Joe Biden, along with figures from both politics and Hollywood, responded to the tragic shooting incident at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
 |
| U.S. Secret Service agents surround Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday.Evan Vucci / AP |
According to Trump’s campaign, the former president was unharmed after being swiftly evacuated from the stage when gunfire broke out. Law enforcement officials have categorized the incident as an attempted assassination on Trump, as reported by the Associated Press. A local prosecutor confirmed that the suspected gunman and at least one attendee lost their lives.
In a statement on his Truth Social media platform hours after the shooting, Trump detailed his experience, noting that a bullet had struck the upper part of his right ear. He described hearing a wheezing sound and feeling the impact of the bullet, causing significant bleeding. Trump recounted realizing the severity of the situation as it unfolded.
“I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response to the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the former president added in his post. “Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured.”
Biden condemned the tragic shooting at Trump’s campaign rally, stating in a written response, “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. 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 as one nation to condemn it.”
In a televised news briefing on Saturday evening, the president expressed his attempt to reach out to Trump, stating, “I hope I get to speak to him tonight.”
“Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” he emphasized. “It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
Following the briefing, the White House confirmed that Biden had indeed spoken to Trump later that Saturday night.
