professional FBI snipers on another rooftop looking for snipers did not spot him at any time? Don’t they check such elevated positions with line of sight to the podium? Isn’t that the whole idea? And it was a very open area, not a downtown city area with many high buildings as the FBI imply. The FBI were on one of the two near flat roofs and the sniper setup up on the other.
Or were they watching to see what he did when he pointed his gun at the crowd podium. He was shot after firing seven shots. What did they think he was doing on the roof with that rifle? Even members of the public on the ground saw him climb up and position himself, minutes before. It stinks like a dead skunk.
He didn’t miss. It was a side on shot at the podium at exactly the right ear height and direction. Trump only survived only because he turned his head at precisely the right time. That’s good shooting. The next six shots were not, with one dead and two seriously injured. The FBI have real questions to answer.
440
>…did not spot him at any time?
(From elsewhere) “They did. He was partially obscured from their position by the trees and the crest of the roof, but in the videos you can see the snipers observing the shooter.
From what I can tell, the sniper team wearing boonies further from the shooter had a slightly better angle and could see someone on the roof and was trying to get confirmation from someone else before taking a shot.
The other team who were wearing baseball caps are closer to the shooter but cannot see him. You can see them in the background of the video scanning in that area, looking slightly to the right of the shooter’s location until the shots are fired, then they jump and start looking toward the shooter’s actual position.
Meanwhile, almost immediately after the shots ring out, the sniper team wearing boonies takes out the shooter (because they already had him dialed in).
Then a few seconds later you hear one final shot, which is one of the snipers shooting the rifle away from the shooters body.”
220
I wonder how much Secret Service DEI hiring policies contributed to their deficiencies?
https://www.secretservice.gov/diversity/overview
How about employing people on the basis of qualifications and skills rather than some woke categorisation by gender, skin colour, star sign, sexual preference etc.?
200
They simply didn’t care. We hate Trump, f*ck Trump, we’re not going to do our jobs like we would if it was Biden or Obama up there.
In short corruption and spite.
But everything they do to destroy Trump hits them back in the face and drags the whole country down more.
ZH just ran this article:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/massive-secret-service-failure-led-nearly-successful-assassination-donald-trump
Ex Secret Service Dan Boningo:
https://x.com/dbongino/status/1812308976303800832
Those with good memories will recall The chasers…
https://youtu.be/VfGkbekihyw?si=FR7kDN_3LZZFGl89
Just add Benny Hill theme music. 😆
If I was Trump I’d have hired my own crack team of bodyguards years ago. Why hasn’t he???
100
It was the short girl who formed part of the protective ring to get Trump off stage that allowed Trump his now iconic “shot” of his face and raised fist under the American Flag – if there had been a second gunman he would have been the perfect target!
The girl also bent down to get get Trump’s MAGA hat!
90
Hats and shoes can be picked up later, who trains these people.
40
“How about employing people on the basis of qualifications and skills rather than some woke categorisation by gender, skin colour, star sign, sexual preference etc.?”
You can be assured Trump will fix that first thing when he takes office.
20
Are they having trouble recruiting staff?
Do they charge their returning battle heroes with murder?
Do they know that if you start a war and run away and leave it it will follow you home and destroy your house and family?
20
https://x.com/SavvymanWyo/status/1812570625786917249
160
Wow!
I expect he’ll be fired for that statement.
And then reinstated by President Trump.
100
Dave, I don’t use Twitter.
How is it that one can tell a genuine post from one that is – ahem – tendentious?
To me – in the UK – that suggests mischief-making by the poster.
But – isn’t truth the first casualty of war?
Trump survived – which is great – and my thoughts with the families of those hurt or killed.
Auto
60
The left are scared that a re-elected Trump will embark on a program of retribution. Geez, he has plenty of just cause.
Do we have malicious stupidity here from Mayorkas and the WH? Neither, on their own, adequately explain the Biden administration’s shortcomings.
40
Humour?
Anyway, some of the JFK assassination files still have not been released? Why not?
So it is still an open question as to whether the FBI or CIA were involved in the JFK hit job.
00
Even as the FBI handled the investigation of JFK’s assassination, Hoover’s attitude toward the Kennedys was still cold at best. Sullivan writes “I shouldn’t have been surprised by Hoover’s lack of personal remorse when jack Kennedy was killed. ‘Goddamn the Kennedys,’ I heard Clyde Tolson say to Hoover. ‘First there was Jack, now there’s Bobby, and then Teddy. We’ll have them on our necks until the year 2000.”
https://blogs.dickinson.edu/hist-fbi/2012/05/01/what-happened-between-john-f-kennedy-and-j-edgar-hoover/#_ftn3
00
Report: FBI Employee In Gun Background Check Unit Expressed Disappointment That Trump Lived
FBI Staffer: ‘So Close’
Jenna Howell, who is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee, according to a former FBI analyst who spoke with The Federalist, took to Facebook to express apparent regret that the gunman failed to assassinate Trump.
“The memes…the memes are gold,” Howell wrote in a Facebook comment.
She shared an image depicting the grim reaper attempting to pick Trump out of a claw machine captioned “AWWW SO CLOSE.”
Howell appeared to criticize social media users expressing grief and outrage over the political violence, writing, “Y’all gun-toting, 2nd Amendment-loving hillbillies better just sit down and stay quiet unless you’re gonna change your mind on gun control.”
Law enforcement has provided no official information on how Crooks obtained the firearm.
Former FBI analyst Chris Toompas told The Federalist that Howell is a former NICS Firearms Background Check Unit employee, the unit that decides whether Americans are permitted to obtain firearms. She is now assigned to the FBI’s Identity Research Department, according to Toompas.
Toompas, who said he worked with Howell before the Covid-19 pandemic, spoke with The Federalist about her history.
“The only thing leftists love to do is hate those who disagree with them, and in this instance, wish for their death,” Toompas said, adding that he was terminated from the FBI for refusing to comply with the Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
“I went to Facebook during my suspension to voice my disdain for the mandate and share my suspension story,” Toompas explained. “When I did so, [Howell] threatened to report me to the FBI for violating the FBI’s Facebook policy. The irony.”
Howell’s posts have since been removed from her Facebook page.
60
Moshe Schwartz@YWNReporter
🚨Wild video shows the shooter crawling into position while folks point him out to law enforcement at Trump rally.
60
Susan Crabtree@susancrabtree – Real Clear Politics
This is the problem that my Secret Sources have cited: Secret Services resources were diverted to Jill Biden’s event and away from Trump’s because they followed agency protocol applying to Trump as a former president, according to two sources within the Secret Service community.
There were also many supplemental agents from different field officers (not Trump’s regular detail) providing security at the rally because Trump’s regular detail has been overworked (some working 7 days straight), and only two counter-snipers.
But Trump is not just a former president — he is the first in modern history to have run for president again — and he has been the focus of several prosecutions and controversies (understatement intentional).
Who made the decision to divert the resources to Jill Biden’s event?
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and former President Donald Trump campaigning in Pittsburgh today https://cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/first-lady-dr-jill-biden-and-former-president-donald-trump-campaigning-in-pittsburgh-today/ via
@KDKA
40
He did miss actually, demonstrably, or the discussion would be quite different.
Try this. Turn your head fully to the right. Lightly touch the top of your right ear and dont move your hand. Face forward again. Your finger will be behind the line of the back of your head. He missed, slightly to his left.
31
As mentioned yesterday the effective range of an AR-15 is generally good out to 500-600 yards – and here the shooter was only 130 or so yards from Trump
Attaching an AR15 suppressor will increase the accuracy of your rifle. It appears from the sound of the shooters rifle that it was suppressed.
Here is a good news story about the AR-15, America’s most popular rifle type:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oklahoma-man-uses-ar-15-kill-three-teen-home-intruders-n739541
70
Build your own AR-15
Building an AR-15 at home often begins with buying a “lower receiver,” the only part with a serial number and that requires a federal background check. The rest of the core parts are available online. Then there is a seemingly endless array of accessories: barrels, grips, stocks, rails, magazines and scopes.
https://bravocompanyusa.com/
40
Lethality is not the same as accuracy. The suppressor statement is not a given, there is a world of it depends in there.
20
Jameson Myers, a former member of the Bethel Park High School varsity rifle team who graduated alongside Crooks in 2022, told CBS that he did not make the team.
“He did not even make the junior varsity team after trying out,” Mr Myers added. “He never returned to try-outs for the remainder of high school.”
Mr Myers remembers Crooks as seemingly a “normal boy” who was “not particularly popular but never got picked on or anything.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gw58wv4e9o
50
He did not exactly miss. His target moved. Hitting a moving target at that distance is as much luck as anything. Happily his luck failed.
241
Also take into account that the shooter knows he is going to be shot dead after taking the shots.His breathing heartrate and would be shaking I would imagine.And don’t assume the scope was zeroed.Having said all that your right Trump moved at just the right moment.
20
It’s possible that he was rushed into taking early shots. Some people are saying that, having been alerted to the shooter’s presence, at least one police officer was attempting to approach him but the shooter forced him to back off by pointing his rifle at him. If that’s true, the assassin could have hastily aimed and fired.
70
“One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot towards Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.”
SMH-
80
As anti-Trump headlines go this one will be hard to beat. Candidates?
61
Here’s a candidate.
When you have an obituary picture and article already prepared and now you have to write a last-minute ranting projection piece because the expected assassination didn’t happen.
80
Me just a few days ago:
They talk about it because they want it to happen; the wish is father to the deed, or so they hope.
Robert Kagan, one half of the uniparty power-couple that brought us the Ukraine war, writing in The Washington Post:
Jeff Carlson@themarketswork
WAPO Op-Ed by Robert Kagan, husband of Victoria Nuland: “A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.”
“With each passing day, it will become harder & more dangerous to stop it by any means, legal or illegal.”
If what Mr Kagan and The Washington Post assert is correct, why would you not act upon it?
Oh, remember Bennie Thompson? The Congressman who just last month tried to strip Trump of his Secret Service protection? Here’s his field director, Jacqueline Marsaw:
@RussLatino
A field director for Congressman @BennieGThompson (who headed the Jan. 6th Commission & recently proposed legislation to remove Trump’s Secret Service detail), wishing Trump’s assassin had better aim on social media.
These people are mad, and they have killed, if not yet the candidate, the very possibility of anything resembling “politics”.
120
Top Democratic strategist pushed reporters to consider ‘staged’ shooting
The top political adviser to Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman suggested that the attack on Donald Trump could have been “staged,” even as Hoffman was criticized for joking before Saturday’s attack about Trump becoming a “martyr.”
The adviser, Dmitri Mehlhorn, apologized for his remarks after Semafor published this story, and said his email laying out his claims was “drafted without consultation from team members or allies.”
Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, whose net worth is reportedly $2.5 billion, joked at last week’s billionaire confab in Sun Valley that he wished he had made Trump “an actual martyr.”
Sunday, he said on X that he was referring to “accountability to the rule of law” and that he’s “horrified and saddened” by the attack.
40
Here is everything we know about the shooter who tried to take out Donald Trump: “The only 20 year old on Earth without social media”
Link from yesterday’s thread – a lot more detail
https://www.caclubindia.com/assets/thomas-crooks/
as they say at the end – the content on this article has been sourced from various social media accounts & infornation submitted by anonymous sources – Readers are advised to follow discretion
50
Compare the NY Times’ Front Page to the NY Post’s for the Starkest of ‘Journalism’ Contrasts
Much of the media continues to cover themselves in journalistic glory by trying to blame Trump for the assassination attempt on Trump. It’s also clear that many media outlets have an aversion to using “assassination attempt” to describe what happened because it’s too accurate.
Today’s New York Times went out of its way to avoid certain things on their front page: – There are some not-so-subtle differences: – That’s quite the side-by-side.
ZZZ@AskMeLaterOn
And the New York Times removes the American flag from that now iconic photo.
But the NY Times opinion section still delivered the goods for their TDS-addled readership despite what happened yesterday:
Preston Byrne@prestonjbyrne
What the print edition of the NYT is running with this morning
60
Babylon Bee
‘Trump indicted for inciting his own assassination attempt’
https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-indicted-for-inciting-assassination-attempt
270
Kelly, Sheridan, Stewart etc are drip fed claptrap from the US State department. Aussie lickspittles for the neo com/ liberals who comprise the so-called “establishment”. The Australian newspaper is no better than the Guardian in its attempts to brainwash people into conforming to a set that seeks to dumb down. Even Ergas writes trashy rehashed material from Wikipedia and wordsmiths it into something that appeals and influences the dull minded. Expect more lies from the same mob.
60
Covers it all.
20
The maps are shown here. The rally was NOT in Butler, but at the remote and very open Butler Farm Show area. And the FBI have claimed you cannot adequately protect people in a built up urban environment. This was no such area. There are very few high points. As you can see, he was almost exactly on Trump’s right side. It would normally be impossible to hit Trump in the right ear and not kill him. And you only had to check a few flat barn style rooftops for snipers. There is no cover on the roofs.
Perhaps the snipers were the cover up team, not the sniper prevention team?
230
It was the Jack Ruby Team.
180
The only vantage point of the entire area.
The only rooftop with line of sight on the podium that’s a mere 150 yards away but it somehow isn’t inside the security perimeter?
There is no way that rooftop wasn’t identified as a potential threat location. The police snipers rifles were even pointed at it! They had been alerted by several witnesses but played dumb, allowed him to move in and waited until his shots were fired, then killed him immediately.
This was a hit job, no “lone wolf” Lee Harvey Oswald crap, the deep state went for the kill and they failed.
250
“What is so embarrassing that they’re afraid to show the American public 60 years later?” Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent candidate, said in a statement Monday.
In 1992, Congress passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which mandated that materials related to John F. Kennedy’s killing be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration and that all records be publicly disclosed by 2017.
Former President Donald Trump, who had vowed to release all the assassination-related documents, made more than 53,000 publicly available, according to the National Archives. But he postponed the release of some, citing “identifiable national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs concerns.”
This July, Trump again promised to release the remaining documents if he is elected president again.
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/11/21/robert-f–kennedy-jr–calls-for-biden-to-release-last-of-jfk-assassination-records
Conspiracy Theorists have been waiting for these documents for 60 years!
151
Yeah, surprising they didn’t intercept the ambulance and divert him to a military hospital where he unfortunately died during treatment and they performed an immediate autopsy then ‘vanished’ the body.. They’ve had practice at that.
60
I believe the secret service snipers were waiting for permission to shoot which never came. They clearly were aiming at him before shots were fired.
Once the shooter opened fire they then engaged.
Same thing happenned at the Lindt Café siege which was a terrorist attack that occurred on 15–16 December 2014 when a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, held hostages in the Café.
Mark Davidson was a police sniper at the Lindt Café siege in Sydney. He explained the overwhelming guilt he felt for the deaths of two hostages since he was not given permission to shot Monis by the corrupt police high command.
260
The security marksman who killed the assassin can be seen quickly repositioning his tripod before opening fire, suggesting that he wasn’t aiming at the shooter until AFTER Trump was hit. It’s hard to be sure though because there is no reliable continuity to the footage so far released.
90
Lindt Café was not a terrorist atack.
Monis was on bail with his then girlfriend for the murder of his wife.
He was just an ar#ehole.
23
Given the strategic information on warfare learned by the use of drones in the Ukraine, where were the surveillance drones with the visual monitoring of ALL roof tops within 500 meters of the podium stage?
And where were the support helicopters with their own set of marksmen?
50
Who is behind this?
The same party that is pushing this agenda of misery globally?
Are they afraid that Trump will oppress their house of cards?
A good and cheap solution to the energy crisis, for example.
Nuclear energy, clean and cheap. We have been scared by radiation and all the bad things that nuclear power will bring when it comes, but the truth is quite different.
It’s worth watching this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIuNAbxa7OA
150
This 20 something year old has had the backing & assistance of some organisation which has affiliation with those who want the President gone.
Many questions to ask and investigations to come.
Was he encouraged to do this.?
Was the shooting site deliberately left unsecured?
Which persons or organisation have the authority to organise such a deed?
Who is in charge of that organisation?
Who & how many planned this deed at such a critical time in this election cycle.
Who has the most to gain from President Trumps demise?
Judging by The Presidents reaction of rage & defiance, he knows exactly who & what investigation is necessary! Be very careful Mr President the perpetrator/s now have additional incentive to eliminate you from the political race!!
President Trump will prevail!!!
140
Rep Nat Convention starts tomorrow. A lot of speeches being rewritten in a hurry.
141
For me it looks like they want to secure Biden as a presidential Candidate.
What other option do they have?
90
Harris is the easy choice. If Biden steps down she becomes President so she is qualified by definition, if not in reality.
131
Harris is even more unelectable than Biden.
To stop her running they’ll have to give her another job like a USSC justice. To do that they’d have to entice an existing one to resign, or, since we know the Democrats are quite prepared to kill people, they might assassinate someone.
Then they’d install someone as President who ticks DEI boxes like Michelle Obama. Possibly with Gavin Newsom as VP.
54
I do not see her as unelectable. A lot of people want a woman President per se. And a lot hate Trump. A third group likes Harris. Then there are lots of committed Democrats. Could be a sizeable combo.
57
With either Harris and Biden as candidates, the question is whether voters are motivated to vote for them (probably not) or motivated to vote against Trump. The latter is more likely the only hope the Democrats have.
Harris isn’t even popular amongst Democrats and is only there as Biden’s VP pick. She was eliminated as a candidate very early in the 2020 Democrat race and has done nothing to give Democrats any reason to change their mind. Or, more importantly, give independents a reason to vote for her.
They can’t in all good conscience vote for Biden from a competency aspect.
So it’s either vote against Trump or don’t vote. Will the vote against Trump be greater than the vote for Trump?
20
biden was unelectable too. Harris checks all the DEI boxes and she might bring things back into the margin of fraud.
71
Pretty sure Michelle Obama said she isn’t interested.The big problem for the Dems is 200 million in donations to Biden/Harris if they dump Joe and run with someone other than Harris the donations have to be returned and the new team has to fund raise in a short period of time….I think they’re stuck with the Sniffer.
30
They do not need Harris if Trump is out of the way, I wanted to say.
40
‘What other option do they have?’
They should be looking for a fresh face.
01
They are maybe afraid to have a brain behind the face.
20
Fun Facts.
In the USA you have to be at least 21 to purchase alcohol
Federal law sets a dangerously low minimum age for buying firearms. While the law requires a person to be 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer, it only requires a person to be 18 to buy a long gun, including an assault weapon, from a dealer. The law is even weaker for purchases from unlicensed sellers, with a 18-year old minimum age for handguns and no minimum age for long guns. Many states have raised the age, barring handgun sales to people under 21 and long gun sales to people under 18 — regardless of whether the purchase is from a dealer or an unlicensed seller. The strongest policies generally bar all purchases before a person turns 21.
In Pennsylvania the ages are:
21 for handguns; 18 for rifles and shotguns
60
Yes, there is a huge disparity there. The age of responsibility should be the same for alcohol, handguns and rifles. Either all 18 or all 21, or in between.
I think 18 is an appropriate age for all alcohol, firearm or any other restricted purchases. That’s when someone becomes fully legally responsible for their actions in most Western countries.
The 21 age for alcohol purchases is a legacy of the Prohibition era. When alcohol was legalised again the age was 21. But the legal drinking age of 21 was decreased between 1970 and 1975 by 29 states who decreased it from 21 to 18, 19 or 20.
Then in the 1980’s the lobby group MADD, Mothers Against Drink Driving lobbied to get it increased to 21 again. Individual states can still lower it but then they lose federal highway funding.
The high age for alcohol purchases in the US is certainly anomalous compared to other Western countries.
51
These laws are all stupid. I grew up on a farm, got my first rifle at ten when I also drove the tractor. First pistol at 12 when I also had my first drink. Leave them kids alone.
241
…and legal age to get those awful tattoos…
But just a few years old to take life destroying hormones and gender surgeries…
Then 20 years later go on a shooting spree as a payback for your miserable life…
60
By that logic they would need to raise the age of serving in the military and the minimum age to vote.
60
You missed the age of consent! I think the States with 18years old would be one of the highest in the world, the only thing that makes Hollywood work when you have young women encouraged to be as sexy as they can, show as much flesh as possible, but be legally unattainable.
It seems to be a society of permanent childhood these days, the opposite of a generation back when getting away to become an adult was the aim of most young teenagers.
40
Indeed – age of consent to do anything is in a bit of a mix.
In the UK, our new shiny Government wants to cut the age for voting to 16 [same as having sex – hetero or homo]; driving a car is 17; voting [now] and buying alcohol is 18 [you can drink, with a meal, with an adult, at 14]. To drive a ‘large’ bus it is 21, I gather.
Smoking [tobacco] is to be increased, year by year, from 18 – if the new shiny Government follows the last shiny Government’s nostrum.
Yet we hear from lefties with a criminal-law perspective, that adults should not have to face the full consequences of their actions until they are – IIRC – 25: the young brain is still maturing at 23 …
Children have to stay in full-time education until 18.
If it was real education – compound interest, effects of not voting, minor trace gases, where food comes from, avoiding addiction – then it may be justifiable.
I would like to see children able to get an apprenticeship from 15 [possibly 14?] – provided there was a real general education component included.
The law makes certain ages cut off points – but children [people] vary . Some are mature for their age, others not.
Maybe the simple age criterion is the simplest.
That does, however, mean some children are given more responsibility in law than they can handle.
And our new shiny Government wants to change [“reform”] the House of Lords, but has not said how [except to eliminate all those over 80, experienced or gaga]. What could go wrong?
Auto
50
Trump.
Impeached. Convicted. Shot.
They haven’t got rid of him yet.
290
The Dead Victim
July 14 (Reuters) – The person shot and killed at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday was a 50-year-old volunteer firefighter who shielded his family to protect them as gunshots rang out, the state’s Governor Josh Shapiro said on Sunday.
The victim was identified as Corey Comperatore, according to his family’s posting on Facebook.
“The PA Trump Rally claimed the life of my brother, Corey Comperatore. The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most,” the victim’s sister said in the post on Sunday.
160
The big difference between Trump supporters and Biden supporters is that Biden supporters have regularly called for Trump to be assassinated and even the White House Resident himself called for a “bullseye” on Trump.
On the other hand, Trump supporters have never said the same thing of Biden. Instead they feel sorry for Biden and see him as a victim of elder abuse.
Again, it shows you the huge difference between Left and Right.
341
The call for a bullseye on Trump can only have one meaning. It is not a common expression. The President of America has openly asked for his rival to be targeted. And the woman who singlehandedly crafted the January 6th debacle from a peaceful and unarmed but angry protest, Nancy Pelosi, says Trump must be stopped. And the degree of involvement of the CIA/FBI in that has never been explained.
Imagine if Trump had said this about Biden?
350
Besides, who wanted the security detail to protect the most hated man in Washington? The worst of all the ex President details. Obama, Bush, Clinton, even Carter.
The last total failure was another very popular Republican President, Ronald Reagan. 98.4% of the population of Washington DC voted for Hillary Clinton.
When the current President calls for someone to be in the bullseye, it is a real call to arms. An enemy of the state, not just a political enemy.
190
Sarah Palin was attacked and blamed for an attempt on Gabrielle Giffords’ life, simply because she put crosshairs on a map to identify congressional districts they had to win. The usual leftist double standards and hypocrisy in on display today.
210
No Biden was just saying stop banging on me and bang on Trump. After the debate all eyes were on Biden. There was no sinister intent.
411
You would have to ask the speech writer. Biden is no more than a Ron Burgundy character.
110
“No Biden was just saying stop banging on me and bang on Trump. After the debate all eyes were on Biden.”
It has certainly worked! No-one is interested in Biden’s screw-ups right now.
30
“There was no sinister intent.”
Even if true, since when did that matter? Palin wasn’t actually inviting people to kill Democrats, yet she was roasted over it for weeks. Her attackers of course knew what she meant but chose to pretend they didn’t. We should play them at their own game.
80
>There was no sinister intent.
If you discount the possibility of a Lefty dogwistle.
But yes, point taken.
10
>There was no sinister intent.
There was plausible deniability.
20
Is the name of a hill in New Zealand and possibly the longest place name in the world.
50
Or a trans-script of Biden’s latest mumble-gaff.
200
Yes, the place name for the hill where Tamatea sat for days playing his flute while grieving the death of his brother.
Here is my longest word answer:
WaitemataOtahuhuPuhinuiWiriHomaiTeMahiaTakaaniniTironuiOpahekePaerataPukekoheKaranga-a-HapeOtorohangaTeWaihorotiu
It is made up of Auckland stations where trains sit while passengers get on or off. As homage to an incident during a 1960s All Black (Bleck) tour of South Africa I’ve thrown in a couple of main trunk stations too for a longer toot.
The Maori, like the Aboriginal, did not have a written language so any written representation of the language is the result of a person who did not speak the language interpreting and transcribing what they were hearing. Captain Cook for example recorded the word Tauranga – which is still a place name – in his journals which (apparently) he got from the local Maori and (although a bit before iPhones and Google translate) “locally” apparently meant “anchorage” or “abiding place”.
Speaking of Google translate I chucked the word in and by breaking it up a bit (into sentence form) the big g identified it as Maori and provided the following translation:
Level up you auto die aturi form and go up the mountain and go up and down the land
Bearing in mind the local legend of the flute player going up (and therefore also down) the hill you can see a quick attempt at translation (with a slice of breakfast nutella toast in one hand) gets a reasonable result at the sentence level – which is a collection of words not a word.
Oh, and speaking of breakfast apparently the Maori flute was made out of a variety of things including human bone so eat up I’m in the mood for blowing some muzak.
60
Just abbreviate it to Whakatang.
Sounds good!
This 1,000-foot hill on the North Island of New Zealand is named after Tamatea, who was a legendary Maori explorer who traversed across the vast lands of New Zealand. To honor his exploits, the Maori people named a hill after him, and to show their true adoration, they used an entire sentence. The 85-character toponym translates literally to “the summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the slider, climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.”
Don’t know that an entire sentence qualifies as a place name…
40
Thanks for the additional info “legendary Maori explorer who traversed across the vast lands of New Zealand”. This dovetails very nicely into the Big g translation which mentioned “go up the mountain and go up and down the land“. My source just listed Tamatea as a warrior. Cheers
30
This name of a Welsh town translates into English as St Mary’s Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave. The village was given this long name as a publicity stunt to bring people to the village in the Victorian era of railway tourism. The stunt was successful.
80
The stunt was still successful – I visited about 5 years ago.
Now, though, the Welsh government has advised ‘foreigners’ [i.e. ‘the English’] to stay away, and adorned the country in 20 mph speed limit signs.
I am – ahh – not in any hurry to go back!
Auto
20
>Is the name of a hill in New Zealand and possibly the longest place name in the world.
I worked on a NIMT rail tunnel project, now daylighted, at Poro-O-Tarao near Taumaranui.
Which, crudely translated, means – The a*** of Tarao.
A group of raiders were climbing the hill with Chief Tarao in the lead.
You can guess the rest.
20
I believe Prime Minister David Lange was once quoted as saying how he had one foot planted firmly in his Auckland electorate and one foot firmly planted in the Wellington parliament.
A local newspaper reported that therefore the outlook for Taupo was not a very good one. I was always curious as to why the paper did not also suggest residents not drink from or swim in Lake Taupo.
20
Did the Secret Service call out:
?
130
They may be Goofy after the incident review.
50
The security detail were climbing over Donald T. They were actually forcing him down; appearing against his will despite Trump knowing he had been shot.
No matter what people suggest, I only saw the security detail place Trump’s life over theirs. Trump may have known the shooter had been taken out but he did not make it easy for the security team to provide a shield. His defiant fist and head above the human shield was still a target.
Trump is incredibly lucky to have survived this attempt. He certainly has fortune on his side. Could you imagine how good a shot you would need to be to hit the tip of an ear over 130m while perched on a rooftop in somewhat of a panic without a tripod for the weapon.
I have known one good marksman who could knowingly slow his heart rate so his body had no involuntary movement at the instant of pulling the trigger. It took him years of practice to perfect that skill.
30
Beautiful statement from Melania
191
It is beautiful, thankyou for posting it.
61
I simply cannot imagine why someone would give a red thumb to your comment!
31
No, I can’t either. Maybe it was accidental, while scrolling; I’ve done that a few times.
30
BlackRock’s Akaysha Energy raises $650m for large-scale battery in NSW
The development, set to be operational in 2026, will meet a major need for Australia’s energy grid as the country’s power system struggles to cope with a flood of solar generation.
The project would be one of the largest four-hour batteries globally and add more than 1660MWh of storage capacity.
So that suggests that it can deliver 400 MW for 4 hours?
“Central to the debt financing is a 12-year “virtual toll” offtake agreement secured with leading generator and retailer EnergyAustralia for 200MW of contracted capacity.”
NSW solar currently delivers about 4,000 MW for 4-5 hours, about 40% of NSW midday demand, so cutting that output by about 10% is just a starting point to deliver reliable power.
Will the CSIRO factor this into their estimates of the cost of solar?
100
Is that Au$650m , or US $$s ?
If Au ($390/kWh), it seems very cheap compared to other recent Battery installs ? .
OK….
SO… only 200MW of capacity to be available for “peaking” or “firming”,.. with the other 215 MW being used for FCAS and “Arbitrage” ! (Cash harvesting !)
70
In the East Coast NEM, solar currently produces 39,900 GWh per annum. To provide even dispatchable power 24/7 without seasonal variation would require 11% as battery storage or 4,410,000 MWh. At at cost of A$750 per kWh the cost of batteries would be A%3.3 Trillion.
This is before wind and solar replaces current coal power generation.
60
You may want to review those battery costs.
This deal implies a cost of Au$390/kWh ?
Also…
https://www.tesla.com/megapack/design
But still unafordable on a practical scale.
20
Arbitrage. No more. No less. Nice if you can get it.
40
Note that the article doesn’t say that this is the cost for this battery, only that this amount was raised to begin construction. So we don’t know the final build cost, we don’t know what its maintenance costs will add up to over its short lifetime, and we don’t know who will pay for the nearby substation and extra transmission lines to the site to connect it to the grid. Also no mention of any site remediation costs. In short, another expensive boondoggle that the taxpayers will have to pay for.
50
Households and businesses relying on the grid for power will pay.
Who thinks retail electricity prices will come down?
30
So it’s $650m for 415MW, or $1.57m/MW. That means large-scale battery prices have increased over 36% since the last major battery build, at $1m/MW. And that estimated cost is BEFORE the battery has been built.
20
G#4.. see 13.1 above…
Battery cost is conventionally quoted by the MWh not by MW .
So its $650m for 1660 MWh !
https://www.tesla.com/megapack/design
10
Doomed Planet
AEMO’s Dimly Lit Path to Primitivism
15th July 2024 Peter Smith
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) produced its latest Integrated System Plan (ISP) last month.
We don’t really need to spell out AEMO or its ISP anymore, do we?
Unfortunately, to those who pay the least attention, they have become part of the furniture. And part of the design of the brave new world envisioned for our future. Well, not mine personally, I will be dead, but for younger Australians who otherwise might have enjoyed continuing to live in the Lucky Country.
Sadly, for them a ruder state of society awaits. Pleasing for those who see romance in Aboriginal culture. They might be begin to sample it for real; at least that part which apparently relishes life without electricity at the ready. The Greens will be delighted.
For, let there be no doubt among those who have retained their sanity and have not been caught up in the climate cult, AEMO’s ISP will not work in real life. Having said that, I admit to having not read all of the 92 pages of the principal document or the eight appendices or the ten supporting documents or the four notices of consultations. Maybe therein lies a secret key as to how it will all work. I seriously doubt it.
Ten large coal power stations have closed since 2012. Currently, the plated capacity of the existing stations is 21 gigawatts. The latest data for 2021-22 has Australian annual electricity generation at 272 TWh. Per hour this comes to 31 gigawatts. Coal on average provided 47 percent of this or about 15 gigawatts each hour.
According to AEMO, 90 per cent of the current coal fleet will close before 2035 and the remaining rump by 2038. That is an awful lot of reliable base-load power to take out of the system; particularly as electricity consumption is forecast to nearly double by 2050. And that may well understate the likely demand, if Australia’s population continues to grow apace and the electrification of everything is on the menu, not to mention the increasing power demands of the digital age.
70
How will the required electricity be generated? Back to the ISP and its Overview.
We are told that storage capacity (hydro and batteries) will need to increase from 3 gigawatts now to 49 gigawatts by 2050. Yes, it is true. Storage is quoted in gigawatts not in gigawatt-hours (GWh). It is hardly believable that the organisation in charge of our electricity future still quotes storage this way. It is, of course, meaningless.
You don’t worry about the wattage of the batteries in your torch when wandering down a dark country lane, you worry about how long they will last.
Still, using AEMO’s cockeyed numbers, storage will need to increase by a factor of more than 16.
That’s a lot of batteries and Snowy 2.0s. And yet, because of their inability to provide power for long (and best to remember they don’t generate power and need to be replenished when empty) they will simply be unable to fill in the blanks on windless nights and on those cloudy windless days, of which there are many.
90
Hmmm?…. Why ignor the Gas plants ?
Currently the East Coast gtid has over 32 GW of coal and gas generation available !
https://anero.id/energy/fossil-energy
Also, coal generation is RESTRICTED to 47% because solar and wind are prioritised !
30
Predictions of civil and economic turmoil in China are growing fast, at least among the lesser-known expert commentators. My own inexpert forecast, which actually hasn’t changed much in several years, is that the country will experience a ‘civil war’ and that, in order to head this off or quell the dissatisfaction with the CCP’s leadership, Xi will embark on an invasion of Taiwan, possibly quite soon. Apart from the internal reasons for doing this, the timing might work for them internationally too, given the political uncertainty in Europe, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the upcoming election in America.
80
Reactions To The Assassination Attempt On Trump (article)
“Malice Or Massive Incompetence”: Erik Prince Gives Detailed Assessment Of Secret Service Failure (article + videos)
70
America Was Less Than An Inch Away From Socio-Political Disaster (article)
80
Completely Intolerable… (video)
00
Larry Johnson Updating his Analysis on How Trump Survives Assassination (video)
00
Gorka: The Assassin Who Had to Happen (article)
00
One view –
“How the Trump Assassination Attempt Changes the Presidential Campaign”
https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2024/07/14/how-the-trump-assassination-attempt-changes-the-presidential-campaign-n4930686
50
Another
“A Message From Former First Lady Melania Trump”
https://hotair.com/headlines/2024/07/14/a-message-from-former-first-lady-melania-trump-n3791800
40
“Now it’s time to focus on keeping the Senate and trying to pick up the House,” he added.
“The only silver lining for Democrats is that we’re no longer talking about Joe Biden’s age today.”
90
– Reuters
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/522141/trump-assassination-attempt-election-now-likely-to-be-a-landslide-investors-say
50
Another
“The assassination attempt on President Trump”
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-assassination-attempt-on-president.html
20
240
Another thing not going so well –
“Just How Bad Was the AT&T Hack?”
“The short answer is… pretty bad. According to AT&T, the phone records of virtually every customer who uses their wireless service were accessed by hackers. The not-quite-so-bad news involves the specific types of data that were accessed. ”
More at
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/07/14/just-how-bad-was-the-at-and-t-hack-n3791803
20
FWIW
“Science Friday #35: Is science becoming a cartel?
Good science thrives on individual honesty. Bad science thrives on cabals of mendacity. Let’s discuss.”
https://martinhackworth.substack.com/p/science-friday-35-is-science-becoming
Oops! Paywalled
40
>Paywalled
Archive it.
40
Elbow & his fellow-parasites are having a bit of a panic in case anyone here gets the same idea..
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on Australians to lower the temperature of public debate over divisive issues such as the war in Gaza as he expressed his horror at the attempt on the life of former US president Donald Trump”
““it’s never right to try to settle a political argument with a gun”.”
“He urged everyone to “be on guard against those seeking to use misinformation to create division. And this is a time for unity, it’s a time for calm,”
Believe what we tell you and just relax…
SMH
60
KP,
When you look at the level of corruption in politics , most of them should be incarcerated . There is little incentive for honesty and large incentive for graft and no accountability . It used to be only organised crime that killed their opposition…
70
Coming from the government that ordered its military wing (police) to shoot peaceful protesters.
120
BLACKROCK PRODUCED A YOUTUBE VIDEO FEATURING ALLEGED TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS
https://old.bitchute.com/video/rc81Vz3ZHzNO/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iaszyTLUVws
Of course it’s just a coincidence.
41
Glad to know I am not the only Conspiracy Theorist here!
30
The difference between conspiracy and reality is only a few years…
40
Semantic change.
In my day conspiricies were raised by people against governments.
Today conspiracies are raised by governments against people.
30
As Albert Einstein noted “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous”.
Turn on your receiver people there’s (yet) another message coming through.
40
I’m a coincidence theorist, one with a very poor track record as they keep proving to be conspiracies.
40
Hillary Clinton after the shooting:
“What do you mean, he missed?”
110
Again since Jack Ruby is no longer needed, we still have Arkancide!
80
“Bill you will need to take that last name of our list – for now”.
60
From the Babylon Bee:
Clumsy Trump hits head on bullet
80
https://babylonbee.com/news/bidens-popularity-skyrockets-after-he-announces-trump-is-his-vp
50
That’s how it was looking to me.
20
Are they just making stuff up now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP86CksBmoU
A cop climbed the ladder after the shooter, but the shooter pointed his gun at him so he left.
60
So there is a police force worse than Dan Anndrew’s Gestapo!
90
https://www.facebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia/videos/rushed-shots-may-have-saved-former-president-trumps-life/1571631320367466/
30
The Trump shooter registered as a Republican on voter records but was not old enough to have ever voted in a Presidential Election. Often mass killers and presumably other assassins are registered as Democrats.
Crooks did make one single donation to a Democrat group so that’s presumably where his loyalties lie
He appears to have led an unremarkable life and had not been in trouble with authorities.
SEE LINK FOR REST
50
USA Today does not reliably report on Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, their Columnist Rex Huppke claimed “it’s clear Trump lacks the mental capacity to run against Biden” and called for him “to step aside, for the good of the country”.
50
FWIW
“What They Wanted”
https://www.steynonline.com/14433/what-they-wanted
Via https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2024/07/14/a-peaceful-transfer-of-power/#comments
And comments there
20
The wonders of modern technology.
Can anyone help me as the IT department cannot!
I live in an Aged Care Facility and the NBN just reached us a few years late. Two men dug a trench accross the flower garden and we were connected to NBN. My Landline phone no longer works. It can recieve incoming calls but no dial tone when I try to make out-going calls, the phone has a beep beep beep insesant noise which persists until I replace the hand set. I know that other people here at the facility have the same probelm. The phone company have tested the line and report no problem exists yet I cannot makle out-going calls.
Frustrated is not the word for how I feel about this problem.
Can anyone help me???
20
Is the beep-beep-beep noise the ‘line-unobtainable’ noise in your phone? Have they now converted the Facility to VOIP lines run over their NBN, so although the physical lines are fine you don’t have the correct electronic setup in some router menu? Are you using a hardline internet to come to Jo’s or a mobile system?
30
Depending on h0ow the facility provides services someone other than the NBN has to have a plan on how phones will be connected to the service. The NBN is not responsible for what goes on inside customer premises and how you use and connect the service.
Without knowing what was behind the service you had as a landline , its really hard to say whats going on. It may have been a real landline (in which case Telstra should have switched you over) or it could have been an extension off an internal telephone system , in which case the facility should be doing something.
20
A number of comments mention that the shooter missed because Trump turned his head.
Looked at the clip when first posted and from memory saw his head moving in a way that wouldn’t have made any difference.
If anything he may have swung more towards the line of flight of the bullet?
32
Not so says Gateway Pundit quoting Donald Trump
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/trump-says-last-millisecond-
80
Thanks Brenda, the footage and diagrams do a great job and it’s believable.
My earlier assumption was based on the idea that if the bullet was heading for the centre of mass then the small jerk wouldn’t have changed anything.
Your link clearly explains just how much of a miracle this was.
Amazing.
60
KK
Check the diagram in # 33
20
Exactly, which is why his ear was hit. Mostly speakers face the front of the podium. And the shooter was on his right. A shot which hit your ear would kill you, from the right. There is the possibility that he was facing towards the shooter in which case it was a hurried shot, possibly because the shooter had to threaten a policeman who had climbed to roof level.
40
My question? Who has recently changed their point of view about anything.
10
Why would anyone, none of this is unexpected or surprising!
The unexpected or surprising things are happening today, and not being found out while in plain sight. There’s nothing like an assassination attempt to give cover for things you don’t want the public/press to notice!
50
I’ve decided I don’t actually mind sultanas in a bun. Still never in curry though
30
In a bid to tone down the political rhetoric their ABC will continue with another hate fest this evening –
Dutifully promoted by the usual suspects
40
FWIW
“Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20 year old shooter who tried assassinating President Donald Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last night, was featured in a BlackRock ad in 2023!”
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2024/07/14/i-give-up/
40
So the sniper who eventually shot Crooks says he was prevented from shooting beforehand by the higher-ups.
https://x.com/JeckovKanani/status/1812502038783152492/photo/1
Somehow, I doubt it… Why would a career security member ruin his life by putting that up? True or not, you’ve just killed yourself by blaming the Boss.
30
It hasn’t occurred to you yet that the world has turned?
He surely published that in this manner for his own personal protection.
To make it harder for his superiors to get away with disposing of him
30
How near it was –
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Trump-shot-bullet-path.jpg
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2024/07/14/0-34/
30
Natasha needs a new car
Why does this nonentity keep getting plum jobs?
Ohhhhh!, she’s WEF
50
Why South Australia?? Why is it different to the rest of the States? They have the middling number of immigrants, 25%, mostly from the UK, compared to mostly Indians in Vic and Chinese in NSW, yet seem obsessed with a non-problem. Why not look at excess deaths?
As for this blazing bit of intelligence.. the mind boggles!
“Ms Stott Despoja said the single biggest risk factor for being a victim of domestic, family or sexual violence in Australia was being female.”
50
Natasha may want to look at the ABS stats.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release
They have thrown economic abuse into the stats for domestic violence, good way of bending the reducing stats.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/partner-violence/latest-release
30
small ping.
10
Was Trump saved by a kevlar vest, real or imagined? A “centre of mass” shot would not have missed from that range but the shooter had to aim for the smaller target. It doesn’t matter whether Trump was wearing one or not, the suspicion that he was was all that was needed.
50
Pruned out duplications already posted (I think) so here’s my roundup from overnight on developments since yesterday’s event.
Best I can arrange in coherent order in following replies:
First reply:
And,
40
Dem Congressman Who Authored Bill to Strip Trump’s Secret Service Protection Gets Destroyed on X After Offering ‘Condolences’ – Staffer Tweets “Don’t Miss Next Time” in Response to Assassination Attempt
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/dem-congressman-who-authored-bill-strip-trumps-secret/
Rep. Bennie Thompson Field Director ‘No Longer’ Employed After Cheering Trump Shooting
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2024/07/14/rep-bennie-thompson-field-director-no-longer-employed-after-cheering-trump-shooting/
40
This sentiment doesn’t surprise me. I AM surprised at the large number of people who are “brave” enough to make these opinions known publicly. It can only be because they know, or assume, that there are millions thinking the same way and that there is safety in numbers.
70
Morally-Bankrupt MSM Couldn’t Even Admit It Was An Assassination Attempt
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/morally-bankrupt-msm-couldnt-even-admit-it-was-assassination-attempt
Top Adviser to Democrat Megadonor Reid Hoffman Suggests Attempt on Trump’s Life May Have Been ‘Staged’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/14/top-adviser-democrat-megadonor-reid-hoffman-pushed-reporters-consider-trump-shooting-staged/
40
Democratic adviser apologizes for floating Trump shooting conspiracy theory
From CNN’s Fredereka Schouten and Gregory Krieg
A top political adviser to Democratic billionaire Reid Hoffman has apologized for floating the conspiracy theory that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump could have been a false-flag operation.
In his memo, which was first reported by Semafor, Mehlhorn wrote that one “possibility – which feels horrific and alien and absurd in America, but is quite common globally – is that this ‘shooting’ was encouraged and maybe even staged so Trump could get the photos and benefit from the backlash.”
Mehlhorn is a longtime adviser to Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and prominent Democratic donor. Hoffman is an outspoken Trump critic and has funded several anti-Trump causes.
Hoffman condemned the assassination attempt in a social media post on Sunday.
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-rally-shooting-07-14-24/index.html
# # #
“I drafted and sent it without consulting my team”.
Or, his Anti-Trump TDS mind-set is so warped he’s lost all sense of perspective. He can’t see that himself – he needs someone else to point it out for him.
60
Biden Halts ‘Trump Is Hitler’ Ads After Assassination Attempt
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-halts-trump-hitler-ads-after-assassination-attempt
PHOTO: Front Page of Washington Post Reads ‘Biden Trains Fire on Trump’ on Day of Assassination Attempt
https://www.breitbart.com/2024-election/2024/07/14/photo-front-page-washington-post-read-biden-trains-fire-trump-day-assassination-attempt/
30
It’s time to talk about the Secret Service problem we saw yesterday *UPDATED*
By Andrea Widburg
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/07/it_s_time_to_talk_about_the_secret_service_problem_we_saw_yesterday.html
Some X posts from that article:
Been suggested at Yahoo News that: Trump assassination attempt: How a large tree may have shielded Trump rally shooter from view of security
I’m not buying that.
60
Biden, or more probably his social media team, putting the Inclusion in DEI:
31
DEI at work – sort of:
30
>See article and excellent photo/diagram showing position of casualties and lines-of-fire
Ok, this @amuse thread is incendiary. Stuff I hadn’t seen previously:
The original photo/diagram has been updated:
Updated Photo/Diagram – position of casualties and lines-of-fire
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GSdPNb5XYAAu8AD?format=jpg&name=small
70
This is disputed in thread but it is right where the guy went down under the giant screen:
50
The following from the @amuse thread is in respect to the counter sniper team (caps – Team 1) that were closest to the shooter but at more of an angle than the other (floppy hats – Team 2) that had direct line-of-fire.
Team 1 also (possibly) obscured by the tree. I’m not convinced of that – yet.
I commented on this yesterday from my own perspective but here goes again with some X and Irish Sun input.
Now from The Irish Sun referring to Team 1:
SHOOT TO KILL Dramatic moment Secret Service snipers shoot dead Trump’s would-be assassin from rooftop after he opened fire at rally
Shocking footage shows officers on a rooftop behind the stage return fire on the shooter
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/police-snipers-return-fire-shots-916935990.jpg?strip=all&w=960
Except, from what I can gather, it was Team 2 that made the kill shot. Team 1 was busy looking away and ducking for cover.
Scroll down the photos #1 of 11 (Team 1):
Photo: 1 of 11
Secret Service agents shot dead Donald Trump’s would-be assassin moments after the ex-president was hit Credit: AP
[Team 2 did that – this is Team 1]
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/police-snipers-return-fire-shots-916935990.jpg?strip=all&w=960
I commented on vision aids yesterday. The photo shows both snipers had binoculars by their side and what I thought was a Spotter Scope tripod behind them.
I cannot see a Spotter Scope among their gear so I now assume the tripod was for binocular mount.
With those binoculars and scopes it would have been possible to make out minute detail of the shooter and rifle – even if only partially above the roof-line of the warehouse.
I assume Team 2, that made the kill shot as I understand, had the same gear i.e. 2 binoculars and a mounting tripod each.
So, 4 sets of binoculars and 4 sets of scopes in total.
But still not enough vision aids to make an early assessment?
60
>Team 1 also (possibly) obscured by the tree. I’m not convinced of that – yet.
Trump assassination attempt: Graphics, maps show you what happened
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/07/14/trump-shooting-what-happened/74399097007/
7:24 p.m.: Where was the shooter? [See graphic]
Line-of-sight was well away from the tree for both Team 1 and Team 2.
Also, the top graphic shows the access to roof at back of warehouse – no ladder required. See alley canopy between warehouses and directly behind shooter:
AGR International Inc. warehouses
https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/07/14/USAT/74399868007-trump-attack-topper.jpg?crop=2559,1439,x0,y0&width=1500&height=844&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=60
Explains how both shooter and police got up to the roof so easily
30
>Explains how both shooter and police got up to the roof so easily
Thing is: The shooter, Brooks, must have known about the warehouse roof access in advance i.e. he scouted out the place and even climbed up on the roof – maybe days in advance.
And no-one noticed a non-employee snooping around. Maybe he did it after warehouse work hours or in the weekend.
Or was he given directions?
50
>And no-one noticed a non-employee snooping around. Maybe he did it after warehouse work hours or in the weekend.
The rally was on a weekend but there were several cars in the AGR carpark i.e. employees around in the weekend too.
30
>AGR International Inc. warehouses
Probably a precision equipment production facility, in which case the roofs would probably need better inspection and maintenance from time to time than say, a nondescript warehouse.
AGR International Inc. is a manufacturer of process control equipment:
Butler, PA is Headquarters of a multinational operation.
And the Butler plant appears to be manufacture of high quality precision equipment, among other things i.e. not some run-down back alley warehouse operation.
They would be inspecting facilities regularly – which requires ease of access.
30
>the top graphic shows the access to roof at back of warehouse – no ladder required. See alley canopy between warehouses and directly behind shooter
>Explains how both shooter and police got up to the roof so easily
First police guy taking a look used a ladder apparently, but Brooks had moved “roof to roof”:
Cop confronted Trump shooter before gunfire, another witness saw man moving ‘roof to roof’
https://www.wnd.com/2024/07/cop-confronted-trump-shooter-before-gunfire-another-witness-saw-man-moving-roof-to-roof/
And,
And,
Ok, where was the ladder? Just propped up in a random place? How the police guy know where to get it?
Why didn’t he shoot Brooks from the top of the ladder”
And, contrary to my notion, Brooks didn’t gain access from the alley between sheds – he gained access to an adjoining shed then “moved roof to roof”.
He must have known his access route in advance.
Again, did he scout it out himself or was he given directions?
40
>See alley canopy between warehouses and directly behind shooter
WATCH: Video Shows Would-Be Trump Assassin Bear Crawling on Roof as Bystanders Urge Police to Do Something
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/watch-video-shows-would-be-trump-assassin-bear/
Clear closeup view of the alley between sheds and the link structure between them. That is how Brooks “moved roof to roof”.
People onto it:
Unreal.
30
>Why didn’t he shoot Brooks from the top of the ladder?
Local Police Officer Confronted Would-Be Trump Assassin on Roof But Then Retreated – Shooter Proceeded to Try to Kill Trump
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/profiles-cowardice-local-police-officer-confronted-would-be/
Now, the news gets even worse. One local police officer might have been able to save the day by neutralizing the shooter but reportedly failed to engage.
After audience members pointed out to local law enforcement officers that Crooks was climbing a ladder onto the roof of a building, the officer followed and eventually confronted the would-be assassin.
Crooks responded by pointing his gun at the officer. The person in blue retreated down the ladder, and Crooks immediately fired a shot at Trump.
# # #
“Retreated” – that was brave.
Again – Unreal.
40
NEW: Secret Service Identified Rooftop Next to Trump Pennsylvania Event as Security Vulnerability Days Before Rally – But Still Didn’t Secure It
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/new-secret-service-identified-rooftop-next-trump-pennsylvania/
The Secret Service identified the rooftop next to Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania event as a security vulnerability days before the rally according to a new report by NBC News.
The agents failed to secure the building so a man with a rifle was able to climb up to the roof, position his scope, and fire several shots at President Trump.
Rooftop where gunman shot at Trump was identified as a security vulnerability before rally: sources
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-rally-shooting-secret-service-identified-rooftop-security-flaw-rcna161783
The rooftop where a gunman shot at former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally was identified by the Secret Service as a potential vulnerability in the days before the event, two sources familiar with the agency’s operations told NBC News.
The building, owned by a glass research company, is adjacent to the Butler Farm Show, an outdoor venue in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service was aware of the risks associated with it, the sources said.
“Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof,” said one of the sources, a former senior Secret Service agent who was familiar with the planning.
Understanding how the gunman got onto the roof — despite those concerns — is a central question for investigators scrutinizing how a lone attacker managed to shoot at Trump during Saturday’s campaign event.
Continues next.
30
NBC News from previous:
The Secret Service had designated that rooftop as being under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement, a common practice in securing outdoor rallies, Guglielmi said. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said his office maintains an Emergency Services Unit team, which deployed four sniper teams and four “quick response teams” at the rally. But he said the Secret Service agents were in charge of security outside the venue.
“They had meetings in the week prior. The Secret Service ran the show. They were the ones who designated who did what,” Goldinger said. “In the command hierarchy, they were top, they were No. 1.”
Goldinger said the commander of the Emergency Services Unit told him it was not responsible for securing areas outside the venue. “To me, the whole thing is under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service. And they will delineate from there,” he said.
The former senior Secret Service agent also said that even if local law enforcement “did drop the ball,” it’s still the agency’s responsibility “to ensure that they are following through either beforehand or in the moment.”
“Just because it is outside of the perimeter, it doesn’t take it out of play for a vulnerability, and you’ve got to mitigate it in some fashion,” the source added.
40
>Why didn’t he shoot Brooks from the top of the ladder?
>“Retreated” – that was brave.
Report: Local Law Enforcement Officer Encountered Shooter Before Shots Fired at Trump Rally
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/07/14/report-local-law-enforcement-officer-encountered-shooter-before-shots-fired-trump-rally/
While the Washington Post reported that Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe said “seconds before” the shooter fired shots toward Trump that Crooks had “faced a municipal police officer who wasn’t able to neutralize him,” Slupe told Jennifer Borrasso, a reporter with KDKA-TV that he “never said that.”
“How would I know it was seconds?” Slupe said. “First of all. And, I never said that to begin with. The face-to-face thing, how could I know he was face-to-face? All I know is the officer had both hands up on the roof to get up onto the roof. Never made it, because the shooter had turned towards the officer and rightfully, and smartfully, the officer let go.”
# # #
“the officer had both hands up on the roof to get up onto the roof” from the top of a ladder.
Couldn’t he have just stayed on the top of ladder, with head down presenting minimal target area, and looked over the edge but leading with his weapon already to shoot?
50
So all these people see the shooter crawling up the roof, know he’s the bad guy, tell the authorities… but NONE of THEM had a gun?? I thought this was America where everyone was armed!
20
Front Page
I do not normally buy MSM newspapers but I bought the Hearld Sun today for its front cover with its iconic photo of Trump punching the air under the American Flag.
The Australian and The Age also had the same “shot”.
I am now waiting for the T-shirts to come out
61
No need to wait
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/chinese-retailers-sell-defiant-trump-t-shirts-within-hours-of-assassination-bid/ar-BB1pZvFr
30
Thanks
20
First Biden comes undone , then Trump gets assassination attempt . This is literally the excreta hitting the fan . It isn’t finished yet . Escalation incoming…No tinfoil hat required .
70
This is how the DEms get rid of Biden, they know the escalation will have some Republican crazy shoot Biden and then Kamala steps up and announces Mrs Obama as a Vice…
20
If Trump survives until election day then he will stop funding the Obama/Biden proxy war in the Ukraine immediately.
The Ukrainians are manufacturing Kamikaze Drones in garages by the thousands which are remortly guided to target by a gaming controller using an onboard camera.
This is the type of defence system that needs to be deployed before and around the speaking platform to protect Trump from Kamikaze drones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdR6MN2jKYs
40
BMW wants to charge you a monthly fee to use high beam on your car
https://youtu.be/ypt1u-0YBFg?si=PDA-qHhEoO-bosBY
A standard FREE feature on my car any many others…
70
For the Sake of Argument
REVIEW: ‘Farnsworth’s Classical English Argument’ by Ward Farnsworth
Classical English Argument is the most recent entry in Farnsworth’s Classical English series, joining Classical English Rhetoric, Classical English Metaphor, and Classical English Style. A few years ago he published The Socratic Method, so a move to argument is, well, logical. Farnsworth sets out “to explain and illustrate patterns in debate—the range of moves that get made in arguments about all sorts of subjects in all times and places.”
Following in the sandaled footsteps of Aristotle, who built the rhetorical triangle of ethos, pathos, and logos, Farnsworth divides his book into three main sections. Each major section includes 10 to 11 categories, and nested within each of these categories are about 5 to 7 “patterns in debate.” Some of them will be familiar from your high school and college rhet/comp classes (syllogisms, enthymemes, tautologies) and others will be new to you (abusus non tollit usum, audi alteram partem, and even some that don’t involve Latin phrases). Farnsworth illustrates each move with at least one example from the Golden Age of our language’s rhetoric. More on that era in a moment.
Farnsworth’s first section, Offense & Defense, comprises “the more personal and sometimes less rational aspects of” argumentation. Leading with this category allows Farnsworth to start the book with the most attention-grabbing—and perhaps most modern—chapters about “Insult and Invective” (including techniques for how to point out “deficiencies in the other side’s wit or ability” and express pain for “their behavior and the incompetence it displays”) and “Irony” (such as phony expressions of generosity). Even in our snarky age, it is helpful to see how and why these moves can be most effective—before Farnsworth turns to contrasting expressions of humility, magnanimity, and empathy. The second section, titled Inference & Fallacy, covers “logic and kindred t
Have purchased Classical English Argument & Classical English Metaphor for 12 Year Old Grandson, who has been chosen as 3rd Speaker in 1sts External School Debating Team for his Year
Purchased today on Amazon Prime – arrive tomorrow and look forward to reading myself, after the review above!
30
If I hear “This is America……” one more time as some sort of explanation of why it just couldn’t happen I’ll be sick on my keyboard.
40
Agree. History is the victim of political rhetoric
11
That is America.
00
On the job training –
“What happens when you let the Pepsi lady emasculate the US Secret Service and focus on LGBTQI Equity/Diversity hires? LGB,FJB. ”
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2024/07/what-happens-when-the-pepsi-lady-emasculates-the-us-secret-service-and-focuses-on-lgbtqi-equitydiver.html
60
He didn’t just not make the team, he was asked not to come back because how bad of a shot he was, it was considered like, dangerous,’ Myers told ABC News.
Murphy told the New York Post that Crooks once fired a shot that missed his target by almost 20 feet.
Crooks once fired from the seventh lane — the closest lane to the right wall — and hit the left wall, completely missing every target on the back wall. He missed his target by close to 20 feet, Murphy recalled.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13634063/Trump-shooter-Thomas-Matthew-Crooks-rejected-high-school-rifle-team.html
The shooter was wearling a “Demolition Ranch” T-Shirt.
I Bought The Dirty Harry Gun…. Instantly Regret it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T2XZHmdRFI
30
That sounds a lot like Port Arthur! The guy blamed turns out to be the worst possible shot yet the shooter had deadly accuracy. Port Arthur had someone take 20something head shots from the hip in a restaurant crowded with screaming milling people, then shoot to stop a moving vehicle and kill the people inside, then hide in a big two-storey hostel… and fire over 200shots at the Police and never hit anyone.
So this guy Crooks can’t hit the barn door yet can come within an inch of Trump at a couple of hundred yards. So, who else was there somewhere?
20
Counter-Snipers can only shoot AFTER shooter fires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-17aycj6vM
30
That’s the rules of engagement for Afghanistan.
They changed it from possessing a weapon, to shoot second, betrayed our boys.
40
One comment to that live stream was that it is fake. I’ll wait and see, under Mayorkas any stupid thing is possible.
He told a congressional hearing, with a straight face, that the border is secure.
40
Which is one seriously stupid rule.
What did the cops think the Crooks was doing on a roof with a rifle pointing at Trump?
Hunting wabbits?
Give him one warning. If he doesn’t surrender, take him out without effing around.
Jeez…
30
But he has to have someone talk to his boss and ask him to get hold of the Event Task Director and make sure that the other possible-counter-sniper on the roof is not some other law enforcement agency man.. ..and there’s a lot of alphabet agencies whom he might belong to, maybe CIA, FBI, Tax Dept or ATF..
Not to mention how difficult it is to yell to a guy a couple of hundred yards away over the loudspeakers and Trump yelling.. “Hey, who are you, a counter-sniper or an assassin?” “Whaaat.. I can’t hear you” “Team B, the camo guys!” “Oh, OK then..”
20
Former CDC Director Says FDA Underreported Adverse Side Effects of COVID Injections to Prevent Vaccine Hesitancy
By Debra Heine
Dr. Robert Redfield, the former director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pushed a false “safe and effective” COVID vaccine narrative by underreporting adverse events.
The mRNA shots “never should have been mandated,” Redfield told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday.
The Democrat-controlled Senate oversight hearing entitled “Risky Research: Oversight of U.S. Taxpayer Funded High-Risk Virus Research,” included witnesses Dr. Gerald Parker, Dr. Carrie Wolinetz, Dr. Kevin Esvelt, and Redfield.
Former President Trump’s CDC director accused the Biden government of suppressing data about vaccine injuries in an effort to prevent vaccine hesitancy.
“There was not appropriate transparency from the beginning about the potential side effects of these vaccines, and I do think there were inappropriate decisions by some to try to underreport any side effects because they argued that would make the public less likely to get vaccinated” Redfield testified.
Redfield said the biggest mistake of all was the Biden regime’s decision to mandate the mRNA products.
[SNIP]
20
I wonder how many of the instant sniper experts on assorted forums have ever:
a) owned or fired any kind of rifle
b) fired a rifle for this sort accuracy (10cm from a couple of hundred metres)
c) have ever fired 7.62/308 (or bigger) scoped rifle with any success
From the assumptions and assertions that are flying around , I’m thinking its not many.
My main interest is more on how the guy could be there in the first place. Major lapse? major conspiracy? just weird. I have a horrible feeling watching the performance of some of the SS people who couldnt even get their handgun back in their holster, that the Donald is being protected by the Secret Service B team team heavily loaded with DEI hires. I doubt we will ever be allowed to know. Classified and all that.
51
yarpos
>My main interest is more on how the guy could be there in the first place. Major lapse? major conspiracy? just weird.
Dead right – #1 issue.
I’ve posted a 9 comment thread on that beginning upthread here.
Bizarre, unreal.
>I have a horrible feeling watching the performance of some of the SS people who couldnt even get their handgun back in their holster, that the Donald is being protected by the Secret Service B team team heavily loaded with DEI hires. I doubt we will ever be allowed to know. Classified and all that.
There have been reports from, purportedly, insiders that yes, it was not the A team. Denied by Guglielmi. From CNN:
Report next.
20
Report was this, from X:
Definitely a report the chief of communications for the Secret Service would deny, of course.
20
>Denied by Guglielmi. From CNN
Newsweek – not CNN:
Secret Service Denies Diverting Resources to Jill Biden
https://www.newsweek.com/secret-service-divert-trump-jill-biden-denial-1925058
10
The sniper clearly had better intelligence than the Secret Service about deficiencies in the security plan for the event.
The simplest explanation is that sniper Thomas Crooks had a tightly scheduled plan based on knowledge of the security assessment and security plan for the event.
He was able casually to walk across the security perimeter for the event wearing camouflage clothing and carrying a high-powered rifle and climb onto the roof of a building with the highest priority for security coverage. All without triggering an alert even though civilian witnesses detected and reported his presence at each stage.
30
152 yards = 140 meters, very easy shot even with open sights.
Did the SS draw their weapons? I have watched the footage a lot. They got up there quick, no weapons drawn, nobody faced the threat, it was an Ashley Babbitt moment.
They were so disorganized, that pause at the top of the steps for the legendary photo. The SS took 2 mins to get him off.
Two women body guards as high as Trumps chest, pretty sure they need to be taller or as tall.
40
In Switzerland while you are doing military service (and afterwards if you like) you go to the local commune (council) range and have to demonstrate accuracy at 300mtrs (this was mid 2000s). Bullseye is dinner plate size. They even provide the ammo.
Quite doable with the peep sights (open sights not scoped) on their standard FASS 90 rifle. As you say its an easy shot , but easy in a target or hunting non hyped up environment.
The two females had weapons drawn, to be fair it hard to face the threat when in the heat of moment its hard to quickly tell where its coming from. It may be the first time they had been shot at for real. The odd moment was when one of them couldnt reholster their pistol.
Like you I thought the pause was odd. You would think the Donalds feet would hardly touch the ground as he was whisked to the car. Quite unlike Reagan when he was bundled into the limo without pause.
40
yarpos >I have a horrible feeling watching the performance of some of the SS people who couldnt even get their handgun back in their holster
From upthread here:
Links to all those X posts at the hotlink above.
Notice the top 2 criticisms of the DEI gals are from the ladies – Sharyl Attkisson and Dr. Jebra Faushay.
It’s in-your-face whoever sees those videos. You can’t not see it. I saw someone’s X observation that went like this:
Others saying one was far too short to offer any protection. Others noticed the complete panic. Others that long hair was a distraction when working.
30
“I’m supposed to be dead”: Trump reflects on shooting and says he appreciates Biden call
From CNN’s Kate Sullivan
Former President Donald Trump has reflected on surviving his assassination attempt, saying in a new interview with the New York Post: “I’m supposed to be dead.”
Trump showed the reporter a large bruise on his right forearm that he said he received when agents rushed on stage like “linebackers” to protect him.
The former president had a “loose, large white bandage that covered his right ear” during the interview and his staff said the outlet could not take any photos of him, according to the Post.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump said. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”
Trump addressed the photos of him raising his fist and saying “Fight!” as he had blood on his face.
“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
Trump told the paper he wanted to keep speaking following the shooting but Secret Service insisted he go to the hospital.
“I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot,” he said.
Trump also said he appreciated the call he received from President Joe Biden, according to the Post, calling it “fine” and “very nice.” The paper reported that Trump suggested the campaign between them could be more civil from now on.
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-rally-shooting-07-14-24/index.html
40
When you have a near death experience it can take a while to sink in. The reality of what really happened and how close you came can then become a bit overwhelming, a type of shock I guess. Depends on your makeup how you pull out of it and come back to the world. This would be amplifies for him I imagine, as its not some random event but someone who came for him.
80
The shooter viewed from the side of the shed.
https://old.bitchute.com/video/SiiCkWc67X9X/
30
The same in you tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag17KVRIrQ4
20
For your listening pleasure:
Ludovico Einaudi – Divenire (Live from The Royal Albert Hall London / 2010)
https://youtu.be/KIprTEhr9lE
40
Lovely. But what a surname. I have ein Audi und ein BMW.
30
Greenwashing: Victoria’s “Zero Emissions” Fire Truck has a Diesel Engine (video)
30
And perhaps a little humour.
30
And Monday started, Washington correspondent Cameron Stewart is back it again in the Australian, blaming Trump.
“How long will Donald Mark 2 last?
The former president is promising a softer version of himself which is so at odds with anything in his 78-year-old history that it will be greeted with understandable scepticism.”
Everything is Trump’s fault. Even his own near assassination. It’s a wonder Biden is not nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, like Obama.
40
The FBI JUST came out about an hour ago claiming that they CANNOT hack into the shooters phone.
https://x.com/TPV_John/status/1812730335819391273
Now, as I posted recently that’s TOTAL BS, a lie to drive public sentiment against encryption and security.
SMARTPHONE SECURITY MEASURES have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years, evolving from passcodes to thumbprints to face recognition and advanced encryption. A new report from the Washington, DC-based research nonprofit Upturn uncovers how police have maintained access to suspects’ phones even as these defenses grow more complex: by contracting with digital forensic firms that specialize in bypassing locks and accessing and copying encrypted data.
Law enforcement in all 50 states have contracted with vendors like Cellebrite and AccessData to access and copy data from locked phones, according to the report. While police have relied on the evidence uncovered from these phones to close high-profile cases, the authors of the Upturn report say the practice is largely secretive and risks an “unacceptable threat to Fourth Amendment protections” against overbroad searches.
https://www.wired.com/story/how-police-crack-locked-phones-extract-information/
So, the FBI has just lied yet again, and been caught out.
No doubt more to come…
50