"🚨 TRAGIC SHOCKER! — TRUMP MOURNS PASSING OF SUPPORTER SHOT DURING BUTLER RALLY!"
President Donald Trump is mourning the death of James “Jim” Copenhaver, one of the rallygoers seriously wounded during the 2024 assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Copenhaver, 76, died Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner and his family’s attorney.
Copenhaver had survived being shot twice during the July 13, 2024, attack at the Butler Farm Show grounds, suffering devastating injuries that required multiple surgeries and continued to affect him for more than two years.
Trump paid tribute to Copenhaver on Thursday, calling him a “true American Patriot” and describing his death as a “tremendous loss.”
“More than two years ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, a crazed gunman attempted to stifle our America First Movement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Instead, Jim and so many other wonderful Patriots who love our Country, stood united in defense of our shared values of Freedom, Liberty, and Justice.”
Trump praised Copenhaver for the way he handled the difficult recovery that followed.
“Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships,” Trump wrote.
“His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure. Our hearts and prayers are with the Copenhaver family, especially his incredible wife Marianne.”
Copenhaver was sitting in the bleachers behind Trump when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof of a nearby building.
Trump was struck in the right ear before Secret Service agents surrounded him and rushed him from the stage.
Three spectators were also struck. Former Buffalo Township fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed while shielding his family from the gunfire.
Copenhaver and fellow rally attendee David Dutch were seriously wounded. Dutch survived. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Copenhaver was struck in his arm and abdomen. His injuries proved extensive.
According to a federal lawsuit he later filed, the gunfire caused injuries to his abdomen, colon and kidney, along with nerve damage and other medical problems.
He underwent multiple operations, including surgery involving his colon, and spent weeks recovering in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility.
Even after returning home, Copenhaver continued experiencing physical effects from the attack. He lost feeling in part of one leg and needed a cane to walk.
His lawsuit described the injuries as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering.”
Copenhaver’s family said he faced the lengthy recovery with determination.
“Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him,” attorney Joseph Feldman said on behalf of the family.
The family described Copenhaver as a devoted husband, father and grandfather who emphasized hard work, integrity and service to others. He was also a military veteran.
“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” the family said. “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday subsequently said Copenhaver had died from “complications stemming from those wounds.”
Copenhaver’s death comes months after he and his wife, Marianne, filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the security failures surrounding the assassination attempt.
Dutch and his wife filed a similar lawsuit.
The lawsuits accuse the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security of negligence and contend that federal authorities failed to properly secure the AGR International complex adjacent to the rally site — including the building Crooks ultimately climbed before opening fire.
The litigation points to congressional investigations that identified numerous security breakdowns surrounding the rally.
A bipartisan House task force investigating the assassination attempt found significant problems with planning, communications and coordination among the Secret Service and state and local law enforcement agencies.
The attack produced one of the defining images of the 2024 presidential campaign.
Moments after being shot, Trump stood as Secret Service agents surrounded him, raised his fist and repeatedly shouted “Fight!” before being taken from the stage.
Copenhaver was fighting for his own life only yards away.
Video later recovered from Copenhaver’s cellphone also provided investigators with a chilling perspective on the attack. Footage recorded shortly before the shooting showed a figure later identified as Crooks moving across the roof from which he would fire.
Copenhaver’s death drew condolences beyond Trump.
House Republicans said he had “endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance” and offered prayers to his family.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also expressed condolences while again condemning political violence.
"🚨 BRANSON'S SCATHING ATTACK! — HE BLASTS TRUMP OVER PUTIN TIES AND URGES EUROPE TO STAND FIRM!"
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has launched a fierce public attack on Donald Trump, accusing the U.S. administration of appeasing dictators and putting personal preferences ahead of American and allied interests.
The Virgin Group founder made his criticism in a LinkedIn post published this week, questioning why Trump appeared so willing to accommodate Russian President Vladimir Putin while Ukraine continues to face Russia’s invasion.
Branson described the administration as an “appeaser to autocrats and dictators,” arguing that its approach could weaken confidence among America’s traditional allies and undermine the interests of democratic nations.
He also raised a pointed question about the president’s relationship with Putin, asking why Trump seemed to flatter the Russian leader despite the continuing war and widespread international concern over Moscow’s actions.
The remarks come amid renewed controversy over a reported agreement involving Russian diesel supplies and a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions on Russian energy exports.
Trump has defended the arrangement as beneficial to fuel markets, while critics argue that allowing Russian energy revenues to flow could indirectly help Moscow sustain its war effort.
Branson called the deal deeply hypocritical, pointing to the contrast between Washington’s previous willingness to penalize countries purchasing Russian energy and its own decision to ease restrictions.
His criticism extended beyond energy policy. He also condemned Trump’s public attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing the administration’s treatment of Ukraine as a betrayal during a period of war and suffering.
The billionaire’s intervention follows mounting concern in Kyiv and across Europe about the durability of American support for Ukraine, particularly as diplomatic efforts have struggled to produce a lasting settlement.
Branson also expressed alarm about reports involving restrictions on Starshield services used by Ukraine, a technology issue that has raised questions about the country’s access to crucial battlefield communications.
Some of Branson’s claims about the consequences of satellite-service restrictions have not been independently confirmed, and the details of decisions involving military communications remain disputed.
He urged European leaders to respond more decisively, arguing that the continent cannot simply wait for Washington to determine the future of Ukraine’s security and its broader relationship with Russia.
His proposed response reportedly included considering the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and supplying more advanced weapons, measures that would intensify the confrontation with Moscow.
The comments place Branson among a relatively small group of prominent business leaders willing to criticize Trump directly over foreign policy, despite the political and commercial sensitivities surrounding such interventions.
Branson has previously spoken out in support of Ukraine and criticized approaches that he believes would pressure Kyiv into accepting an unfavorable peace agreement with Russia.
The latest dispute also comes at a politically sensitive moment in the United States, with congressional midterm elections approaching and foreign policy increasingly intertwined with domestic debates over leadership and national priorities.
Supporters of Trump’s approach may argue that direct engagement with Moscow and energy-market flexibility can serve American interests, even when such policies provoke disagreement among allies.
Critics counter that concessions to Russia risk weakening deterrence and sending an unsettling message to countries relying on the United States for diplomatic, economic and military support.
The disagreement reflects a broader debate over whether negotiations and economic pragmatism can help end the war—or whether they could give Moscow additional leverage without securing meaningful concessions.
For Ukraine, the stakes remain immediate: continued military pressure, uncertainty over international support and the search for a settlement that preserves its sovereignty remain central concerns.
Branson’s intervention adds another prominent voice to the dispute, challenging the White House’s handling of Russia and demanding a stronger response from Europe as the conflict continues.
