| Smith’s account has not yet been corroborated by authorities. But evidence from video footage of the rally and descriptions of the incident suggest the secret service has serious questions to answer about whether adequate security measures were in place. Video taken after the attack and posted on social media appears to show the gunman’s body on the roof of a building just north of the rally’s security perimeter – less than 150m from where Trump was speaking. State police cautioned that it was too early to fully understand the details of what happened and that an investigation was under way. But Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said at a press conference that “it is surprising” that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage. He said that it appeared that law enforcement was unaware of his presence on the roof before he started firing. The Republican-led oversight committee in the US House of Representatives has summoned the secret service director, Kimberly Cheatle, to testify at a hearing on 22 July about the assassination attempt. The suspected shooter | No motive yet identified The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as the “subject involved” in the assassination attempt. Ramon Antonio Vargas has more details on what is known about Crooks, 20, so far. He had no known criminal record, and officials said that no motive or ideology had yet been identified. Nor have investigators found evidence of mental health issues. He was a registered Republican but donated $15 to a group aiming to increase progressive voter turnout via Democratic political action committee ActBlue in 2021. Crooks, a dietary aide at a nursing and rehabilitation centre, lived about an hour’s drive from the site of the attack and graduated from high school there in 2022. US media reported claims that he had been bullied at school and rejected from the school’s rifle club, but school officials have not confirmed that. Early on Sunday morning, streets near his family home were closed off as law enforcement searched the premises. Trump’s reaction | ‘Fight, fight, fight’ In the moments after the attempt on his life, and as secret service agents attempted to take him off stage, Trump told them to wait. He pumped his fist and mouthed “fight, fight, fight” to cheers from his supporters. As David Smith writes: “The circus master’s presence of mind … produced a photograph for the ages and guaranteed his status as both messiah and martyr.” That picture, AP photographer Evan Vucci’s image of Trump looking defiant with his fist in the air in front of a US flag (above), appears likely to define how his supporters characterise his reaction in the days ahead. His son Donald Trump Jr posted it on X with the caption “He’ll never stop fighting to Save America.” Many other prominent Republicans shared similar posts. In a post on TruthSocial on Sunday, Trump attempted to strike an unusually statesmanlike tone, writing: “It is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.” The impact on the election | Attempts to blame Democrats If Trump sought to present himself as a unifying figure, many of his Republican surrogates swiftly took an incendiary tone, explicitly blaming Democrats and Joe Biden without evidence of the gunman’s motives or influences yet available. That tone is familiar from many of Trump’s own inflammatory statements during his political career, from warning of a “bloodbath” if he loses the upcoming election to calling his political enemies “vermin”. Senator JD Vance, who is a contender to be Trump’s running mate, said that the shooting was “not just some isolated incident” and went on: “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Trump’s campaign sent out a fundraising message which read: “They’re not after me, they’re after you.” Joe Biden meanwhile condemned any kind of political violence, saying: “The idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It’s just not appropriate. Everybody must condemn it.” He later spoke to Trump in a call that aides described as “short and respectful”. It is not yet clear how the attack will shape the rest of the campaign – and Trump’s off-the-cuff remarks in the coming days may not be as carefully chosen. His speech on Thursday will now draw even greater attention; Andrew Prokop of Vox runs through arguments for how it might boost his support or prove limited in its impact. One probable impact that few Democrats are willing to discuss publicly: the pressure on Joe Biden’s own candidacy seems likely to dissipate, at least temporarily. One senior Democrat told Axios that it would be “bad form to make any statements against President Biden”, while another said, “I don’t think that’s the focus right now”. The question now is whether when the appetite to challenge him returns, it will be too late. | 