It wasn’t a shock, but a moment of deja vu: a series of crackles, a frosty silence among the crowd of more than 15,000, and then Trump being rushed away by security. Is this really happening?
Working as an on-site producer for one of the big five broadcast networks, you occasionally serve as the eyes and ears of a “network pool” at major high-profile events, directing a small team with the goal of giving reporters editorial independence. Frankly, it’s a mundane job, dealing with a flurry of emails and messages from people coming and going, and hoping to get dispatched to a good spot on the internet. That was my role at Trump’s Butler rally on Saturday, July 13, and nothing happened until 6:11 p.m.
For the first 30 seconds after I heard the first gunshots, the screams, the cheers, I didn’t know much. was What happened was a life-changing event.
I have covered conflicts and protests all over the world, from January 6th to Ukraine to Israel. These assignments often put me in situations that seem out of my control. I’ve found that imagining myself in those situations and thinking about what I would do in that scenario helps me to calm my nerves and plan ahead to stay in the moment.
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Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, pumps his fist in defiance after suffering an ear injury during an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Instinctively, that mindset was reversed. Still trying to comprehend what was happening, I somehow remembered the story of Shelley Fieldman, the camerawoman who filmed the Reagan assassination. I turned to the camerawoman and, without hesitation, yelled, “Keep your eyes on Trump! Do not stop filming under any circumstances.” Whatever happened, we had to capture that moment.
But it was still not clear what Now I knew what was happening, and as the President pumped his fist in the air, was pulled off the ground, and dragged towards the motorcade, I realized I had to send out some kind of communications report.
At that moment, many of us could not believe what we had just seen. All signs pointed to some kind of attack. But we were actually know Despite sitting on a dais just 100 feet from the stage, he couldn’t see the gunman, didn’t know if Trump had been injured and could hear little else but the screams of the crowd.
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Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was taken away by Secret Service agents in Butler, Pennsylvania, after he was shot in the ear. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Verify and report. Credibility is built on accuracy. Analysis and speculation will only lead to confusion. Your words will be used to convey an editorial to the whole world. You represent the press and it is your duty to convey correct information. In the days before the Internet, I called my boss and said:
From Pool Producer James Levinson:
Poole heard a series of loud explosions or bangs//USSS quickly assisted President Trump//Poole heard lingering bangs afterwards and the crowd ducked for cover//Agents grabbed Trump, who was swinging his fists, and they walked off stage left to their car and appeared to leave the premises//Poole is seeking further information from the campaign
The work continued, with hours of calls, follow-ups and checks before the Secret Service rushed them out.
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Former President Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
By now, the video has been viewed, analyzed and reposted all over the internet. It tells a story in itself, but we must remember that it is only one piece of the puzzle of what actually happened that day. In the hours following the incident, the discussion was dominated by theories, motives and speculation.
In every conversation I had about the assassination, I heard the same three words: “You have witnessed history.” I think it’s important to remember that for the three families who attended the vigil, that day will remain one of the worst days of their lives. They would have hoped it would be just another day.
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Through this work, I have learned that history is often intertwined with tragedy. It is an honor to cover such moments, and our duty is to be as accurate as possible and to treat our readers and viewers with respect. There will be more information, rewrites, and reviews to come. I wish the first draft of my history had met that moment.
