[guest post by Dana]

While the investigations into the the security failures that lead to Donald Trump being the target of an assassination attempt are ongoing, and because it’s difficult to sort through everything, I’ve put up an open thread where you can post updates. Also, feel free to share your theories but avoid the silly type of false accusation that Trump’s newly announced running mate, J.D. Vance, made (just two hours after the incident took place and before any formal investigation had begun.) [Ed. You might ask, what kind of clueless public figure makes an accusation *before* a thorough investigation has taken place? I’ll tell you who: the two doofuses who are the Republican and Democratic contenders for the vice-presidency: J.D. Vance and Kamala Harris, that’s who!]

“Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Pffft!

In case Vance hadn’t noticed, Donald Trump indeed has strong authoritarian tendencies, and for the sake of our Republic, he must be prevented from holding office again. That’s not rhetoric – that’s the hard truth of the matter. Of course Vance knows this. . . Or knew this before his um, transformation. . .

Here’s the latest from the New York Times:

F.B.I. officials told members of Congress on Wednesday that the gunman who tried to kill former President Donald J. Trump had used his cellphone to search for images of Mr. Trump and President Biden — and also searched for dates of Trump appearances and the Democratic National Convention. . .

The F.B.I. has not found any indication that the gunman, Thomas Crooks, had strong partisan political views, based on the two phones among his possessions. The absence of “any political or ideological information” at his home in Pennsylvania was “notable” because most politically motivated would-be assassins leave a discernible trail of views. . .

New details emerged Tuesday about a search for the gunman, who was first spotted acting strangely by a police sniper about 20 to 25 minutes before the shooting, according to a local law enforcement official. The sniper took a photo, which was circulated to law enforcement agencies at the rally. Though considered suspicious, he appeared to be unarmed and not an immediate threat, the official said.

After the gunman was killed, investigators found two improvised bombs in his car. The rudimentary devices were made with the kind of initiators used for fireworks shows and may have contained fertilizer. The devices were described in a report for law enforcement obtained by The New York Times.

Let’s hear what you’ve got.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Is President Biden now open to the possibility of stepping down? Maybe, if the circumstances are such:

President Joe Biden would reevaluate his decision to stay in the presidential race if doctors told him he had a medical issue, he said in an interview with BET News.

“If I had some medical condition that emerged,” Biden said, when asked if there was anything that would make him reconsider. “If doctors came to me and said, ‘You got this problem, that problem.’”

According to the report, Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician said that Biden was a “healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.” Additionally, it was confirmed that the physical included a Nuerological examination.

And while the subject of President Biden’s age and competence are subjects his team is hoping to stifle, a leading Democrat called for him to step down today:

California Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday became the highest-profile Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, even as the party pushed ahead with plans for a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August.

The move to schedule the roll call, which would come weeks before the Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago on Aug. 19, follows nearly 20 Democratic members of Congress calling on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in the wake of his dismal debate performance against Republican former President Donald Trump last month.

P.S. President Biden has just tested positive for COVID. I suspect that this will hurt him as Democrats, still hanging on in support of him while concerned about his cognitive decline and overall health, will see this as some sort of sign of worse things to come – whether rightly or wrongly. And of course, I want to wish President Biden a speedy and full recovery

— Dana