Trump’s vice presidential nominee JD Vance blames Biden’s ‘rhetoric’ for shooting, while other potential VEEP picks show public support as tension mounts over who he will select this week
Former President Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential nominee group is rallying behind the ex-president following Saturday’s assassination attempt. Some immediately blamed Biden and Democrats after the shooting.
The former president could announce his Republican running mate at any moment, as the Republican Party convention kicks off Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It’s not yet clear who Trump is leaning toward or how he will share his picks with the world. Before Saturday’s horrific events unfolded, some campaign officials joked on numerous occasions that only Trump knows.
But all the major candidates mentioned in recent weeks have expressed support for Trump and outrage over the violence that has taken place.
“Trump campaign says the president is OK. Thank God. I hope everyone is safe,” Ohio Senator JD Vance wrote on X shortly after the shooting.
The leading vice presidential candidate, Sen. J.D. Vance, blamed Biden’s campaign rhetoric for the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, while another potential candidate, Sen. Tim Scott, went after Democrats
“Today is not an isolated incident,” Vance also wrote. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to the attempted assassination of President Trump.”
The decision to blame Trump’s political opponent for Saturday night’s assassination attempt was met with backlash online, with critics calling the message dangerous and irresponsible.
Vance has been seen in recent days as a possible candidate for Trump’s running mate after it was confirmed that Trump’s son Don Jr., who is an ally of Vance, would speak at the party conference ahead of the vice presidential nominee.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance blamed Biden’s “rhetoric” in a post on X following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
“I am praying for President Trump and everyone who attended the rally in Pennsylvania today,” another potential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, wrote after the X shooting.
The Republican senator appeared onstage alongside Trump at his campaign rally in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday.
“God has protected President Trump,” Rubio wrote in another post alongside an image of Trump raising his fist in the air.
The Florida senator also addressed media outlets that had criticized the earlier headlines, as news organizations tried to piece together what exactly happened in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio speaks for Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Doral, Florida on July 9, 2024
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgun praised Trump in a message as stronger than his enemies
North Dakota Governor and former presidential candidate Doug Burgun, whose name is also in the race and who is a key surrogate for Trump, also shared his reaction to X.
“Please join Kathryn and me in praying for President Trump, his family, and everyone attending the rally today,” Burgun wrote. “We all know that President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed that.”
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said he was praying for Trump and everyone at the rally. He wrote, “May God watch over them all.” But the GOP senator also fiercely criticized Democrats after the assassination attempt Saturday night.
“Congressman Scalise, Justice Kavanaugh, and now President Trump. For years, Democrats and their allies in the media have recklessly stoked fear by branding President Trump and other conservatives a threat to democracy. Their incendiary rhetoric puts lives at risk,” Scott wrote on X.
He did not cite examples of political violence against Democrats that have also occurred in recent years, including the attack on Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s husband in 2022.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott went after Democrats, claiming they “recklessly stoked fear” following the shooting in Butler, PA
Trump’s opponent President Biden spoke out about the political violence on Saturday evening, a few hours after the attempted assassination.
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country.”
The White House also confirmed that Biden and Trump spoke directly by phone after the shooting.