Former President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as part of an investigation into an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania earlier this month, a special agent disclosed on Monday. The gunman had previously researched mass attacks and explosive devices.

The upcoming interview with the 2024 Republican presidential nominee follows the FBI’s standard protocol of speaking with victims during criminal investigations. The FBI confirmed on Friday that Trump was struck by a bullet or a fragment during the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“We want to get his perspective on what he observed,” said Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office. “It is a standard victim interview like we would do for any other victim of crime, under any other circumstances.”

Through approximately 450 interviews, the FBI has built a profile of the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, depicting him as a “highly intelligent” but reclusive 20-year-old whose primary social circle was his family, with few friends and acquaintances, Rojek said.

The FBI has not determined a motive for targeting Trump, but investigators believe the shooting was the result of extensive planning. This included the recent purchase of chemical precursors for explosive devices found in his car and home, and the use of a drone near the rally site hours before the event.

Additionally, Rojek noted that Crooks had searched online for information about mass shootings, improvised explosive devices, power plants, and the attempted assassination in May of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The FBI revealed that on July 6, the day Crooks registered to attend the Trump rally, he googled: “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” referencing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

Crooks’ parents have been “extremely cooperative” with investigators, Rojek said, adding that the extensive planning for the shooting was done online. The parents have claimed no knowledge of Crooks’ plans, and investigators have no reason to doubt their statements, according to the FBI.

On Friday, July 26, former United States President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, called Kamala Harris to endorse her presidential bid. The call, which lasted about a minute, was captured on video. This endorsement came nearly a week after Joe Biden withdrew from the election race against Republican Donald Trump, allowing Kamala Harris to step in.

“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Barack Obama said to Kamala Harris during the call. Michelle Obama expressed her pride in Kamala Harris, saying, “This is going to be historic.”

Barack Obama also tweeted his endorsement, emphasizing that Kamala Harris would make a “fantastic President.”

“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support. At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you’ll join us,” he tweeted.

Michelle Obama added, “I’m so proud of my girl, Kamala. Barack and I are so excited to endorse her as the Democratic nominee because of her positivity, sense of humor, and ability to bring light and hope to people all across the country. We’ve got your back.”

Kamala Harris responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It means so much to have your endorsements, @MichelleObama and @BarackObama. Let’s get to work.”

However, there were reports that Barack Obama had doubts about Kamala Harris’ ability to defeat Donald Trump. A source close to the Biden family told the New York Post that Obama was upset because he believed Kamala Harris “cannot win” against Trump. The source said, “Barack Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” and added, “Obama knows she’s just incompetent — the border czar who never visited the border, saying that all migrants should have health insurance. She cannot navigate the landmines that are ahead of her.”

Oil prices rose, recovering from a series of losses, after a government report revealed that US crude inventories had dropped to their lowest level since February.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude surpassed $77 a barrel, rebounding from a 5.5% decline since last Wednesday. The Energy Information Administration reported that US oil inventories fell by 3.74 million barrels last week, marking the fourth consecutive decline. However, price gains were limited as traders also monitored declines in equity markets.

The earlier selloff in crude was intensified by trend-following algorithms after futures broke key technical levels. On Tuesday, WTI entered oversold territory on the 9-day relative strength index, indicating an imminent rebound.

US gasoline inventories also saw their largest drop since March, as some refineries remain shut and the summer driving season pushed seasonal fuel demand on a four-week basis to its highest level since 2021. Although the driving season typically peaks in late July, there may still be room for prices to rally.

“It’s still summer driving season,” said Rob Thummel, a portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital Advisors. “There’s still vacation. There could still be some good demand numbers over the next several weeks.”

Oil’s recent weakness has been driven by concerns about reduced demand in China, the world’s largest crude importer, with technical traders adding to the downward pressure. Despite this, futures remain higher year-to-date, as OPEC continues with output cuts, and a Bloomberg tally showed Russian exports dropping to their lowest since December.

Russia plans to make additional crude output cuts in October and November, as well as between March and September next year, to compensate for earlier overproduction, the Energy Ministry announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, wildfires across Canada’s oil-producing regions are threatening almost 10% of the area’s oil production. In Alberta alone, 170 blazes are burning, with more than 50 out of control.

Former US President Barack Obama took to social media to praise President Joe Biden for his unwavering dedication to the American people. However, he did not mention endorsing Kamala Harris in his post.

On X, he wrote, “The sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us.” Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again over a lifetime of service to the American people. Thank you, @POTUS.”

A source close to the Biden family told the New York Post that Obama has not endorsed Kamala Harris because he believes she cannot defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. “Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” the source told the New York Post.

Addressing the nation, US President Joe Biden explained why he decided to step back from the 2024 US presidential race, saying he is “passing the torch to a new generation.” He stated, “I revere this office. But I love my country more. I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation.”

Kamala Harris has not yet been declared the presidential candidate by the Democratic Party. She was endorsed by Biden as the presidential nominee for the Democratic Party when he announced his decision to step out of the race. However, an AP survey revealed that Harris has received support from former speaker Nancy Pelosi and other party members. The survey showed that on Monday, several state delegations, including Texas and California (Harris’s home state), affirmed their backing for Harris. By the end of the day, Harris had secured support from more than the 1,976 Democrat delegates required to secure victory on the first ballot, as reported by the AP. No other candidate received support from the delegates contacted.

Responding to the AP tally, Harris said, “I am grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people.”