Donald Trump himself has been a major architect of the coarsening in US political language in recent years
AFP

The FBI early on Sunday have identified the man who made an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The shooter who is dead is identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, reported ABC News.

"This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI," an FBI spokesperson said.

Pennsylvania voter records show a Thomas Matthew Crooks, with the same address and birth date, registered as a Republican. However, the records do not indicate when this registration occurred.

Moreover, the motive is not clear.

"The shooter has been tentatively identified," state police Lt. Col. George Bivens had said. "It's a matter of doing biometric confirmations."

Donald Trump was quickly escorted off stage during an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday following an assassination attempt.

Secret Service agents swiftly surrounded Trump, taking cover behind the podium. Blood was visible on his right ear as agents escorted him to a waiting vehicle. A spokesperson confirmed that Trump is "fine." The alleged shooter has been killed. Officials reported one spectator dead and two others in serious condition.

Approximately two and a half hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social that a bullet "pierced the upper part of my right ear."

"I knew immediately that something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and felt the bullet tearing through my skin," Trump wrote. "There was a lot of bleeding, so I quickly realized what had happened."

Trump thanked law enforcement in his online statement and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. "It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country," he wrote.

According to three senior U.S. law enforcement officials, the shots were fired from outside the Secret Service security perimeter for the rally.