Former President Donald Trump appeared to have been shot Saturday afternoon at a MAGA rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Video of the twice-impeached and 34 times convicted felon, who is the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, showed him grabbing the side of his face and later bleeding as Secret Service agents tackled him. Several shots rang out as the crowd screamed in fear.
A Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement posted to X that “the former President is safe.”
“This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi posted.
Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said that the former president “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act.”
“He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility,” Cheung said. “More details will follow.”
Video of the twice-impeached and 34-times-convicted felon, who is the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, showed him grabbing the side of his face and later bleeding as Secret Service agents tackled him. Several loud bangs were heard as the crowd screamed in fear.
A Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement posted to X that “the former President is safe.”
“This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi posted.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said that the former president “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act.”
“He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility,” Cheung said. “More details will follow.”
President Joe Biden, who has also been fervently campaigning to defeat Trump in the 2024 General Election, released a statement after news of the shooting.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information,” Biden wrote. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn.”
Former President Barack Obama sent well wishes to his successor and also emphasized the importance of peace even during a contentious election season.
“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” Obama wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Michelle and I are
wishing him a quick recovery.”
