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Melania Raises Questions About Assassination Attempt on Former President Donald Trump

'There is definitely more to this story and we need to uncover the truth'

Published: September 10, 2024
  |   By Adrian Norman
Melania Raises Questions About Assassination Attempt on Former President Donald Trump

Melania Trump has issued a statement that intensifies scrutiny around the attempted assassination of her husband, former President Donald Trump, nearly two months ago.


During a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Trump was addressing a crowd when multiple gunshots were fired by an assailant positioned atop a building approximately 150 yards away.


Trump narrowly escaped serious injury, with a bullet grazing his right ear after he turned his head just in time.


“The attempt to end my husband’s life was a horrible, distressing experience,” Melania said in a video posted to X.


“Now, the silence around it feels heavy. I can’t help but wonder: Why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech? There is definitely more to this story and we need to uncover the truth,” she added.



In the aftermath of the attack, numerous questions have been raised regarding how lapses in Secret Service planning could have allowed the incident to occur.


Then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following intense congressional questioning over the security failures. In her resignation letter, Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service had “fallen short” of its mission to protect the nation's leaders.


A week after the attack, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released an early report on the assassination attempt. The findings were based on information from federal, state, and local authorities.


Johnson criticized the “lack of transparency from federal entities,” calling the situation “unacceptable.”


The report's preliminary findings included:


  1. Secret Service did not attend a security briefing provided to local special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and sniper teams the morning of July 13, 2024

  2. Local law enforcement said communications were siloed and they were not in frequent radio contact directly with Secret Service

  3. Local law enforcement notified command about Crooks prior to the shooting and received confirmation that Secret Service was aware of the notification

  4. Following the shooting, Secret Service was seen on the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) building with local law enforcement; photos of the shooter were sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for facial recognition

  5. Secret Service was initially not going to send snipers to the rally, according to local law enforcement


“The lack of transparency from federal entities regarding the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt — which left former President Trump wounded, one rally goer dead, and two other spectators critically injured — is unacceptable,” Johnson wrote. “Congress and the public deserve a full explanation and complete answers to all questions regarding the failure of security at the Butler rally.”

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