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good morning. as we come on the air this morning, the stunning events of last evening. the attempted assassination of former president donald trump at a political rally in butler, pennsylvania, has shaken, angered, and scared many americans. they've also up-ended an already turn lent and emotional presidential campaign. saturday night, president biden condemned the shooting. >> there's no place in america for this kind of violence. it's sick. we cannot allow for this to be happening. we cannot be like this. we cannot condone this. >> in addition to the alleged shooter, one attendee was killed and two others critically injured. we'll try to get answers to the many questions we have about security for the former president, as well as the motive of the 20-year-old shooter. our scott macfarlane was at that rally, with two of our campaign

reporters, and that is where we begin. >> reporter: six minutes after the former president took the stage in butler, pennsylvania yesterday evening, shots rang out. >> take a look -- [ gunfire ] >> reporter: the former president was quickly rushed off the stage by the secret service detail, blood clearly visible on his face. shaken yet defiant, mr. trump raised his fist several times as he was taken from the scene, shouting "fight." he was taken a nearby hospital and issued a statement saying he had been shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right here. he immediately felt the bullet ripping through the screen. the shooter was shot and killed from secret service snipers between 150 and 300 feet from the stage where the former president stood with dozens of

supporters in stands behind him and beside him. in addition to mr. trump's injury, one man was killed and two compleritically injured. >> somebody over there was screaming he's been shot, he's been shot. so i made my way over. i said i'm an emergency department physician, let me help you. the guy that spun around was jammed between the benches. he had a head shot here, lots of blood, and he had brain matter there. >> reporter: law enforcement has identified the shooter as 20-year-old thomas matthew crooks of nearby bethel park, pennsylvania, seen here accepting his high school diploma 2022. one man said he had seen the man and notified law enforcement. >> we noticed the guy crawling, bear crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away

from us. so we're standing there, we're pointing at the guy crawling up the roof. we could clearly see him with the rifle, absolutely. we're pointing at him. the police are down there running around on the ground, we're like hey, man, there's a guy on the after with a rifle. >> reporter: the motive of the shooter is unknown, and under investigation. the 20-year-old registered republican, for somebody his age had no large-scale social media presence. an event that was supposed to be uniquely secure resulted in the wounding of a former president, the death of a rally-goer, injuries of others and untold damage to the fabric of the country. >> scott macfarlane, we're glad that you are safe. he's joining us from butler county there. we want to turn now to cbs homeland security reporter nicole. i know you've been working the phones to understand the latest with the investigation.

what do you know? >> reporter: 20-year-old thomas matthew crooks, the fbi and other law enforcement poring over the internet trying to find any foot print of this suspect, with no derogatory information, no foreign nexus to terrorism, margaret. there is a weapon, a s semiautomatic ar-15 rifle. law enforcement suggesting no other ties to another individual or plot, but they are searching to ensure that this was, in fact, a lone actor. he fired between six and eight rounds. part of the reason why we didn't hear the suspect's name right away, he was not carrying an i.d. on him, so fbi, other federal law enforcement had to run facial recognition tests, as well as dna tests to confirm his identity. one important point, we are told

by law enforcement officials that there was a tip to butler county sheriffs office regard thing suspicious individual when the rally was just getting started. that bystanders had steen this individual walking around, had reported this suspicious person. officials lost sight of where he was. once he did emerge on that shed, of course, individuals spotted him. police spotted him. and it was the countersniper team with th u.s. secret service i'm told had him within seconds. those were the ones who neutralized the threat and fired back immediately, margaret. >> nicole, you have been report thing was an ar-15 or ar-15 style weapon used by the shooter. what do we know about how he obtained it? do we have any detail from the atf at this point? >> reporter: not at this point.

atf is trace thing weapon, trying to determine. fbi also searching the home, trying to figure ot if there were other weapons there and trying to determine if this was his weapon. no positive confirmation of that at this time. still a lot of lingering questions how he was able to procure this semiautomatic weapon. we do know that based on how this weapon works, it wouldn't have been an automatic fire, he had to pull the trigger, pull the trigger, six to eight rounds. >> six to eight rounds, one of them according to the former president, grazed his ear, two others critically wounded and one individual that went to that rally lost his life. nicole, thank you for all of your reporting. for more, we are joined now by our senior white house and political correspondent ed o'keefe who is in milwaukee, and robert costa is here with me in washington. ed, we know this was already a

high-threat environment and very tight security protocols were being rolled out around the republican convention. those going to an even higher level now. >> reporter: they are expected to, margaret. we're standing outside the fister hotel where former president trump is expected to stay. we were in there as they're making the final preparations to begin locking it down as a completely secure facility. ma magnatometers being set up in the lobby, which is standard. we anticipate that the perimeter around this hotel and other buildings here downtown might expand in the coming hours or days in anticipation. nicole reported that more law enforcement, for example, are being sent here to wisconsin to help with screening and protecting various places. so, it is expected to intensify,

and especially for those of us going into the convention center throughout the day-to today and throughout the week. >> bob costa, we know donald trump issued a statement just this morning saying he looks forward to addressing the country and his supporters from milwaukee. it appears it's full steam ahead. >> it is. the trump campaign is on edge. they're asking employees to be careful, not to necessarily go to some of the trump campaign offices. they're looking at the security perimeter in milwaukee. but at the same time, when it comes to the logistics politically of the republican national convention, it is all things go at this moment. the top advisers to former president trump are signaling they are moving ahead with the vice presidential selection at some point in the coming days and trump's address to the country when he accepts the nomination on thursday. >> you and i were covering this in the moment as it was breaking yesterday.

and chthere was a statement issd in anger at what was happening. the statement to the campaign personnel you were referring to this morning seems to be urging people to lower the kind of heated political rhetoric and tension. what do we know about that guidance and the intent there? >> there is a bit of tension on this front. there is anger about what has unfolded in butler, pennsylvania. among friends and political adversaries of former president donald trump to have this outburst of violence in the united states. at the same time, you are seeing political leadership, mostly across the board, as you say, urge temperatures to be lower. to talk about civility, to talk about how the other side may be wrong on an issue but are still human beings. so you are still seeing some people step up. but let's also be candid. tensions are very high.

we're at the height of a political campaign. joe biden, former president trump have been at odds politically, going back to that debate. there has been a pitched posture politically from these campaigns. but we did see the biden campaign call for the ads to be taken down. >> that's right. ed, you know, it is -- i urge everyone not to look at social media because it is not helpful to what you are talking a■bout, lowering the tension at this moment, ed. the biden campaign pulling those ads. but now there is this, you know, autopsy of everything that has been said by anyone recently to try to talk about whether there is a stoking of any kind of political violence here, and this finger pointing. that's not helpful, is it? >> reporter: it isn't. and before we get to the finger pointing, the white house tells cbs news that that call last night between president biden

and former president trump was "good, short, and respectful." that is the extent to which we know about it. that it happened at all is an encouraging sign. that it was good, short, and respectful is encouraging, as well. to the point about who's responsible for this, how to proceed. while the trump campaign may be on edge this morning, the biden campaign is very much in suspension, as we mentioned. the outwards communication, the advertising, the digital, the television advertising, the text messaging is all for now stopped. but don't be surprised if it resumes in some form in the coming days as the republican national convention gets underway. to the point about political violence, let's remember, the reason joe biden ran for president in 2020, beginning in 2019 is what happened in charlottesville, virginia. the reason he sustains his re-election campaign today, one of the big reasons he continues running, he says, is to restore and protect american democracy in the wake of the january 6th,

2021 attacks. all of those examples of political violence of recent years, and the finger pointing will continue. what it will take is our political leaders a @ top, the current and former president talking to each other, perhaps the other former speakers, house leader, senate leaders, coming together saying we have to find a way to stop this. to allow american politics to proceed as we recall from the past. >> when you said suspension, you're just talking about the pulling of ads are you indicating joe biden is changing plan force the week ahead? >> reporter: at this point, we don't know. the other thing, the other element of all this, of course, is his own political future. as we reported, just an hour before this incident, before the president was going to his saturday night mass in delaware, just before the former president was shot in pennsylvania, he was in the midst of what's been described as a defensive, angry call with dozens of house democratic lawmakers, raising concerns about his political prospects.

he was defensive in that conversation. and while the conversation about his future may be suspended for now, in the words of one lawmaker, it maey resume again f he has another episode. >> very quickly. i've been speaking with top democrats. they believe that those democrats who have the concerns about president biden are now standing down politically, will back president biden because of this fragile political moment. all of that talk about the debate faded almost instantly among my top democratic sources as this unfolded, saying it's time for the country to stick together. that means democrats sticking together, as well. >> and anything can happen in an instant. bob, thank you. "face the nation" will be back in one minute, so stay with us.

and we're back now with arkansas republican senator tom cotton. senator, thank you for joining us and it is a difficult morning for many people waking up to this news.

i wonder what your message is to americans in this moment? >> well, it's a difficult day for americans, margaret. i want to join president trump in expressing my gratitude for the secret service agents and the law enforcement officers who acted so quickly, skillfully and bravely to protect him and the supporters at the rally and express my condolences to the family of the man who was killed by the shooter and those who are still in critical condition today. i had a chance to speak with president trump this morning. he's doing well. he's in good spirits. he's very grateful for the prayers that americans have sent to him and all those who were affected at the rally. he's focused on moving ahead to the convention this week in milwaukee. so it's a tough day, but president trump is resilient, as are his supporters and as is our nation. >> and senator, i saw last night leader mcconnell issued a statement in which he said very clearly, violence has no place

in our politics. i imagine you would associate yourself with the leader's sentiment? >> of course, margaret. unfortunately we've seen a few instances of violence in recent years. throughout our history there's been sporadic spates of violence. has no place in america or in the american political tradition. robust, strong campaigns, contrasting ideas between candidates and parties, of course, is central to american democracy, but we settle those differences through political debates and through elections. we don't settle them through violence. so what happened yesterday is extremely regrettable. it's not consistent with the american spirit, and i'm grateful again that president trump miraculously survived and is going to move forward with the convention this week and this campaign because that's how we settle our political differences in america. >> couldn't agree more. i want to ask you since you sit on the senate and intelligence

and the senate judiciary committees you are in a unique position to know and be aware of what is a very heightened threat environment in this country. director wray of the fbi has repeatedly warned of it on many fronts from homegrown violent extremists, jihadist extremists, state-sponsored organizations. in this moment we know very little in the early hours about this 20-year-old man from pennsylvania who has been identified as carrying out this attack. but tell me your thoughts on the threat environment where -- that we are in right now? >> well, as president trump said, i think it's important we not jump to any conclusions about the shooter. i've seen the reports that he's a registered republican and given to left wing causes. we need to let investigators fully develop this situation and get all the facts before we jump to any conclusions. again, like president trump said, i do want to commend the secret service agents on the site who protected not only him

but all the other people at that rally. unfortunately there was a death and some critical injuries and we continue to pray for them. we hope that this is just a one-off incident and nothing like this will happen again. the way we settle political differences in america is through vigorous debates and campaigns and ultimately elections not through political violence. >> in terms of the security of other individuals, including lawmakers, you know, and you're referring to the recent incidents in recent years, including the attack on paul pelosi, husband of the former speaker of the house, the concerns about an individual who turned himself in but appeared outside justice kavanaugh's home with a weapon, for lawmakers, what do you think about the security posture right now? do you think it needs to be increased further? >> well, first off, let me speak about the immediate upcoming event in milwaukee, the republican national convention. president trump has said it's going on as planned. i will be there next week.

i look forward to speaking on behalf of president trump. i encourage all the delegates and everyone else going to the convention to go there with confidence that it will be, frankly, maybe the safest place in america over the next week. there have been threats on occasion against legislators. there was an attempted mass murder of republican congressmen at a baseball practice a few years ago, steve scalise, congressman from louisiana was gravely injured. the capitol police did a great job in that moment and do a great job trying to protect us not only in the capitol but make sure we're aware of threats. the president is different from 535 legislators. that's why he has secret service and full-time details and why campaigns like president trump's vit, but i think the capitol police do a great job in trying to protect all legislators, and i'm confident the capitol police, secret service, local law enforcement and every other law enforcement agency next week at the republican national convention, again, will make it probably the safest place in america. i look forward to being there as does president trump.

>> i know you are expected to speak and were expected to speak on national security isues. i wonder how this changes, perhaps, the party platform or at least your thinking? >> margaret, i think we have to move on with this campaign, despite this horrific shooting. the parties do have very different ideas. president biden and president trump have very different records. we look forward to contrasting that. i'm sure the convention will change in some manner and some of the focus you have. we still need to carry forward that vigorous debate of ideas on to election day this november. again i look forward to being there. i'm fully confident law enforcement protecting everyone who is there. i look forward to hearing what president trump has to say as well. i think the american people will welcome a convention that contrasts ideas after this horrific shooting. >> earlier this morning the head of the -- the spokesperson for

the secret service issued a statement saying there were untrue assertions that the former president's team requested additional security and that it was rebuffed. the secret service is calling that absolutely false. the speaker of the house is calling for the director of the secret service to come up and testify. i wonder what you know, if anything, since you spoke to donald trump about the state of his concern regarding his detail or whether he was confident? >> well, margaret, i'm not privy to the details about the protection that the secret service provides to donald trump. that's something that the campaign and the secret service keep very closely held. donald trump, again, expressed his gratitude for the secret service agents who protected him along with all the other law enforcement officers that secured the scene and neutralized the shooter promptly. it's fair to say there was a lapse in the planning for the security at this event that allowed a shooter to get within

125 or 150 yards from the dais. there should be an investigation of that. i suspect the secret service will welcome and cooperate with that as well. but none of that, as president trump said, is to take away from the skill and the bravery of the agents around him and law enforcement officers on the site who neutralized the shooter right away before he could kill or wound anyone else and protected president trump and got him away from the site promptly. >> just quickly 125 to 150 yards, you know that to be the confirmed distance of the shooter to the former president? >> margaret, i can't say that's been confirmed by government authority. that's what i have seen from the overhead imagery that's run in various media outlets. that's, again, not coming from a government agency. that's coming from what i've seen in published reports and overhead satellite imagery. >> senator cotton, we'll be hearing from you later this week at the convention. thank you for joining us this morning. we'll be right back with a lot more "face the nation" so stay with us. back with a lot more "face the nation" so stay with us.

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and we're joined now by democratic colorado congressman jason crow. it's good to have you here. >> good to be here, margaret. >> in this moment of a lot of tension and some dangerous political rhetoric, i wonder what you're thinking this morning and your message to americans? >> well, i condemn in no uncertain terms the violence against donald trump. that type of violence has no place in america, no place in our political discourse. we settle our debates and our differences through political discourse. i want to acknowledge the emotion, though, that we're all feeling that america is feeling, that's heavy. it feels like we are on the precipes right now, i know that. now is the time for us all to recommit to uniting and coming together as a country. i think about my own background. i come from a conservative family. i fought for americans of every background. we can come together and do great things and unite. i believe very strongly in it.

>> i want to talk to you more about that and it's an important message. we're going to do it on the other side of this break. we'll be right back. message. we're going to do it on the other side of this break. we'll be right back. rs post-9/11 veterans and their families with life-changing programs and services. i realized i could be successful in a civilian career. we stand by warriors and advocate for their needs going forward. they were by my side in the hospital, and they're still with me today. through our programs, community and advocacy, we're proving anything is possible. learn more at wounded warriorproject.org/connect

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