Donald Trump was injured in what the FBI said was an attempted assassination at an election rally in Pennsylvania on last Saturday evening, an act of political violence that threatens to upend an already tumultuous US election race and deepen the country’s polarization.
The former president was injured in a volley of gunfire at 6.15pm from an “elevated position” outside the venue, according to the US Secret Service. The shots killed one spectator and critically wounded others, all of whom were male, according to authorities.
Trump was immediately rushed offstage to his motorcade, with blood visible on his right ear and streaking across his cheek. He pumped his fists and shouted “Fight!” to the crowd before being driven away.
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting current and former presidents, said the suspected shooter had fired “multiple shots towards the stage” before being killed by its agents. The FBI called the incident “an assassination attempt against our former president Donald Trump”.
The FBI later identified the suspected shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Posting on his Truth Social platform yesterday, the former president said: “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed . . . It is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win.”
Trump added that he looked forward “to speaking to our great nation this week” from the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin, where he is due to formally accept his party’s nomination for president.
The shooting drew condemnation from across the US political spectrum, with President Joe Biden, who spoke to Trump late on Saturday, describing the incident as “sick” and a reason “why we have to unite this country”.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” Biden said. International leaders also denounced it. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “appalled by the shocking scenes”.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he would “pray for President Trump’s speedy recovery”, while French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident “a tragedy for our democracies”. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she was “deeply shocked”.
ZH
