President Biden condemned the apparent shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania and said he was “grateful” that his political rival was safe.
“I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well,” Biden said in a statement shortly after he was briefed on the incident. “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 getting him to safety,” Biden added. “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
Some Biden critics had complained about the time it took for the president to publicly weigh in on the shooting at the Trump rally, noting former President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush had put out statements before Biden.
Trump was on stage for just a short time at a rally in Butler, Pa., before apparent gun shots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed the stage. Trump’s ear was bloodied, and some blood had run onto his face.
The former president pumped his first toward the crowd as he was escorted away by law enforcement.
The Trump campaign said in a statement that the former president “is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”
The suspected shooter is dead and a rally attendee was killed, the Butler County District Attorney told The Associated Press.