Sid Miller, the Texas agriculture commissioner present at the rally, expressed confidence that Trump would recover and proceed to the Republican National Convention.
Texas leaders from both political parties expressed shock and solidarity with former President Donald Trump following a shooting at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
During the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shots were fired, prompting the U.S. Secret Service to swiftly escort Trump offstage for safety. Trump sustained a minor injury to his ear, which he later described in a social media post. Sid Miller, the Texas agriculture commissioner and a staunch Trump supporter who was standing nearby, recounted the tense moments, noting that Trump appeared unharmed and expressing confidence that he would proceed to the Republican National Convention as planned. Miller himself was unharmed in the incident.
The suspected shooter was killed, and tragically, another rally attendee lost their life, according to reports from the Associated Press. Authorities are investigating the incident as an attempted assassination.
In response to the alarming events, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan took to social media, stating, "Such a frightening and tragic situation. Let's come together in prayer for President Trump and all those affected at the rally."
"President Trump's campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, expressed gratitude to law enforcement and first responders for their swift response to the incident, reassuring the public of Trump's well-being. He added that Trump is undergoing a check-up at a local medical facility with more updates to follow.
On social media, many of Trump's steadfast supporters swiftly condemned the violence. Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote, 'The world is evil. Thank God President Trump was able to walk away. Praying for complete healing and immediate capture of the perpetrator.' U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz echoed similar sentiments, stating, 'This is horrific, wrong, and evil. Thank God he appears not seriously injured. Heidi & I are praying for President Trump.'
Governor Greg Abbott posted, 'They try to jail him. They try to kill him. It will not work. He is indomitable.'
President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation and issued a statement expressing relief that Trump was safe. 'Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for ensuring his safety. There's no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite to condemn it,' Biden stated at a news conference, mentioning his plan to speak with Trump.
The incident occurred as Republicans gathered in Milwaukee for their national convention, where Trump is expected to be nominated for the upcoming presidential election and announce his running mate. The attack is expected to cast a shadow over the convention, the first of its scale since 2016. Several prominent Texans, including Abbott and Cruz, are scheduled to speak.
As the Secret Service hurried Trump offstage, he insisted on returning to raise his fist in a display of strength, an image that resonated strongly with Republicans. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw posted a picture of Trump with his fist raised, declaring, 'And Trump’s chances of losing just went to zero.'"
Democrats also voiced their concern.
“Violence of any kind has no place in our democracy, and I condemn this horrific attack in the strongest possible terms. I pray former President Trump makes a full and complete recovery and am thankful for the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift action,” U.S. Rep. Colin AllRed, a Dallas Democrat challenging Cruz this year, said on social media.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat, echoed Allred.
"Violence of any kind is never acceptable. I am praying for former President Trump and his recovery," Garcia said on social media. Garcia was an impeachment manager in Trump's first House impeachment.
Vice President Kamala Harris expressed that she and Doug Emhoff were relieved that Trump was not seriously injured in a social media post. She said that she is praying for Trump, his family, and anyone else affected by the shooting.
"Violence such as this has no place in our nation," Harris wrote. "We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence."
Former President Barack Obama also said he was thankful Trump wasn't seriously hurt.
"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 said on social media.
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