Shock and relief cross party lines as past and present leaders react to shooting at Trump rally
WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic leaders, both past and present, expressed shock Saturday night after news that gunfire had broken out during a Donald Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania — and relief that the former president had survived the attack.
Prominent officials, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, praised the Secret Service’s swift action and expressed gratitude that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee appeared to be OK.
“As someone whose family has been victims of political violence, I know firsthand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “As we learn more details about this horrific incident, let us pray that all those attending the former President’s rally today are safe.”
In 2022, Pelosi’s husband was struck with a hammer by a man who broke into their home.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said he had spoken to his father on the phone and that he was “in great spirits.” “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him,” Trump Jr. said in a statement.
Obama, Trump’s immediate predecessor in the White House, echoed the sentiments of others who have held the presidency, writing on social media: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. While we do not yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump was not seriously injured and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I wish him a speedy recovery.”
President Joe Biden said, “There is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick.”
Bush praised the Secret Service for its “quick response” to the violence. “Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe after the cowardly attempt on his life,” Bush wrote on X.
Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, strongly criticized the violence in his home state.
“I am appalled and condemn in the strongest terms this violence in Butler,” he wrote on X. “I extend my condolences to those injured and wish Mr. Trump a speedy and full recovery.”
At least one Republican House member, Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, blamed Biden, saying, “The Republican district attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately bring charges against Joseph R. Biden for solicitation of murder.”
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said violence of any kind “has no place in our political process.” He added that “this horrific act is yet another reminder that no one is immune to gun violence. When guns are everywhere, available to everyone, with no questions asked — no one is safe.”
_____
Associated Press journalists Hannah Schoenbaum, Stefanie Dazio and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.