1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump appeared to be bleeding from his ear and was escorted off a rally stage in rural Pennsylvania after sounds resembling gunshots were heard.
The incident took place at a rally in Butler, Pa. Screams were heard from the crowd as United States Secret Service agents swarmed Trump. A Trump spokesperson said in a statement that the former president was “fine” and “being checked out at a local medical facility.” The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, killed one rally attendee and injured two others before being shot and killed by Secret Service agents. The act is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
President Biden delivered remarks shortly after the shooting and confirmed that he has tried to contact Trump — referring to him as “Donald” — and hopes to speak with him tonight. In his remarks, Biden denounced political violence, calling today’s shooting “sick.” He added that he will speak more when he has more facts and information on what transpired.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who spoke at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall in Philadelphia today, released a similar statement thanking the Secret Service and condemning the violence that took place this evening.
“The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe,” a spokesperson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available.”
In a post on Truth Social — his social media platform — Trump wrote that he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of [his] right ear.” He also praised the Secret Service and law enforcement’s response to the incident and extended his condolences to the families of the rally attendee who was killed and another who was “badly injured.”
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” Trump wrote. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
In a statement on X, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote that “violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable.”
He added that he has been briefed on the situation and that state and federal police are on the scene.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who are all potential running mates for Trump, have condemned the events of the rally. They are joined by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a known critic of Trump.
“There is no place for political violence in this country, period,” Whitmer wrote on X. “This is not how we solve our differences.”
President Joe Biden received an “initial briefing on the incident,” according to the White House.
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