FORMER United States President Donald Trump is safe after gunfire erupted at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday (Sunday morning in the Philippines).
Trump, who is eyeing a White House return, was captured with blood on his right cheek and ear after a series of gunfire were heard while he was giving a speech.
Trump was quickly covered by his Secret Service and was escorted out of the venue. The American billionaire still managed to pump his fist in the air and shouted the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
According to reports, the shooter was dead while another rally attendee also succumbed to gunshot wounds.
The Secret Service was still investigating if the shooting was an assassination attempt.
“The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former president is safe … This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available,” the Secret Service said.
Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that the former US Chief Executive thanked the law enforcements for their quick action in the incident.
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility,” Cheung said.
The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, when Trump faces an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, Biden also condemned the gunfire incident during Trump’s political rally, saying that violence has no place in the US.
“There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” Biden said in a short statement.
Trump is due to receive his party’s formal nomination at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Milwaukee on Monday (Tuesday in the Philippines).
Trump, who served as president from 2017-2021, easily bested his rivals for the Republican nomination early in the campaign and has largely unified around him the party that had briefly wavered in support after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The businessman and former reality television star entered the year facing a raft of legal worries, including four separate criminal prosecutions. He was found guilty in late May of trying to cover up hush money payments to a porn star, but the other three prosecutions he faces – including two for his attempts to overturn his defeat – have been ground to a halt by various factors including a Supreme Court decision early this month that found him to be partly immune to prosecution./PN
