Additionally, in the latest development, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced in an official statement that the suspect shot and killed by security forces at former President Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Read also: Trump’s raised fist: The meaning of the gesture widely used by fascists, socialists and communists
Is this the first time a presidential candidate has been attacked?
Historically, violence during election campaigns is not new: in 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was shot while speaking but survived, and in 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed while campaigning for president.
Modern presidents, including Trump, have faced assassination attempts. In 2017, the Secret Service thwarted an ISIL plot against Trump at the ASEAN summit.
Read also: List of assassination attempts on U.S. presidents and former presidents
What happens if a presidential candidate is murdered before the election?
According to the Brookings Institution, the procedures for when a presidential candidate dies or becomes incapacitated before taking office depend on when the candidate died or became incapacitated, with different steps followed in pre-election and post-election scenarios.
If a candidate dies or becomes incapacitated before a general election, the political party selects a replacement candidate. This usually involves members of the party’s national committee selecting a new candidate. Each political party has its own rules and methods for this selection process.
If a candidate dies or becomes incapacitated after the election but before the Electoral College votes, the electors have the discretion to vote for a replacement chosen by their political party. If the president-elect dies or becomes incapacitated after the Electoral College votes but before the Inauguration, the vice president-elect becomes president.
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