155 Comments
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Mike Hammer's avatar

Of note, this might be a rare case of someone intent on committing mass casualties by firearm who did NOT bring an AR style rifle with mags that can take 30, 60, even 100 round drums. He comes from California where they are banned or highly restricted. Also perhaps the CA gun law saved many lives tonight because he could not get his hands on one. The sheriff who was shot but protected by ballistic armor would not have survived a round from an AR 15. Not a silver lining, just an observation that won’t sit well with Fox if brought to their attention.

Raven's avatar

Not that this will keep Trump from citing the incident as a reason to penalize California....

DivineDiva's avatar

Well, I hope we'll get to see the sheriff who was shot, maybe they can hold a press conf about him. His recovery, maybe.

Paul McElveen's avatar

Completely Accurate!

Paul McElveen's avatar

Completely Accurate on Mike Hammer's Comment!

Ivan T's avatar

Mike, it would be great if folks would fact check themselves before commenting. For example, most mass shooters in US have used handguns. AR rifles are not banned or illegal in California. And some body armor commonly available to LEOs will stop rifle bullets, so its simply wrong to claim the officer "would not have survived a round from an AR...".

Paul McElveen's avatar

That is a LIE! Mass shooters use ASSAULT RIFLES, BUMP STOCKS, MACHINE GUNS AND MAGAZINES! Those six DAMN Arrogant, Belligerent, Brazen, Chaotic, Contemptible, Corrupt, Cowardly, Criminally Insane, Crude, Cruel, Depraved, Despicable, Devious, Disgusting, Dishonorable, Erratic, Evil, Greedy, Heinous, Illegal, Immoral, Impertinent Incoherent, Incompetent, Inept, Infantile, Inhumane, Lawless, Lazy, Mentally Deranged, Obnoxious, Petty, Pompous, Posturing, Rabid, Rancid, Sanctimonious, Seditious, Selfish, Self-Serving, Stupid, Toxic, Unaccountable, Unamerican, Unauthorized, Uncivilized, Unconstitutional, Undemocratic , Unethical, Unlawful, Unqualified, Unreasonable, Unstable, Untalented, Useless communist fascist, nazi MAGA republican Donald Trump and republican Donald J. Trump FULL OF SHIT judges, Sameul Alito, Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and John G. Roberts voted against banning those DAMN Assault Rifles, Bump Stocks, Machine Guns and Magazines! THOSE SIX SHITS Voted against commonsense gun laws and complete background checks! Those DAMN Six Shits do all of that DAMN IT Shit Donald J. Trump's Bidding! WE, the Vast Majority of Democratic Citizens, People, Taxpayers, Voters, Workers, and Consumers of the United States of America DEMAND THOSE SIX SHITS BE FIRED, DISBARRED FORVEVER, ARRESTED, FORCED TO SURRENDER ALL PASSPOTS, PROSECUTED AND PUT IN SEPARATE MAIMUM-SECURITY PRISONS FOREVER! DAMN Donald J. Trump, the ENTIRE DAMN MAGA republican Trump administration, all the DAMN MAGA republican Donald J. Trump and all THE DAMN republican Donald Trump abettors, brats, cheats, creeps, criminals, cronies, egomaniacs, enablers, felons, frauds, gerrymanders, gun violence lobbyists, narcissists, political violence perpetrators, politicians WILL Suffer the Same Exact FATE!

Mike Hammer's avatar

California has more common sense gun laws than you have knowledge on this issue, Ivan. Very limited magazines with a lock, 10 round capacity (as opposed to 12 gauge shotgun which can carry up to 9 shells) and don’t take that bet about a ballistic vest not stopping an AR round as it certainly will.

Pri Vis's avatar

Brian, Thank you so much for addressing with so much presence, stoically-endured-pain and such poetic beauty, the Emperor's new clothes situation that we are unwittingly in. I would say more, but refrain owing to my own fears of being obliterated. I am so sorry that you came anywhere close to this mayhem and I will be praying for your eternal safety and security everyday, dear Sir. I and we all, appreciate you more than we or I can say, Brian ~ Thank you and please, stay safe, Sir ~ Thank you so very much ~ So utterly immensely grateful to you, Brian ~

Cheryl Towers's avatar

I was at a restaurant nearby when it happened, went back to my hotel, then drove home today. Have not encountered one person of any political persuasion who thinks this wasn’t staged. What a world.

Kathryn Tanner's avatar

Maybe that is evidence we are coming to at least one shared truth--that trump can't be trusted, by anyone.

Paul McElveen's avatar

THAT DAMN RANCID SEDITIOUS, STINKING STUPID, TOXIC, UGLY, USELESS LOAD OF RAW SEWAGE SHIT Donald J. Trump has NO conscience has NO Soul and NEVER Has Had his entire evil, immoral, miserable, rotten existence! THAT DAMN Donald J. Trump is a Narcissist, Pathological Liar, Psychopath and Sociopath and has been his entire evil, immoral, miserable, rotten existence! Donald J. Trump APPEARS ONE MILION TIMES in the Jeff Epstein FILES!

Daniel M Kimmel's avatar

I don't know that it was staged but it was really interesting how almost immediately after his press conference, social media was flooded with calls for the Epstein Ballroom. Surely THAT was no coincidence.

DZK's avatar
3hEdited

I just heard Tony Hinderman on Really American observe that there was no action on the various betting sites regarding an assassination attempt at that event and from that postulate that the attempt was probably not staged.

In this world we now live in, I find that oddly persuasive. I'll take that under advisement until some sort of concrete evidence shows up to the contrary.

Terry's avatar

Were there bets for Butler, PA? Because there's absolutely no doubt that was staged.

Why would trump need to use taxpayer dollars when he already has donor money totally $4m? That, in and of itself is fishy. SS taking vance out first, is fishy. Live footage of patel, sitting, doing absolutely nothing, is fishy. The Director of the FBI would surely jump into action. All but 1 person in line in attendance to take over the presidency is fishy. I've heard multiple times the alleged shooter was on the floor above where the correspondence dinner was being held. Fishy. Nowhere near where trump or vance were. All of it was way too fishy. People don't use the brains God gave them.

Kathryn Pierce's avatar

The things that make it suspicious for me are Leavitt's comment to a reporter that "bullets will fly tonight" and the security turned off in the elevators. Add to that the fact that he's using the incident as a sales pitch for his ballroom. Also, I've looked closely at the photos of his "neck rash" and have seen no evidence of damage to his ear that got hit, and that healed with no issues in record time. Yrs, I'm getting suspicious.

Susan Keefer's avatar

I use to attend the WHCD and it was always a great experience, but not anymore.

Trump used it to fake an assassination attempt in order to get his ballroom built and, of course, distract from the Epstein Files. He is dangerous!

Elizabeth Caswell's avatar

My mind went immediately thinking “Here we go again! Another fake assassination attempt”. It’s kind of sick when your mind goes there, but his lying is so constant, you don’t believe a word out of anyone anywhere close to him.

Daniel M Kimmel's avatar

Sad but true. We're in a world where the Iranian regime has more credibility than he does.

MM Harris's avatar

Oddly, the Iranians seem like the only adults in the room.

Kimberley Davidson's avatar

Cut yourself some slack. This is EXACTLY what happened to the boy who cried "wolf!" I honestly don't care anymore. My concerns are reserved for all the people, places, standards, programs, ecosystems, and relationships he has damaged, perhaps beyond repair.

Mema's avatar

It was a staged assignation. He knows it too. The first thing out of his lying mouth was his ballroom. He doesn't need a ball room. He needs to gather his cabinet and figure out what he can do to bring affordable healthcare, increase SSI, Medicaid and Medicare, lower food and gas prices. Stop effing up the terriffs. That's just the start of what is needed. Oh and stop this effing war now!

Mary Ann Camillo's avatar

No one, not even Maga, believes a word he says any longer. He's way under water in the polls with no idea how to change it, so he stages another assination attempt, not caring he's putting others in physical danger. To him anyone else is just collateral damage to his wants and needs. This entire thing smells of Peter Thiel, who could have paid cash to the shooter to convice him to get rid of Trump so his creation, Vance, could take over without letting Trump in on the end result. Trump does not know how to create affordable healthcare or anything else good for the average American. He only knows how to tear down those things the average American needs so he can give back to his big donors and use his position to make billions with his cons. He also doesn't have a clue how to stop the unnecessary war he started. Sending two silly real estate people to negotiate with Iran is a huge joke. And now he's bored with the war, and will just walk away like he did with Covid. He takes no responsbility for anything! Trump needs to be removed before he gets people killed. He's phsically and mentallly ill...actually insane..and should not be allowed near the oval office! And it can't wait until the mid-terms. It must be done NOW! If the GOP doesn't do what's necessary, all blood will be on their hands!

Deborah solleveld's avatar

He’s already gotten a couple thousand people killed and at least 13 Americans among them.

William M's avatar

And that doesn't include the Covid deaths from his first term.

Bea's avatar

Like he’s going to do that? He is incapable of doing anything for anyone else but himself. He is a very very ill man. They need to put him in an insane asylum now.

MM Harris's avatar

He will never "figure" all that stuff out. He is, instead, helping to implement P2025, which aims to create a minimal federal government (the exceptions being a larger military & surveillance system and the camps that go along with that).

lore's avatar

Thank you Brian. There doesn’t appear to be “reality” in our world anymore. It feels like a never ending bad movie.

Alluran Hardin's avatar

He's tried to create a distraction from the epstein, and the iran

Terry's avatar

And his bad poll numbers. And evidently, that he never had donor money to pay for this ballroom, since now he wants taxpayers to foot the bill.

Kathy Hughes's avatar

Obviously Trump never seems to have heard the lesson about the boy who cried wolf.

Daniel M Kimmel's avatar

It was a big, manly wolf, with tears in his eyes, saying, "Sir! Sir! They must build your ballroom!"

Kathy Hughes's avatar

That’s even better! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Paula Pulter's avatar

😂🤣😂🤣😂

Elizabeth's avatar

I think it's sad that our President is so untrustworthy that even assassination attempts are questionable. The shooter is still alive and if he's not offed in prison we'll eventually get his statement and motives which makes me think it was real, but it certainly shows a complete failure of Secret Service security.

Susan's avatar

And he turns this into a ballroom pitch?! Jeez! The guy knows no bounds!

DZK's avatar

Ballrooms offer no protection from RPGs. Just sayin'.

Carla Robinson's avatar

It's the bunker they're building under it that will protect him

Donald Perone's avatar

Forgive me for doubting our dear leader but the event was made for television piety play. The is the first White House Correspondents’ Dinner 💩4🧠s has attended. His ratings are in the toilet and his ballroom under attack. There were far too many executive branch staff present. The senile old fart needed sympathy and so staged a piety party for himself. Nothing more.

SUE Speaks's avatar

Thanks for the level-headed assessment. I really appreciate it.

I'm haunted by wondering what they did with the food. Omg. All the wine bottles open. Great if they could have invited the homeless in. Or made an event to compensate all the hotel guests. Wouldn't such humane things in violation of all safety laws have been wonderful?

Alison's avatar

I read in one of the reports that guests were running around gathering up as many bottles of wine as they could carry!

Rafael Perez's avatar

It was staged. Caroline Levitt said there will be shots fired tonight. Even McCain’s daughter said she wanted to hear nothing negative about Trump’s ballroom. He did not move a man who hears Allah Ukbar or to that effect and ducks. It was staged to support the ballroom. It won’t help though.

DZK's avatar

Levitt's comment crossed my mind, too.

Kathleen Lohr's avatar

Did Trump orchestra all this??!!

Debra Snyder's avatar

It is hard not to jump on the conspiracy theory bandwagon. So many things had to go wrong in order for this to even happen. How did he get anywhere near the door anyway? Thanks Brian for your great reporting!