To the iconic question “Where were you when JFK was shot?” we can now add “Where were you when Trump got clicked?” As it happens, my wife and I were 40-50 yards from the podium in Butler, PA, and approximately 200-225 yards from the shooter. This essay records my impressions of and thoughts about events I witnessed.
Preliminarily, though, I want to applaud the counter-sniper team that took out the Thomas Crooks. Within a matter of seconds, these snipers, whose job is to be reactive, not proactive, identified the target, acquired him in their optics, and fired successful headshots on a prone, low-profile target. Crooks was dead before Trump was on his feet, pumping his fist. I don’t care who you are, this was top-shelf, gold-standard suppression on an active threat.
Putting aside rumors about instructions they did or did not receive before Crooks fired, I believe they did their job as swiftly and flawlessly as could be expected in the heat of the moment. For my part, respect is owed here until I’m definitively shown otherwise.
That said, everything else about yesterday was an absolute train wreck. Let’s start with entry to the venue.
My wife and I have attended five Trump rallies, three of which were held outdoors. Once you get to the gate, security requires you to put everything you’re carrying on a table for inspection. Then, you go through a metal detector, after which an agent with a wand gives you the once-over. At least, that’s what happened at four of the five rallies.
Yesterday, I didn’t get wanded. Instead, when I went through the metal detector (which didn’t go off) and then presented myself in the usual ‘T’ stance with arms out, the uniformed agent simply said, “You’re good. You can go on through.”
That struck me as peculiar but not alarming. I never thought a U.S. Secret Service agent—whose principal was not only the presumed Republican nominee for the presidency but a former U.S. president—would be so relaxed, but I knew I was safe, so I put it out of my mind.
The venue itself was also a problem. Here are two videos I took of the scene before Trump was shot:
In those videos, you saw:
- dense trees somewhat close in and to both sides of the venue, with clear lines of sight to the podium;
- open umbrellas;
- a water tower(!) about a quarter-mile off the venue, but with an excellent line of sight (I’m talking about Texas Tower/Book Repository-grade line of sight) to the podium. I noticed the counter-snipers repeatedly checking the tower;
- a utility pole almost right next to me with foot pegs in (which a couple of people actually partly climbed, without security protests, to get a better camera shot of Trump as his motorcade arrived; and
- elevated terrain that sloped downwards from spectator to podium.
In the photo below, you can see the counter snipers on the roof:
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