Trump is campaigning in Pennsylvania. Suddenly shots are fired – and the ex-president has blood on his ear. Events are unfolding rapidly.
An attempted assassination attempt on Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump has caused great horror around the world and is fuelling fears of a spiral of political violence in the USA in the middle of the election campaign. During a campaign event in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, the 78-year-old was injured in a gun attack on stage.
The shooter was killed by security forces, said the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the former president. One bystander died in the attack, and two others were injured and are in critical condition. According to police in Pennsylvania, the victims are adult men.
The FBI initially did not provide any information about the identity or motive of the suspected perpetrator. Several US media reported that it was a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania. Many questions were still unanswered. However, there was no reason to believe that the threat was ongoing, said an FBI representative at a press conference.
Bleeding ear and raised fist
Trump had stepped onto a stage in the small town of Butler at around 6 p.m. (local time) to give a campaign speech to supporters. He had only just begun his speech when suddenly several shots were heard. People were screaming.
Trump then grabbed his ear and ducked to the ground. Security personnel ran onto the stage and shielded him. He left the stage standing upright and supported by Secret Service agents with a bleeding ear, raising his fist in the air.
The Secret Service said the suspected shooter opened fire from an “elevated position” outside the venue. An eyewitness told a TV station that viewers had seen an armed man lying on the roof of a house shortly before. According to US media, investigators found an assault rifle.
Panic in the audience
Panic broke out in the audience after the incident. The venue was evacuated. The area around the stage was cordoned off with yellow tape and secured by heavily armed emergency services.
Trump was initially given a medical examination. He had been hit by a bullet in his right ear, the Republican wrote on the Truth Social platform he co-founded. According to media reports, Trump was able to leave the hospital shortly afterward. He is said to have left Butler that evening.
Attempted assassination in the middle of the election campaign
Trump is running for the Republicans in the presidential election on November 5 and wants to challenge the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term. The Republican Party convention begins in Milwaukee on Monday, where Trump is to be officially chosen as his party’s candidate for the election.
Despite the incident, the party plans to hold the nominating convention as planned. The party and Trump’s campaign team announced this in a joint statement.
Biden strongly condemned the attack on Trump. “I am grateful to hear that he is safe and doing well,” he said in a written statement immediately after the incident. He prayed for him and Trump’s family and for everyone who was at the rally. This kind of violence has no place in America.
Biden later appeared in front of the cameras in Rehoboth Beach in the state of Delaware, where the Democrat was staying over the weekend. “This is sick, this is sick,” he said in a short speech about the incident. According to the White House, Biden and Trump spoke on the phone personally. Biden wanted to cut short his weekend stay in Delaware that evening and return to the White House early.
Fear of spiral of violence
US Vice President Kamala Harris warned of an escalation of violence in the US after the attack. “We must all condemn this heinous act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to further violence,” the Democrat warned on X.
Several high-ranking officials from both parties condemned the attack, including former President Barack Obama, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and many more.
Horror worldwide
The incident was also met with dismay internationally. EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell wrote that he was shocked by the news. “Once again we are witnessing unacceptable acts of violence against politicians.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X that she wished Trump a speedy recovery and expressed her condolences to the family of the innocent victim. “Political violence has no place in a democracy.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also shocked. Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog wrote on X that he wished Trump a speedy recovery “on behalf of the entire Israeli people.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a spokesman saying he was sending Trump his best wishes for a speedy recovery. He clearly condemned the act of violence.
Mood heated up in the USA
The political mood in the USA has been heated for years. At the beginning of the year, the US Department of Justice complained of a “deeply disturbing increase in threats” against public officials and democratic institutions in the country. After the 2020 election, the upheavals in the country culminated in a violent attack on the US Capitol. At the time, Trump had not accepted his election defeat to Biden and had incited his supporters for months with allegations of election fraud.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
