Trump says ‘God alone’ saved him from would-be assassin
BUTLER, Pa. - After an apparent attempt to kill him, former President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but “fine” and the gunman and a rally-goer dead.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service said it was “untrue” that a member of Trump’s team had requested more Secret Service protection and been denied it.
“There’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel” protocols, the Secret Service said in a statement.
Trump campaign senior advisers told campaign staff in a memo to stay away from offices in Washington, D.C., and Palm Beach, Fla., after Saturday night’s assassination attempt. The advisers told staff that the sites needed to be assessed and security enhanced.
“Our highest priority is to keep all of you on this staff safe,” the advisers said in the memo, which noted that the RNC Convention in Milwaukee would continue as planned.
“We also urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election,” the managers said, instructing staff not to comment publicly on the incident. “We condemn all forms of violence, and will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media.”
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Across spectrum and around world, leaders condemn shooting
After Donald Trump’s campaign said in a statement that he was “fine” after being whisked off the stage at a rally, local and state leaders have released statements.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday on NBC’s Today that “everyone needs to turn the rhetoric down.”
“We can have heated political discourse and debates but it shouldn’t be personal and we shouldn’t be targeting people,” Johnson said. “I mean, look, President Biden himself said in recent days, it’s time to put the bullseye on Trump. I mean, I know that he didn’t mean what is being implied there, but that kind of language on either side should be called out and we have to make clear that this is part of our system. We can have vigorous debate, but it needs to end there.”
Trump himself is calling for unity.
“I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” he said in a Sunday morning social media post.
In the post on his social media network, former President Donald Trump also thanked “everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness,” he said.
Trump also said, “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families” and he said he’s praying “for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”
“In this moment, 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,” he added.
Trump’s wife, Melania, Trump said Americans need to “ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence.”
She wrote:
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s ion - his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life - his human side - were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times.”
PHOTO GALLERY:
The former president said he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” He was quickly whisked from the stage by Secret Service agents, his ear covered in blood.
The gunman was on an elevated platform on a shed outside the security perimeter, and a Secret Service sniper killed him. Law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect was shooting with AR-style rifle from 200-300 feet away, although authorities wouldn’t comment on that at a news conference late Saturday.
Trump, as a former president, retains Secret Service protection for life under federal law. As the presumptive Republican nominee who is frequently in the public eye, he received added protective assets.
Authorities said different aspects of the investigation are being handled by different agencies at the local, state and federal levels.
The Associated Press, CBS News and CNN contributed to this report.
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