MELANIA Trump has called for an investigation into the police response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
In a video posted to X, the former first lady hit out at the “silence” around the investigation and vowed to uncover the truth.
X/Melania TrumpThe former first lady addressing viewers in a promotional clip for her new memoir[/caption]
ReutersDonald Trump covered in blood and surrounded by Secret Service agents after being shot on July 13 at a rally in Pennsylvania[/caption]
APPolice snipers on the roof returning fire after Thomas Crooks took aim at the former president[/caption]
“The attempt to end my husband’s life was a horrible distressing experience,” she tells viewers in the powerful video.
“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.”
In the clip, the former first lady wore all black and had a black background with half of her body cast in darkness so that nothing would distract from her words.
SECURITY LAPSE
The Secret Service and law enforcement were heavily criticized after Trump was shot in the ear on July 13 during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to shoot at the former president from a roof roughly 400 to 450 feet away from the stage.
An inquiry into the shooting showed that counter-snipers were aware of Crook’s presence for more than 100 minutes before the shooting.
Footage from the rally also emerged showing spectators pointing out a man on the roof before shots were fired.
As well as this, a haunting image emerged showing Crooks scrolling his phone just minutes before the attack.
The 20-year-old seemed relaxed in the photos, just moments before he injured two people in the crowd and killed firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Meanwhile, the bodycam footage from police officers who confronted Crooks on the roof emerged last month and detailed the chaos of the safety planning.
In another bodycam video, officers appeared confused about why the roof where Crooks shot from was unmanned.
“I thought you were on the roof?” one officer could be heard saying.
There also appeared to be confusion about whether Crooks had been taken out and why it wasn’t done before he opened fire.
Melania Trump’s response to shooting
On Sunday morning, Melania broke her silence with a statement about the shooting.
“I am thinking of you now, my fellow Americans.
“We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascent and bring us back together as one.
“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.
“To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion – his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine.
“Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times.
“Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.
“We are all humans, fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness, and empathy are necessities.
“And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm.”
“Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.
“This morning ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the single-minded ideas that ignite violence. We want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again.
“I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans.
“The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide – thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family.”
“If you’d all had a gun up there … I’d have shot him,” one officer said.
“He wouldn’t have ripped out a gun up there.”
As more details emerged, and criticism continued to mount, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her post following calls for her to step down from several House lawmakers.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission,” Cheatle wrote in her resignation letter.
“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases. As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”
‘THE TRUTH’
Melania’s comments come just days after Trump revealed the impact the shooting had on their son Barron, 18.
“Barron was outside having a tennis lesson,” the 78-year-old told Fox News host Mark Levin on an episode of Life, Liberty, and Levin.
“He’s a good tennis player, he’s outside playing tennis and someone ran up and said ‘Barron, Barron, your father’s been shot.”
“He ran, ‘Mom, what’s going on?’
“She couldn’t believe it,” Trump said of Melania. “She was actually watching it live, can you imagine?”
“And then I got up and let people know I was okay. Fight. Fight. Fight,” he said before admitting that it was a “big hit” and a “miracle” that he survived.
The former first lady’s new comments about the shooting come as part of a promotional clip for her new memoir Melania.
Her book promises to be a “powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has defined personal excellence, overcome adversity, and carved her own path.”
It will “invite readers into her world” while offering them an “intimate portrait” with personal stories that have never before been made public.
The $40 book is set to be released on October 8.
“I feel a responsibility to clarify the facts,” the former first lady said in another black-and-white video shared on social media.
“I believe it is important to share my perspective – the truth,” the 54-year-old added.
Followers flooded the comment section below her most recent video, saying that her “family deserves answers.”
“I am with you. We won’t forget and we aren’t letting this go. We demand accountability,” another wrote.
One praised her for “striking fear in their hearts” with her promise to continue probing what took place that day.