Donald Trump's campaign says he is "fine" after what law enforcement officials are treating as an apparent assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Shots from rooftop: How the Trump assassination attempt unfoldedhttps://t.co/rfIEtp5Ton#Trump #TrumpRally #AssassinationAttemptAgainstTrump #Election2024 #US pic.twitter.com/z6svNuVC8O
— Israel Hayom English (@IsraelHayomEng) July 14, 2024
In a social media post, Trump said he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear." The former president was quickly whisked from the stage by Secret Service agents, his ear covered in blood.
He later sent an email to his backers saying. "THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM DONALD TRUMP," the email statement read. "I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!"
Video: The assassination attempt of Donald Trump
The email included his signature and portrait.
Trump also thanked law enforcement and expressed condolences with those who were injured in the rally.
"It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," the former president said in the post. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
A prosecutor said the suspected gunman and at least one attendee are dead, and the Secret Service said two spectators were critically injured, but then updated the statement saying at least one was killed.
Photo by New York Times photographer Doug Mills shows bullet flying just behind Trump's head. pic.twitter.com/0ncIBC0i1v
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) July 14, 2024
President Joe Biden and political leaders of all stripes condemned the attack. "There's no place in America for this type of violence," Biden said. "It's sick. It's sick."
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke with former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening. No further details were provided on the call. Biden will convene a briefing with homeland security and law enforcement officials at the White House on Sunday morning.
At 6:02 pm Saturday, to the strains of "God Bless the U.S.A.," former President Donald Trump took the stage at fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, waving at the cheering crowd and settling into his regular rally speech under a scorching midsummer sun.
A few short minutes later, Trump pointed to a projection of a chart that showed a spike in illegal border crossings under the man he's running against, President Joe Biden. "That chart's a couple of months old," Trump told the crowd. "And if you want to see something really sad –"
That's when the shots rang out, at least five. Trump clutched his ear as dark-suited Secret Service agents dashed toward him. He dropped to the ground as the agents yelled, "Get down!" The thousands of rallygoers packed into the field in front of him moved as one, dropping down as silence spread across the grass, punctuated only by an occasional scream.
