All posts tagged "pennsylvania"

Biden, Trump call for unity after assassination bid stuns Americans

Rivals Joe Biden and Donald Trump urged Americans to show unity Sunday after an assassination attempt on the Republican that the FBI said was carried out by a shooter with a legally-bought semi-automatic rifle.

The attack put the divided nation on edge in the run-up to the presidential election and was being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism, as well as a massive security failure.

President Biden said he would address the nation from the Oval Office later in the day, a step only taken at times of grave crisis, after his 78-year-old predecessor was hit in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now,” Biden said in brief remarks from the White House, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and his homeland security chief.

The 81-year-old Democrat said he had a “short but good conversation” on Saturday with Trump, his political nemesis whom he regularly brands as a threat to democracy.

Biden said the motives of the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, remained unknown and urged people not to make assumptions about his “affiliations."

A day after being rushed from the stage by Secret Service agents with blood streaked across his face, Trump made a similar call.

“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United,” Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social network, adding that Americans should not allow “Evil to win.”

The tycoon added that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” and that he would “FEAR NOT.”

Trump’s wife Melania called the shooter a “monster.”

Suspected explosives

Secret Service snipers killed Crooks after he fired multiple shots from a nearby rooftop. A bystander was killed and two spectators critically injured in one of the worst acts of U.S. political violence in decades.

The FBI said that it believed that Crooks acted alone and had no known ideology.

“We located the weapon at the scene, immediately adjacent to the shooter,” Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told reporters.

“We searched the shooter’s car, and we’re in the process of searching his phone. During the search of the vehicle, we located a suspicious device, which was inspected by bomb technicians.”

Biden said he had ordered a full review of security at the rally, as well as at this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where Trump will be crowned the party’s presidential nominee.

Biden praised the victim, named as Corey Comperatore, saying he “was protecting his family from the bullets.”

Questions are swirling about shooter Crooks, whose body was seen in television images on a low roof of a building, near a weapon that investigators said was an AR-style semi-automatic rifle legally bought by his father.

Crooks’ former schoolmates described him as a quiet student who often came across as lonely.

“He was quiet but he was just bullied. He was bullied so much,” Jason Kohler, who said he attended the same high school as Crooks, told reporters.

The shocking incident drew immediate criticism of security, particularly about how a presidential candidate could be targeted by a gunman around 150 meters away despite a huge Secret Service detail.

U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi rejected “absolutely false” claims that it had refused additional protection for Trump ahead of the rally.

Some phone footage suggested that people had seen the shooter on the roof before he opened fire.

Political fallout

The attempt on Trump’s life sent shock waves around the world, but the effects on a tight U.S. presidential race in a deeply divided country are uncertain.

Trump’s family has already been promoting images of the president raising a defiant fist to the crowd after the shooting.

His narrow escape has sparked conspiracy theories and finger-pointing by Republicans.

Possible Trump vice presidential pick J.D. Vance claimed Biden’s campaign “rhetoric” had “led directly” to the attack.

US politics have become increasingly hostile, with Trump building his image around inflammatory verbal assaults, and many Democrats expressing fury and disgust at Trump’s rise.

World leaders expressed outrage over the assassination attempt, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying he condemned it “unequivocally.”

Pennsylvania officials and lawmakers speak out after shooting at Trump rally in Butler

Pennsylvania officials are speaking out after former President Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Butler Saturday evening.

Trump’s campaign has confirmed that Trump is”doing well” and will attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. The former president said via his Truth Social account that he was shot in his right ear.

The Secret Service said in a statement that one rally attendee was killed and two others are in critical condition. The alleged shooter was also killed.

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Many Pennsylvania lawmakers and elected officials have spoken out to condemn the shooting and offer condolences to the victims of the shooting and their families.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said on social media that he has been in contact with President Joe Biden as well as law enforcement on the ground.

“Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” Shapiro said via social media. ”It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”

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In another post later Saturday night, Shapiro said, “We mourn the loss of life and pray for the two victims who are being treated at this time.”

“As we wait to learn more from the investigations, I am mindful of just how painful and shocking this event is to so many of our fellow Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro added. “I respectfully ask that we treat our fellow Americans with respect and join together to universally condemn the unacceptable violence we witnessed earlier today in Butler.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-16th District), who represents Butler, was at the rally. Kelly confirmed on social media that he and his family were safe.

“We are safe and we are praying for Mr. Trump and everyone involved,” Kelly wrote. “Thank you to law enforcement and first responders for their quick action.”

Kelly also called the shooting an “attack from the left,” but the shooter has not been identified at the time of this writing. It is unclear what their motives may have been.

Republican U.S. Senate Candidate David McCormick spoke at the rally before Trump, and was in the crowd as the shooting unfolded.

McCormick told Fox news that someone behind him was shot in “a very scary moment.”.

“The crowd just sort of went to the ground,” McCormick said. “Sadly, someone behind me up in the bleachers was definitely wounded. And there was a lot of blood and the police came in and helped carry that person out of the stands so they could get the care they needed.”

Trump shooting aftermath Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pa. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

McCormick’s incumbent opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, said on social media that “Political violence is never acceptable and I am hoping former president Trump & all attendees are safe. Everyone in Butler should listen to law enforcement.”

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman also offered his condolences to the victims via social media

“I am appalled and condemn in the strongest terms this violence in Butler,” Fetterman wrote. “I extend my condolences to those injured and wish a speedy and full recovery for Mr. Trump.”

State Attorney General Michelle Henry said on her Twitter account, “I am deeply disturbed by today act of violence that has absolutely no place in the Commonwealth or anywhere.

“My regards are with the families who will be forever impacted by this heinous act.”

Henry also wished Trump a speedy recovery and said that her office is in contact with and cooperating with law enforcement.

State lawmakers were also quick to speak out.

Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver), who represents part of Butler County, said, “I do not condone the senseless act of violence that took place here in Butler. This horrific incident is currently under investigation.

“Former Pres. Trump, his quick acting Secret Service team, rally attendees, and our first responders currently on the scene are in my prayers.”

Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) released a statement saying, “the resilience of America must overcome any gutless acts of violence. Praying for President Trump, his family, and any innocent victims and their families who may have been harmed by this senseless act. Thank you to the Secret Service, law enforcement, and emergency responders who assisted in keeping things safe and calm. God Bless America.”

Democratic state House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) said, “Political violence is never appropriate and must be condemned.

“I pray for the former president, all those injured and the life lost to this heinous act.

“Love of our country and reverence for our democracy has never been more important.”

Senate Minority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) said “The heinous act is unbecoming of our Constitutional Republic. I certainly expect those who may disagree with Trump’s views should at least recognize such vile actions are beyond anything we should accept in a civilized society.”

The sentiment was echoed by Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny).

“Political violence is a threat to all of our democratic ideals,” Costa wrote. “I condemn it without equivocation. Our law enforcement officers acted with bravery tonight and my thoughts are with all who were wounded or worse.”

Update: This story was updated at 11:29 p.m. July 13, 2024 with additional comments by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

This article originally appeared in the Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and X.

Swing state's Capitol building reportedly evacuated over bomb threat mentioning Biden

Pennsylvania's State Capitol Complex was evacuated on Saturday after every Republican and Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House and Senate reportedly got an email in which an individual threatened to detonate “highly lethal” devices in the government facility until President Joe Biden publicly rejects Israel and its actions.

The news was reported by various sources on social media, as well as by local outlet Penn Live.

"The email, sent around 5:45 p.m. with the subject line 'My manifesto,' said lead azide devices were hidden in and around the Pennsylvania State Capitol and Pennsylvania Judicial Center 'In the name of Palestine,'" according to the report.

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The report also says Capitol Police "told PennLive they are aware of the threat but will not be commenting on the incident at this time."

“I plan on triggering one device every few hours until Joe Biden goes on national television and publicly denounces the illegitimate state of Israel,” the email said, according to Penn Live's weekend report. “Keep in mind, I am inside one of the two buildings armed w/ a knife, and plan on remaining here to my dying breath!”

According to the report, "Michelle Richwine, a special assistant at the Office of Chief Clerk for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, sent a mass email to people in the Capitol."

“Attention House Members and Staff – Vacate the Capitol Complex immediately," the email reportedly said. "Do not reenter until cleared by Capitol Police.”

Read the report here.

'Hypocritical’: Anti-China GOP congressional candidate caught wearing made-in-China merch

Donald Trump-endorsed Republican congressional candidate Rob Bresnahan Jr., running in one of the nation’s most hotly contested U.S. House races, has a decidedly anti-China message for Pennsylvania voters he’s hoping to win over.

“Here in northeastern Pennsylvania, there used to be hundreds of businesses like ours that made things until DC politicians turned off the lights on American manufacturing and sent those jobs to China,” Bresnahan said in his campaign launch video for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, noting his family business in electrical contracting.

“We have to prioritize America. We have to think about our own country and our own people right here,” Bresnahan said during a Newsmax interview in May. “And what’s extremely frustrating is when you see billions and billions of dollars being sent to places all across the world when we’re struggling here.”

But a campaign jacket that Bresnahan has worn at numerous campaign appearances was made in China, according to a Raw Story source who requested anonymity to protect their job.

The source, who won the campaign jacket at a Bresnahan campaign event raffle, shared a photo of the jacket, the label of which indicates it was made in China.

Today was an incredible day in Wayne County! I was privileged to sit down with local business leaders, knock on doors, and meet with voters and grassroots volunteers.

Thank you to my supporters in Wayne County for always having my back, I’ve got yours too. 💪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2JSQQoSWvr
— Rob Bresnahan (@Rob4PA) May 14, 2024

The jacket tag indicates that it is a product of Port Authority, a brand that manufactures products in countries such as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh, according to online retailer Full Source. Port Authority is owned by SanMar, a clothing company headquartered in Wisconsin, whose “supply chain partners” include at least 20 firms in China, according to its website.

Bresnahan is challenging six-term Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District in what the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has declared a “toss up” race, where either candidate has an equal chance of winning.

Derek Rockey, a spokesperson for the Rob for PA campaign committee, would not confirm where Bresnahan purchased the jacket that he wore to meet with local policymakers and government officials, constituents, Republican Party peers and at local business and community events.

From Scranton to Honesdale, our message of bringing new leadership to Northeast PA is resonating with voters. Thank you to Commissioner Chris Chermak and the Wayne County Republican Committee for hosting me! pic.twitter.com/jaonp7VJbu
— Rob Bresnahan (@Rob4PA) December 22, 2023

“Congressman Cartwright and his far-left allies are beyond desperate if they’re seriously trying to use a jacket purchased from a Scranton-based small business that has been serving our community for over 40 years to distract from Congressman Cartwright repeatedly voting to send blue-collar American jobs overseas to Communist China,” Rockey told Raw Story via text message.

“This is a desperately transparent attempt to inoculate Congressman Cartwright for his repeated pro-China votes at the expense of a local small business in his district, and it’s pathetic,” Rockey continued.

Wendy Wilson, a spokesperson for Cartwright’s congressional office, deferred questions to Cartwright’s campaign committee. The Cartwright for Congress campaign committee did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Bresnahan has raised more than $1.4 million this election cycle through April, where Cartwright has raised nearly $4 million in the same time period, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Bresnahan has loaned his campaign at least $400,000 and provided various in-kind donations from office rent to promotional items such as beanies, baseball caps and jackets, according to the FEC. The filings do not indicate where the merchandise was purchased.

Optics and merchandising

Irina Tsukerman, a foreign policy expert, human rights and national security lawyer and president of communications advisory company, Scarab Rising, said Bresnahan’s merchandising choice raises the question of “optics.”

“If you claim that you’re vigilant against a country's human rights [atrocities], the threat to the United States’ national security and economic interests, that you are opposed to China flooding U.S. markets with cheap goods in violation of principles of free trade … it's kind of self serving and hypocritical, even if it's inadvertent, to utilize merchandise made in that country, particularly for your political campaign purposes,” Tsukerman said.

But optics aren’t the only potential problem with making a merchandise choice contradictory to foreign policy statements, Tsukerman said. Such actions can send a message to China that U.S. politicians aren’t serious about their threats to back away from the country, she said.

“You are encouraging your constituents to do one thing, and while you're doing something entirely different,” Tsukerman said. “It shows that you don't actually care about your message, that you're doing that just to score political points, and you're making a populist message, but you are not necessarily as concerned about the national security and economic implications, as you say.”

China’s human rights concerns range from slave labor to suppression of religious freedom, Tsukerman said.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy found himself in a similar situation when Raw Story broke the news last year that his campaign’s baseball caps were manufactured in Myanmar, a country rife with human rights atrocities and led by a military junta that has close ties with China — a country with which Ramaswamy campaigned to cut dependence.

Ramaswamy continued to distribute the hats even after vowing to stop using them after Raw Story’s investigation.

“There is a big problem that now a couple of U.S. political candidates claim to be positioning themselves as tough on China but themselves are not observing their own proposed rules,” Tsukerman continued.

Donald Trump has unclaimed property and abandoned money in at least 16 states

What do Trump University and Trump Taj Mahal have in common — other than being among the failed businesses of former president Donald Trump?

They still have unclaimed assets in New York and New Jersey, according to online public databases.

That’s just for starters.

A Raw Story analysis showed Trump, the putative 2024 Republican presidential nominee, having unclaimed assets in at least 16 states plus the District of Columbia. In Florida alone, the state’s chief financial officer earlier this month informed Trump that he has $54,000 in unclaimed property.

This might not seem like much relative to Trump’s wealth. But Trump is leaving money on the table — potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars or more — while running up staggering legal expenses to defend himself against 88 felony counts across four criminal trials.

Donors are meanwhile contributing millions of dollars to pay Trump’s legal bills. Trump also trails substantially in fundraising for his presidential campaign against President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

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A conservative count from online records showed at least 137 instances in New York of Trump having unclaimed property — for his current and former businesses as well as himself, individually.

That includes four potential claims for the defunct Trump University, which paid a $25 million settlement in 2018 to students who said they were defrauded. The unclaimed money comes from companies such as eBay for “undelivered goods/services” and Amazon for “outstanding checks issued to vendors.”

Trump University, the defunct education company that paid out a massive settlement to students who accused it of fraud, has failed to claim money that's owed to it. (Source: Office of the New York State Comptroller)

In New Jersey, Trump has at least 40 instances of unclaimed property.

That includes the Trump Taj Mahal hotel and casino, which closed in 2016 after Trump proclaimed it the “eighth wonder of the world” when it opened in 1990. It sold for pennies on the dollar, but it still has money to its name at the New Jersey Treasury.

There are at least 10 instances of unclaimed property for Trump Taj Mahal. New Jersey does not list the source or reason for the unclaimed money.

New York and New Jersey do not publicly disclose the value of unclaimed property until a request for payment has been approved.

Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Among the lost assets Donald Trump has failed to recoup in New Jersey: money owed to the defunct Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J. (Source: New Jersey Unclaimed Property Administration)

As an individual, Trump has an unspecified amount of money to claim from NBC Universal Media LLC for “wages/payroll/salaries.” NBC televised the Apprentice, the reality show that starred Trump.

Almost all of Trump’s unclaimed money across the country is for one of his former or current businesses or political campaigns, including Trump Corporation, Trump for President, Trump International Hotels, Trump Marks Fine Foods, Trump Model Management, Trump National Golf Club, Trump Organization and Trump SoHo Hotel.

Trump Marks Mattress has money available from Tempur Sealy International for “outstanding checks issued to vendors.”

Trump’s available money in New York and New Jersey is likely substantially higher than other states where Trump has had businesses or campaigns, and where Trump has far fewer potential claims.

In Washington, D.C., a listing for “D Trump” — address: “The White House” — indicates unclaimed property worth “under $50” that’s tied to Amazon.com. It’s one of more than a dozen listings that appeared tied to the former president, including three items of unclaimed property from the former Trump International Hotel DC, each worth “over $50.”

ALSO READ: 8 ways Trump doesn’t become president

Trump has a total of at least $2,914 in unclaimed property across Connecticut, Virginia, California, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas. As some of those states list values of unclaimed property in broad ranges, the dollar figure is likely much higher.

Meanwhile in Illinois, Trump International Hotel has three potential claims for “over $100” and two for “under $100.”

In Nevada, the Trump campaign and exploratory committee have four potential claims of “under $500.” The Trump Organization has at least six unclaimed cashiers checks from 2013 — five worth “under $1,000” and one worth “$1,000 and above.”

In Massachusetts, the Trump for President campaign has failed to recoup “vendor checks” reported to the state by the city of Doral, Mass.

In Colorado, Donald Trump for President could make a claim on “over $250” in abandoned assets — the reason unstated.

In Pennsylvania, the Trump for President campaign is due two refunds or rebates from Comcast, both under $100.

States promote their unclaimed property databases, but Trump, who’s on trial for allegedly falsifying business records in New York, has other things on his mind.

“Every day New York State returns $1.5 million to those who file claims here,” it says on the state’s database page. “Is any yours?”

Man accused of beheading father bought a gun the day before fatally shooting him: report

A day before authorities say he decapitated his father and posted a graphic YouTube video calling for the execution of federal employees, Justin Mohn strode into a gun shop in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and legally purchased the 9mm handgun police say he used to carry out the killing. “There was nothing legally precluding him from purchasing that gun,” Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said during a Friday news conference. In the days before visiting Johnston’s Sporting Goods in Croydon, Mohn, 32, who was unemployed and lived with his parents, had surrendered his medical marijuan...

Pa. man Justin Mohn allegedly displayed father’s decapitated head on YouTube

A Pennsylvania man accused of murdering his father seemingly showed off his decapitated head in a grisly YouTube video — also rife with calls for revolution, political violence and condemnations of the Biden administration — hours before his arrest.

Justin Mohn is facing charges of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and possessing an instrument of crime with intent in connection with the slaying of his father, Michael Mohn, Middletown Police Capt. Pete Feeney told NBC News.

President Biden will return to Pennsylvania on Friday

PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden will visit Allentown on Friday, the White House confirmed, his second visit to the state in about a week as he looks ahead to the 2024 election.

Last Friday, he visited Valley Forge and then made a campaign speech in Blue Bell, where he argued former President Donald Trump is a threat to democracy.

It’s the second stop Biden’s made in the state just this year and at least the 16th since becoming president. Biden’s Allentown visit will be an official visit, aimed at touting his legislative record in a key part of swing state Pennsylvania.

Trump calls on supporters to 'guard the vote' in Democratic-run U.S. cities

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, told his supporters on Saturday to "go into" Philadelphia and two other Democratic-run cities to "guard the vote" in 2024, repeating his unfounded claims of widespread election fraud in 2020 as justification for the call to action.

Speaking at a campaign event in Iowa, Trump said it was important to scrutinize the vote in the battleground states likely to determine the general election. He singled out the biggest cities in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

'Thousands of mail ballots not counted': PA fixing issue that disenfranchised 17K voters

Pennsylvania played a key role in deciding the last two presidential elections, and appears poised to be similarly decisive in the 2024 race. Now, the Keystone State is seeking to rectify an issue that prevented thousands of mail-in ballots from being counted in the most recent election.

According to WPSU, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro is now working in conjunction with Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt to fix issues with Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot system that can be confusing for some voters. Currently, commonwealth law requires that for a mail-in ballot to be counted, a voter must place their ballot inside an inner "secrecy envelope," then place that envelope containing their ballot inside of an outer return envelope with their complete name, the current date and their signature.

These requirements have led counties to throw out approximately 17,000 ballots in the 2023 primary election, which accounts for roughly 3% of all Pennsylvania votes. 3% could make the difference in a close election: For context, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by just 1.2% in 2020, and Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by less than 1% in 2016.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

Roughly 20% of mail-in ballots rejected were due to the envelopes lacking a date, and approximately 15% of mail-in ballots tossed out were due to voters failing to place their ballot in the secrecy envelope. Another 5% were rejected for lack of signature.

Now, Shapiro and the secretary of state's office are instructing counties to use a uniform set of rules when instructing voters how to complete mail-in ballots. The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that the outer envelope will now "have a pre-filled '20' at the beginning of the year field, so that voters write the current year, not their birth year, and full-page instructions with graphics to show how to place the envelopes before mailing."

"Counties will have the discretion to use a hole punch in the return envelope to help county election workers see when the inner secrecy envelope — now with yellow coloring and a watermark — is missing – or 'naked,'" the Capital-Star reported.

“Governor Shapiro has made it clear that the Commonwealth should help people succeed, not get in their way,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Schmidt stated. "In each election cycle since 2020, when no-excuse mail-in voting was implemented in Pennsylvania, we have seen thousands of mail ballots not be counted because of unintended technical errors voters made when completing their ballot."