Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday, sparking panic and streaking the Republican presidential candidate's blood across his face, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air appearing to mouth the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt, a source told Reuters.
"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said on his Truth Social platform following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Pittsburgh. "Much bleeding took place."
Trump, 78, had just started his speech when the shots rang out. He grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before Secret Service agents swarmed and covered him. He emerged about a minute later, his red "Make America Great Again" hat knocked off, and could be heard saying "wait, wait," before agents ushered him into a vehicle.
The shooter's identity and motive were not immediately clear. Leading Republicans and Democrats quickly condemned the violence.
The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, when Trump faces an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
Biden said in a statement: "There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."
Ron Moose, a Trump supporter who was in the crowd, described the chaos: "I heard about four shots and I saw the crowd go down and then Trump ducked also real quick. Then the Secret Service all jumped and protected him as soon as they could. We are talking within a second they were all protecting him."
Moose said he then saw a man running and being chased by officers in military uniforms. He said he heard additional shots, but was unsure who fired them. He noted that by then snipers had set up on the roof of a warehouse behind the stage.
The BBC interviewed a man who described himself as an eyewitness, saying he saw a man armed with a rifle crawling up a roof near the event. The person, who the BBC did not identify, said he and the people he was with started pointing at the man, trying to alert security.
The shots appeared to come from outside the area secured by the Secret Service, the agency said.
REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS DECRY VIOLENCE
Trump is due to receive his party's formal nomination at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Milwaukee on Monday.
"This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in this country and should be unanimously and forcefully condemned," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was horrified by what happened and was relieved Trump was safe. "Political violence has no place in our country," he said.
Biden's campaign was working to pause its television ads and halting all other outbound communication, a campaign official said on Saturday.
Americans fear rising political violence, recent Reuters/Ipsos polling shows, with two out of three respondents to a May survey saying they feared violence could follow the election.
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 U.S. 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.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick, who was seated in the front row at the rally, said he had started to go up on stage when Trump said he would have him come up later.
"Within a minute or two, I heard the shots ... It was clear it was gunfire," he told Reuters in an interview. "It felt like it was an assassination attempt ... It was terrifying."
Donald Trump speaks..
"I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"
Secret Service responds after security incident at Trump rally
Former President Trump was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, after apparent gunshots rang out.
Gunfire appeared to break out shortly after Trump began speaking at the rally at Butler Farm Show grounds on Saturday evening.
The former president had just begun to fire up the crowd when as many as five shots were heard and he went down, surrounded by Secret Service agents.
"And then the worst president in the history of our country took over. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]. And, you know, that's a little bit old, that chart... that chart's a couple of months old. And if you want to really see something that sad, take a look at what happened over..." Trump said before gunfire rang out.
"An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. 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," said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Biden briefed on Trump rally shooting: 'I'm praying for him'
President Biden released a statement after a shooting at a rally for former President Trump on Saturday, after which Trump had blood on his face and was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents.
"I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania," Biden said in a White House statement around 8 p.m.
"I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information," Biden, who is facing Trump in the 2024 presidential election in November, added.
"Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it," the president said.
Former President Obama released his own statement prior to Biden, saying, "There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy."
"Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics," he said. "Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery."
In a statement from the George W. Bush Presidential Center, former President Bush said, "Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response."
Fellow former President Clinton reacted on X, posting that "Violence has no place in America, especially in our political process."
"Hillary and I are thankful that President Trump is safe, heartbroken for all those affected by the attack at today’s rally in Pennsylvania, and grateful for the swift action of the U.S. Secret Service," Clinton said.
Biden addressed the nation from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday evening after the shooting, telling reporters, "There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. ... We cannot condone this."
** From Jenny Leonard, who is traveling with Biden back to DC: Biden spoke to Trump. The president is also getting updates from homeland security and law enforcement officials, according to a White House official.
** Jeff Bezos says in a post on X that Trump “showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight.” Bezos owns the Washington Post and is the founder of Amazon.
** A scene tonight from elsewhere, in New York City: Outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, a small crowd gathered - mostly media. One man had an American flag draped around his neck, while a woman in a red Trump hat also held a flag. Three people - one of whom wore a Make America Great Again hat - held candles in a vigil. About 10 police cruisers and vans were parked outside, and five officers stood in front of the entrance, which people seemed to walk freely in and out of.
** Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News that Biden and Trump should work together to “reassure the nation that they’re both going to make an effort to change the tone of this campaign.
He said he sent a note to Trump “thanking him for his courage during that event, which was inspirational.”
But Kennedy declined to discuss his own request for Secret Service protection. “I don’t want to make this evening about me. It’s about something bigger.”
** Trump Released From Hospital After Rally Shooting
** Possible security lapses in focus after Trump rally shooting
The attack on Donald Trump raised questions about how the Republican presidential candidate is protected on the campaign trail and what caused the apparent security lapses at Saturday's rally.
While information about the incident is still sparse, at least one person interviewed by the BBC said he had tried to alert police and the U.S. Secret Service, to no avail, to an apparent sniper climbing onto a nearby roof outside the security perimeter of the rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania.
As a former president and the Republican presidential candidate, Trump is protected primarily by the Secret Service.
During most of Trump's campaign stops, local police aid the Secret Service in securing the venue. Agents from other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Transportation Security Administration, occasionally help.
It is no easy task. Many Trump rallies feature thousands of audience members, take place in the open air and last for hours.
Before the event, agents scan the venue for bombs or other threats, and Trump invariably arrives in a fortified motorcade.
Law enforcement officials typically put up barriers as a perimeter, and require all attendees to go through a metal detector to enter the venue. Armed protective agents search all attendees' bags and even wallets. Many rallygoers are patted down by hand.
Saturday's attack, however, appeared to have been committed by a gunman located outside the secured perimeter, according to initial media reports.
A local resident who was present at the Saturday event and asked to remain anonymous, said he saw what appeared to be two Secret Service agents perched on a nearby roof ahead of the event. He said the agents had been scanning the area with binoculars beforehand.
"They kept looking over to the left behind the event, before Trump came on stage. They seemed very focused on that area,” said the attendee.
The Secret Service said shortly after the shooting that it has begun an investigation and briefed Democratic President Joe Biden, though the agency did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment regarding its protocols.
The Pennsylvania State Police referred questions to the Secret Service, which did not immediately respond.
In the moments after Trump was injured, the former president was quickly surrounded by Secret Service personnel who formed a human shield, while heavily armed agents in body armor and toting rifles also took to the stage and appeared to scan the area for threats.
Trump was whisked by the agents to a black SUV, and taken to a local hospital, according to the campaign.
Reuters/Fox News/Bloomberg
