The FBI has released a batch of newly unclassified documents about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 2024. NBC News correspondent Julia Ainsley walks through what the files reveal — and what still isn’t answered.
What do the new FBI documents say?
The materials add detail to the record of the July 2024 shooting, which came within inches of killing the former president as he spoke at an outdoor rally. Images from that day show Trump with blood streaking down the side of his face, fist raised, surrounded by Secret Service agents as an American flag flapped overhead — a moment that has already become one of the defining images of the campaign.
The footage also revisits the shooter, a young man whose school portrait — glasses, sandy hair, a plain gray shirt — has circulated widely since the attack. NBC’s report walks through what investigators now know about him based on the newly disclosed files.
What questions are still unanswered?
Even with the new documents in hand, Ainsley notes there are lingering questions the FBI has not fully resolved. The report doesn’t spell out every gap, but it makes clear that the release is not the final word on how the gunman was able to get within range, or on the full sequence of events at the rally site that day.
Why this matters now
More than a year after the shooting, new unclassified records keep surfacing as investigators piece together security failures and the shooter’s background. Each release adds to the public record of an event that shook a presidential campaign and raised hard questions about protective security at large outdoor rallies.
[“trump”, “butler pennsylvania”, “fbi documents”, “assassination attempt”, “campaign rally”, “nbc news”]
Politics
[“The FBI released newly unclassified documents about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.”, “The attack took place during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 2024.”, “NBC News correspondent Julia Ainsley reported on what the documents reveal.”, “The report references lingering, unanswered questions about the incident.”, “Footage includes a photo of Trump bloodied and raising his fist after the shooting, and a school-style portrait of the gunman.”]
Trump raises his fist, blood on his face, as agents shield him beside an American flag