 Well, those pops you heard were shots ringing out. Mr Trump put a hand to his ear and then ducked below the lectern. A huddle of security personnel surrounded the former president, who had blood on his ear and on his face, and guided him off the stage into a vehicle. He could be seen several times punching the air to let the crowd know he was all right. Saurabh Sharma, the president of the conservative non-profit group American Moment, was in the crowd.