Trump tells RNC 'I am not supposed to be here' following Pennsylvania rally assassination attempt

A Pittsburgh man who witnessed the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pa., last weekend recounted his amazement to Fox News Digital in watching the crowd erupt in cheers after the GOP nominee mouthed "Fight!" and fist-pumped moments after being shot.

Bob Crankovic said he was sitting behind Trump just off his right shoulder when the rally began.

Several minutes into the rally, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., attempted to kill Trump, but shot him in the ear after the former president turned at the last moment to explain a border policy graphic.

Crankovic, who has been active in local Republican circles since 2016, said it was approximately his fourth Trump rally, and that Saturday's started just as the others had – with rallygoers bedecked in red hats and American flag-themed regalia.

However, after shots rang out, Crankovic saw Trump dropping and being smothered by Secret Service agents. What happened next was similarly shocking, he said.

"As soon as unfortunately the shots went out what happened was that I immediately ducked for cover," he said. "By the time I happened to look up at the president, roughly around the second or third shot, he was already covered up," he said.

"So it was tough to watch. But, I mean, as soon as the president got up, everybody was absolutely screaming their head off for the president in support."

Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

There are now two working theories on how Thomas Crooks got a DPMS AR-15 rifle onto the roof of the AGR building in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday without being noticed prior to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who's now the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

According to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation, Crooks either hid his father’s rifle near the AC unit he used to climb up onto the roof of the AGR building, or he had it in the backpack he was spotted with, along with the golf range finder.

However, this source said hiding the rifle in his backpack would require a significant amount of disassembling and reassembling the rifle, and that the more likely scenario is that Crooks hid the rifle behind the AC unit.

Fox News has reported that Crooks bought a ladder and ammunition on the morning of the rally. However, federal law enforcement sources say that no ladder was found on site, and the working theory is that Crooks grabbed the rifle, climbed upon the AC unit and then climbed onto the roof.

We now also know that the unit inside that building was a Butler Township Emergency Services Unit sniper team who was doing "overwatch" on the event. This team was looking out of the windows of the building at the event, watching for any suspicious activity, while Crooks snuck up on the roof above them.

Fox News can also report that the Secret Service Counter Sniper who killed Crooks took only one shot.

Fox News' Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.

Dr. Ben Carson said Friday that former President Trump believes he has been given another opportunity to "do something great" following the assassination against him last week.

Carson made the comments during an appearance on Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum."

He said the former president's speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday had a "great theme of unity" in the wake of the shooting last week at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where gunman Thomas Mathew Crooks opened fire, killing one spectator and injuring several other, including Trump, who suffered injuries to his ear.

The shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday flew a drone over the event grounds earlier that day, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks flew a drone to conduct reconnaissance at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds before Trump took the stage.

In fact, Crooks reportedly flew the drone on a programmed flight path to the grounds on July 13, and officials said the path suggests the shooter flew the drone to the site more than one time ahead of the event.

Crooks’ use of the drone is just another way investigators have learned he planned his attack on Trump.

A source told Fox News Digital that the FBI is looking at a drone linked to the shooting investigation, but pushed back on the specifics of The Wall Street Journal's reporting.

The FBI declined to comment to Fox News Digital.

A sniper who shot Thomas Matthew Cooks, the shooter who attempted to assassinate former President Trump last Saturday, killed him with a single bullet and "one in a million shot." The snipers photographed did not take the fatal shot. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The shot that killed the man who attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday was a “one in a million shot,” according to a source familiar with the investigation into shooting.

Fox News learned from the source the kill shot was a single shot taken by a Secret Service counter sniper whose view was obscured.

The local tactical team also took a shot on the would-be assassin, but missed.

The Secret Service sniper who took the shot that killed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks could only see Crooks’ gun scope and the top of his eye and forehead because the lip of the roof was blocking the sniper’s view.

The source described the shot to Fox as a “one in a million shot.”

Fox News’ Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.

Blood is seen in the stands after shots were fired at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

The two surviving men who sustained wounds when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday are now listed in serious, but stable condition, according to hospital officials.

The survivors, 74-year-old James "Jim" Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and 57-year-old David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania were at a rally in Butler when a gunman opened fire on former President Trump, grazing his ear.

On Friday, officials at the hospital Copenhaver and Dutch were being treated at, released a statement.

“Both patients remain in serious but stable condition at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh,” the statement read.

During Saturday’s heinous act, Corey Comperatore of Buffalo, Pennsylvania was shot and killed as he shielded his family from the bullets.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump reacts as multiple shots ring out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were on the ground at a rally for former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, where a gunman attempted to assassinate the presidential candidate.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox that HSI routinely supports partner agencies inside and outside of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a wide range of missions.

Many of the missions, the spokesperson said, keep the American public safe from national security threats.

The rally in Butler was no different, and the spokesperson confirmed HSI agents were there to support the U.S. Secret Service.

Fox News’ Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at a press conference on June 4 in Chicago. (Getty Images)

The staffing and planning of the failed security detail that led to a gunman gaining a clear site of former President Trump and nearly assassinating him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania was directed by the Secret Service, according to a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the plan.

The source told Fox News that 22 Secret Service agents, including the advance team, assault team and sniper teams, were staffed for the event, along with 16 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. No Secret Service drones were in the air during the event.

The Secret Service did not request tactical support from HSI, the source noted, and HSI agents were assigned to “post standing” duties only at the media pen and street entrance.

The HSI agents were tasked with keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious in their areas. The were not responsible for the area around Trump or the buildings around the exterior of the rally, where the shooter was ultimately shot and killed, the source explained.

All planning and staffing of the event was directed by the Secret Service, who reportedly told HSI and local law enforcement officials where they needed bodies.

The source said the Secret Service oversaw the entire security plan.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Trump spoke on Friday. (Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance/Curtis Means/Daily Mail/Bloomberg, File)

Former President Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday that he had a very good call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who not only congratulated the presidential candidate on a successful Republican National Convention, but also condemned the “heinous” assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday.

“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today. He congratulated me on a very successful Republican National Convention and becoming the Republican nominee for President of the United States," Trump wrote. "He condemned the heinous assassination attempt last Saturday and remarked about the American people coming together in the spirit of Unity during these times. I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.”

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by security personnel after being shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Secret Service denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from America First Legal, which was seeking information on the security failure that led to the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday.

“Biden’s Secret Service is delaying the processing of a FOIA we filed following the assassination attempt of President Trump,” the organization wrote in a post on X.

America First Legal said the agency denied the request because there is not, “any threat to the life or safety of anyone” or “any urgency to inform the public about gov’t activity.”

The group shared an image of the denial with the post.

“Please be advised, your request has been denied because you do not qualify under either category. You have not demonstrated that there is a threat to the life or physical safety of an individual nor have you demonstrated there is a particular urgency to inform the public about the government activity involved in the request, beyond the public’s right to know about government activity, generally,” the response read. “Your letter was conclusory, in nature, and did not present any facts to justify a grant of expedited processing under the applicable standards.”

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., subpoenaed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for documents and information on a failed security detail that led to a man nearly assassinating former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday.

In a letter dated July 14, Green requested documents and information on the DHS’s planning for Trump’s July 13 rally.

Green issued the subpoena after DHS failed to respond and comply with his committee’s requests for documents and information by Friday’s deadline.

“The Department of Homeland Security has failed to properly satisfy our requests for documents and information regarding the security efforts to prevent and respond to the assassination attempt on President Trump––and the piecemeal information it has provided over phone calls is woefully inadequate,” Green wrote. “In order for this Committee to conduct proper oversight over DHS and the U.S. Secret Service, the department and agency must cooperate.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Billy Ray Cyrus attended the funeral of Corey Comperatore, the man who died while shielding his family from bullets at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday. (Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Musician Billy Ray Cyrus and hundreds of other people gathered in rural Pennsylvania to honor local hero Corey Comperatore on Friday, who died while shielding his family from flying bullets while a man attempted to assassinate former President Trump in Butler on Saturday.

Comperatore served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, served as the chief of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department in Pennsylvania in the early 2000s, and was a churchgoing, loving father and husband.

Musician Cyrus, who's always been passionate about honoring troops and first responders, was seen shaking hands with law enforcement members at Comperatore's service, where he joined the family and performed.

People reported that Cyrus sang "Amazing Grace," along with his 1992 song, "Some Gave All."

A procession of law enforcement at virtually every level, from local police to federal agents, firefighters from all over the area, EMS and military personnel drove to the funeral.

Residents waved flags. Some were clearly emotional as they wiped away tears.

Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.

FBI Seal

FBI STATEMENT:

"The allegations circulating on social media about an FBI executive and the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania are categorically false. To be clear, the person depicted is not her and she did not attend the rally. The men and women of the FBI work tirelessly and selflessly to protect others every day, and false rumors and conspiracy theories targeting these dedicated public servants are reprehensible and irresponsible. They are also dangerous and often lead to threats against them and their families. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable anyone who makes violent threats against them or any of our colleagues in law enforcement.”

Former Secret Service agent Frank Loveridge weighed in on the investigation into how a gunman was able to access a roof to get a clear line of sight of former President Trump before opening fire, saying “we didn’t win on July 13.”

Loveridge was a guest on Fox News’ “America Reports” on Friday, when he said it has been over 40 years since a president has been shot.

But when asked about what happened at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday, Loveridge emphasized the importance of the investigation.

“We have to win every day and we didn’t win on July 13 and we have to find out why,” Loveridge said.

He continued, saying the building was not missed when the plans were reviewed by an agent, a couple of supervisors and then put out as a document.

“I don’t think anyone would have missed that,” Loveridge said. “What I’m thinking is that the execution phase was where we had a problem. Was everyone where they were supposed to be when this event occurred? That is the question.”

Loveridge went on to say he has been critical of the Secret Service to be more transparent, noting the agency does not have to be granular, but can still put information out to reduce speculation.

Still, he suggested the public give Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle time to defend herself before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, saying, “Let’s see what Kim has to say on Monday.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, right, has lauded former President Trump’s reaction to being shot at on Saturday, left, labeling the Republican nominee as a "bada--" after he got to his feet and clenched his fist immediately after the assassination attempt (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, left, Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images, right. / Getty Images)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has lauded former President Trump’s reaction to being shot at a rally on Saturday, labeling the Republican presidential nominee as a "bada--" after he got to his feet and clenched his fist immediately after the assassination attempt.

Zuckerberg, 40, who has often faced the ire of the 45th President over how he operates Facebook and Instagram, said Trump’s resoluteness after coming so close to death helps explain his appeal to voters.

"Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most bada-- things I’ve ever seen in my life," Zuckerberg said Thursday during an interview at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, according to Bloomberg.

"On some level as an American, it’s, like, hard to not get kind of emotional about that spirit and that fight, and I think that that’s why a lot of people like the guy."

Read more about the Facebook CEO’s take on the upcoming election.

FOX Business’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

A photo has captured firefighters carrying the casket of Corey Comperatore during his private funeral Friday, nearly a week after he was shot and killed at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Hundreds of people have lined a rural area of the state waving American flags to honor Comperatore. A funeral procession is underway.

The former Buffalo Township fire chief shielded his family from gunfire when a shooter opened fire during the Trump campaign event.

Fox News' Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

Former Department of Defense counterterrorism analyst Kara Frederick said on the 'The Faulkner Focus' Friday that the House hearing next week with the Secret Service’s director  “should give us a lot of answers” surrounding the investigation of Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. 

The House Oversight Committe is set to question Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday. 

The hearing comes after Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., said members of Congress were told this week that Crooks had three encrypted accounts on overseas platforms.  

“As something I did for almost ten years with the government and then with a big tech company, what you do is you can extract data from these platforms,” Frederick said. “You can figure out who were these platforms that he was supposedly using – even if they were encrypted – who was he talking to, what are his IP addresses, can you geolocate him to those physical locations... was he using aliases?” 

“There are people who are in the government – even who are outside of the government – who can work to exploit that information that those accounts would convey,” she added. 

CABOT, Pa. – Hundreds of people lined a rural area of Pennsylvania waving American flags to honor local hero Corey Comperatore on Friday. 

The former Buffalo Township fire chief shielded his family from gunfire when a shooter opened fire during a Saturday rally for former President Trump in Butler. 

"Get down," were reportedly his last words. Comperatore, 50, lost his life that day. 

His daughter called her dad a "true hero," and the massive crowds who showed up to pay their respects gave him a lionheart's farewell. 

A procession of law enforcement at virtually every level, from local police to federal agents, firefighters from all over the area, EMS and military personnel drove through the streets of rural Pennsylvania. 

Residents waved flags. Some were clearly emotional as they wiped away tears.

There was a strong security presence for the private ceremony. He leaves behind his wife, Helen, and two daughters. 

Fox News' Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the assassination attempt against former President Trump last weekend was an “attack on our democracy.” 

“I think many of our friends and partners share the horror that I think every American felt... at the attempted assassination, at the killing of an incredible family man who lost his life trying to protect his family,” Blinken said at the Aspen Security Forum. “And for Americans, you know, we say that political violence is unacceptable. And of course, it is. But it's also been a thread in our history, as everyone knows all too well, and something that each and every time you hope is the last time, that we see it.” 

“But, for me, going around the world and talking to people about this, I think the greatest strength that we bring to a crisis of this kind, to an attack on our democracy at home, even to the divisions that we have at home, which are real, which are profound, is the way we approach them is what we actually do in response,” Blinken added. “And the hallmark of this country heretofore has always been to confront our challenges, to confront our differences openly, transparently, not to pretend they don't exist, not to sweep them under the rug.” 

Fox News' Nicholas Kalman contributed to this report. 

The president of the Butler Farm Show – where former President Trump held his rally on Saturday when the assassination attempt unfolded – tells the New York Times that Secret Service agents first visited the site less than a week before the event. 

Organizers for Trump’s campaign asked to use the site in Butler on July 3 before Secret Service agents showed up to scan the area on July 8, Ken Laughlin said to the newspaper. 

"It just seemed like an awful quick turn around,” he said. 

Trump's rally was supposed to be held at the Butler County Airport -- but the airport was already booked out for July 13 for the Penn Township Volunteer Fire Company’s annual Mega Cruise car show, according to Stephanie Saracco, the Butler County Airport Manager.

Trump held a rally at the airport on October 31, 2020 as President.  

Fox News' Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will be grilled by lawmakers Monday on Capitol Hill over her agency's handling of the Trump rally security. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

The House Committee On Oversight and Accountability has scheduled a hearing for Monday with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who is facing criticism and calls to resign from lawmakers over her agency's handling of the Trump rally shooting last weekend in Pennsylvania.

The hearing, titled "Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump," is set to unfold on Capitol Hill beginning at 10 a.m. ET Monday.

Cheatle is refusing to resign, but House Speaker Mike Johnston told FOX Business on Thursday that he is prepared to call on President Biden to fire her.

“Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down. She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement late Wednesday. 

Cheatle was confronted by senators who were demanding answers when she showed up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.

Bob Crankovic of Pittsburgh told Fox News Digital “it was tough to watch” the assassination attempt against former President Trump last weekend at the rally in Pennsylvania. 

Crankovic said he “immediately ducked for cover” as bullets were flying out Saturday in Butler. 

“As soon as the president got up, everybody was absolutely screaming their head off for the president in support,” he continued. 

“I’ve been to four rallies prior, this was number five, I didn’t see anything out of step with how it a normal rally goes about,” Crankovic also said. “President Trump’s reaction is exactly how I think the country is feeling – we want to come back, we want a strong leader who knows exactly the moment and knows how to step up to the moment and be in the moment all at the exact same time.”

The building where the Trump rally shooter was positioned, left, and snipers set up on a sloped roof behind former President Trump's podium at the event. (Fox News Digital/Glen Van Tryfle/TMX/Reuters)

A person using the name Thomas Matthew Crooks signed up on July 6 to attend the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the assassination attempt unfolded, according to ABC News. 

A source familiar with the matter told the network that the individual used an encrypted email address and a cell phone number to complete the signup. 

The Trump campaign reportedly announced on July 3 that the rally would be happening on July 13 in Butler. 

Crooks died that day after opening fire at former President Trump. 

Sylvia and Eric Lowry, whose son is a pallbearer at the funeral for Corey Comperatore, told Fox News Digital Friday that the Pennsylvania firefighter who died in the Trump rally shooting was a "good soul." 

“My son was a fireman with Corey for years. He was a great mentor for him, he was a wonderful person,” Sylvia Lowry told Fox News Digital. “We are all devastated.” 

“We know the girls, his daughters, they are just a great family and we just pray that he rests in peace and that the family just finds comfort in all of this,” she added. 

Eric Lowry said “Corey was also the best man in our son’s wedding.” 

Fox News' Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

Former President Trump is seen speaking at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, before the shooting. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote on X Friday that “whistleblowers tell me that MOST of Trump’s security detail working the event last Saturday were not even Secret Service.  

“DHS assigned unprepared and inexperienced personnel,” he added, posting a letter he sent today to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.  

“Whistleblowers who have direct knowledge of the event have approached my office. According to the allegations, the July 13 rally was considered to be a ‘loose’ security event. For example, detection canines were not used to monitor entry and detect threats in the usual manner,” Hawley wrote. “Individuals without proper designations were able to gain access to backstage areas. Department personnel did not appropriately police the security buffer around the podium and were also not stationed at regular intervals around the event’s security perimeter.” 

“In addition, whistleblower allegations suggest the majority of DHS officials were not in fact USSS agents but instead drawn from the department’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This is especially concerning given that HSI agents were unfamiliar with standard protocols typically used at these types of events, according to the allegations,” Hawley also said. 

Hawley used the letter to ask Mayorkas to respond to multiple questions regarding security at the Trump campaign event. 

A funeral procession is underway ahead of Corey Comperatore's funeral today in Pennsylvania. (Audrey Conklin/Fox News Digital)

A funeral procession is underway Friday for Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter who died last weekend at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Video taken in Comperatore’s hometown of Sarver showed a convoy of motorcycles, fire department vehicles carrying personnel, and other mourners headed to the private event. 

Auburn men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl couldn’t believe what happened on Saturday.

Over the weekend, former President Trump was grazed on the ear by a bullet fired during a failed assassination attempt at his political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

One person was killed and two others were injured when Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who was later identified as the shooter, opened fire less than 10 minutes after Trump began speaking.

Pearl, 64, like many others, was stunned by the shooting. He recalled his initial reaction during an appearance on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" on Thursday.

"My first reaction was: How was this possibly happening? Is it real? When he got up pretty quickly, I prayed, I immediately asked God to watch over him, and praying for him in that particular moment."

Pearl continued, "Then to see him get up and have the presence and the courage [to pump his fist at the crowd], I mean, Dan, who does that? That’s just rare to have that presence. To let everybody know, ‘Hey, I’m OK, and I am in this for our country, and let’s continue to fight.' He’d take a bullet for us."

Former President Trump will head to Michigan on Saturday for his first rally since the assassination attempt last weekend in Pennsylvania. 

The campaign event, which will be held indoors at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, is set to feature new running mate J.D. Vance. 

“We are proud here in Michigan to be hosting him for his first rally after this convention, where we really saw a unified Republican party going forward,” Michigan Republican congressional candidate Tom Barrett told 'Fox & Friends First' on Friday.  

“President Trump gave a real harrowing speech [at the RNC], starting his remarks recounting the events that took place in Pennsylvania with the attempt against his life, he thanked those that were there, the Secret Service agents that leapt into action to keep him safe,” Barrett added.  

A retired U.S. Secret Service agent questioned why former President Trump was cleared to take the stage at Saturday's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite a "person of interest" being identified beforehand.

"Why the rush? Why push him on stage? Why not delay?" questioned Mike Matranga on "America's Newsroom" Thursday.

"It would have taken nothing to take a tactical pause, assess the situation, locate him, and potentially prevent what we haven't seen in 43 years."

Matranga called the situation a "catastrophic failure."

"Failing to even address the American people or to point the finger solely at the local law enforcement is just not right," he said. "This is a catastrophic failure of communications. We've known this for decades, that we rely too heavily on our local counterparts to do the jobs that we are designed to do, and so this is a catastrophic failure."

"The former president deserves better," he continued. "The individuals who were harmed and the individual who succumbed to his injuries deserve better."

Cars drive past American flags for a memorial held for Corey Comperatore on Thursday in Freeport, Pennsylvania. (Reuters/Carlos Osorio)

A private funeral is set to be held Friday for Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old volunteer firefighter who was killed by gunfire at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last weekend. 

Thousands of mourners paid their respects to Comperatore on Thursday during a memorial service at a banquet hall in Freeport, according to The Associated Press. 

Fire trucks and police vehicles filled the parking lot outside the building. Sharpshooters were positioned on top of the event hall and on nearby buildings as people, including firefighters in dress uniforms, waited in line to enter. 

Guests walked past a large, framed photo of Comperatore holding a fish, while a slideshow of photos from his life was projected on a screen — his wedding, a recent 50th birthday party, time with his daughters, firefighting, fishing, and palling around with his Dobermans. 

Rich Tallis, a Penn Hills volunteer firefighter who attended the visitation, told the AP he did not know Comperatore personally but felt a need to honor his memory. 

“Any first responder, it’s a brotherhood – police, EMS fire, military. We’re technically all one,” he said. 

Jon Ruffley, who lives outside Pittsburgh and attended part of the Trump rally Saturday, went to the visitation with his wife and young child. He told the AP he hoped his presence sent a supportive message to the family that “we stick together as Americans regardless of, you know, what someone's political affiliations are.” 

“I think it’s really important that we raise our kids in a way where we can see that political violence is unacceptable, that we stand for having important discourses about things in, in our society,” he said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

BUTLER, Pa. — Congress was denied access to the integral Ops Report that details the protection plan for former President Trump's rally, according to a lawmaker who was at Wednesday's FBI briefing and spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.

Paul Mauro, an attorney and retired NYPD inspector, said the Ops Report "should detail who was supposed to cover the area of the roof that (Thomas Matthew) Crooks fired from."

"If there was no Ops Plan done, or if it didn't cover that rooftop, whoever signed off on it failed badly," Mauro said. 

The detailed, written plan was in the hands of the FBI as of Thursday afternoon, according to Mauro, who said the information came from a source "I absolutely, 100% trust." The FBI declined to comment. 

Former President Trump showed off a chart on immigration during the Republican National Convention Thursday night that he credits with literally saving his life last Saturday

"Less than four years ago, I handed this administration the strongest border in American history, but you can see on the chart that saved my life... that was the chart that saved my life," Trump said as the chart was put up on the screen behind him.

During Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last week, Trump pivoted to point to the same chart when shots rang out, striking the former president in the right ear. Many have credited Trump turning to the chart, which shows the number of illegal immigrants entering the country, for saving his life, noting that the former president turned to look at it just as he was hit with the bullet.

Dr. Houman Hemmati told 'Fox News Live' that the Trump rally assassination attempt is “hurting” the former President and “he was obvious about it” during his RNC acceptance speech last night. 

Trump, during the speech, told a crowd in Milwaukee that “so many people have asked me what happened... and therefore I will tell you exactly what happened and you’ll never hear it from me a second time because it’s actually too painful to tell.” 

“When have you ever heard President Trump ever say in the past that he is never going to repeat something?” Hemmati said, adding “this is one of those rare moments where you see him in a public way be very vulnerable and transparent and it shows you that he is processing it.” 

“The fact that he also went to the uniform of the fallen individual who attended his rally also shows you the sense of survivor guilt that I think he has,” Hemmati continued. “He said ‘I shouldn’t be here,’ that is a sign he thinks that bullet should have been for him and why am I alive and someone else isn’t?” 

Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in last weekend's Trump rally shooting in Pennsylvania. (AP/Julia Nikhinson)

Former President Donald Trump in his RNC acceptance speech paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed during the attempt on Trump’s life during a Pennsylvania rally last weekend.

"Tragically, the shooter claimed the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore, and seriously wounded two other great warriors... David Dutch and James Copenhaver. I spoke to all three families of these tremendous people—our love and prayers are with them, and always will be," Trump said. 

"Corey, a highly respected former fire chief... was accompanied by his wife Helen... and two precious daughters," he continued. "He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets... what a fine man he was."

Trump then walked over to Comperatore’s firefighting jacket and helmet, which were sent to the convention by the family and were placed next to Trump on the stage, asking for a moment of silence for the Pennsylvania father. 

"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others," Trump said, noting that Comperatore was killed while shielding his family from the incoming bullets. "This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours, and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness."

Former President Trump arrives at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday before the assassination attempt. (AP//Evan Vucci)

BETHEL PARK, Pa. – The Secret Service should have foreseen a "tactical reason" to have countersnipers placed on the AGR building rooftop at former President Trump's Pennsylvania rally on Saturday – where gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire – according to a retired Army infantry captain who witnessed the chaos from the front row.

"I've been in more firefights than I can count, I can tell you, but I've never been in anything like that," Sean Parnell, a former congressional candidate who can be seen in photos of the shooting just steps away from Trump on stage right, told Fox News Digital.

"Doesn’t it make sense to engage behind the president, too?" he added. "There was a tactical reason for that to be occupied."

Parnell said that as soon as he arrived at the rally, he took a general look around and potential security vulnerabilities stood out to him, but he also saw a strong police presence.

"As a combat veteran, 16 months in Afghanistan, I'll tell you that looking for threats like that is, once you come back from combat, you're kind of wired like that," he said. "That experience that never leaves you. I didn’t think anything was going to go wrong. I'm at a political rally … but you still think about that."

Former President Trump speaks on Thursday at the Republican National Convention. (AP/Matt Rourke)

Former President Trump spent a the first part of his keynote acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention’s final night by acknowledging how lucky he was to survive an assassination attempt last weekend during a rally in Pennsylvania.

"So many people have asked me what happened, and therefore, I’ll tell you what happened," Trump said Thursday night in Milwaukee. "And you’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s too painful to tell."

Trump recounted the events from Butler, Pennsylvania last Saturday when a gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire. Crooks’ shot pierced the former president’s upper right ear while he was turning to look at one of his immigration charts displayed on a screen at the event.

"In order to see the chart, I started to turn to my right, and was ready to begin a further turn, which I’m lucky I didn’t, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me, really hard, on my right ear," Trump said. "I said to myself, 'Wow, what was that—it can only be a bullet,'—and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down, and my hand was covered with blood, just blood all over the place. I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack, and in one movement, proceeded to drop to the ground."

"There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side," Trump continued. "The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight."

"But that isn’t the reason they didn’t move—the reason is that they knew I was in serious trouble, they saw all of the blood, and thought I was dead, and they just didn’t want to leave me, and you can see that love written all over their faces," he said.

"I am not supposed to be here tonight," Trump said, before the crowd at Fiserv Forum chanted, "Yes you are."

"I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God," Trump said. "In watching the reports over the last few days, many people say it was a providential moment."

"The crowd was confused because they thought I was dead," Trump said. "And there was great great sorrow. I could see that on their faces as I looked up. They didn't know I was looking out they thought it was over. When I could see it I wanted to do something to let them know I was okay. I raised my right arm looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting and started shouting, 'fight, fight, fight.'"