Live Election Updates: Trump ‘Safe’ After What Sounded Like Gunshots at Rally
The former president appeared to have blood on his face as he was rushed from the stage by the Secret Service following a series of loud pops during a rally in Pennsylvania. A spokesman for the Secret Service said Mr. Trump was safe after “an incident.”
Michael Gold, Simon J. Levien and
Reporting from Butler, Pa.
Former President Donald J. Trump was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents and into his motorcade just minutes into his rally on Saturday in Butler, Pa., after a series of pops that sounded like gunshots rang out.
The exact source of the noises was unclear, but Mr. Trump’s face and ear were bloodied as he was rushed off the stage.
A spokesman for Mr. Trump, Steven Cheung, said in a statement that the former president was “fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.” He did not provide further information on whether or how Mr. Trump had been injured.
A spokesman for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement that Mr. Trump was “safe” after “an incident occurred” at his rally in Pennsylvania. He did not provide further details. It was not immediately clear if any rally attendees were injured.
Mr. Trump had been showing supporters a chart of numbers about border crossings, which his audiovisual staff placed on screens above the stage, when the apparent shots rang out.
The former president ducked quickly after the noises began, with the sound coming from the bleachers to the left of where he was standing at a lectern. The noises came in two groups, and smoke rose from that section of the bleachers.
As members of the crowd began screaming, Mr. Trump was tackled by Secret Service agents. Officials shouted for the crowd to duck and cover, whisking members of the news media off the press riser where they had been watching Mr. Trump’s speech.
After a brief pause, Mr. Trump rose, surrounded by a group of uniformed Secret Service members. He pumped his fist to the crowd, and then was rushed off the stage and ushered into his motorcade, which quickly left the venue, the Butler Farm Show.
After he departed, a group of officials wearing camouflage escorted someone off a set of bleachers to the left of the podium where Mr. Trump was speaking. Police officials began cordoning off the area with crime-scene tape as the rally’s attendees began clearing out, and blood was visible on the bleachers.
The Secret Service asked members of the news media to leave roughly 20 minutes after Mr. Trump left the stage, declaring the rally site a crime scene.
President Biden received an initial briefing about what happened at the rally, the White House said. Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania said in a statement that he had been briefed, and that the state police were on scene working with federal partners.
Those who attend Mr. Trump’s campaign rallies are subject to security screenings. They are required to enter through metal detectors, and their bags and possessions are searched for weapons and a large number of banned items.
Nicholas Nehamas contributed reporting.
The Secret Service is leading the response. But federal law enforcement agencies, including the Justice Department, A.T.F. and F.B.I., are now mobilizing to investigate and support their efforts, according to federal officials.
Vice President Kamala Harris has also received an initial briefing on the Trump rally, the White House says.
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Former President George W. Bush issued a statement: “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.”
Senator Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, wrote on social media that he had offered support to the state police. His opponent, Republican Dave McCormick, was at the rally and was safe, according to McCormick’s campaign.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a key surrogate of the Biden campaign, said in a statement that “Violence has NO place in our democracy. My thoughts are with President Trump and everyone impacted at the rally today.”
Some people who were in the crowd described the evacuation of the rally as a logistical nightmare. “Right now, they’re trying to evacuate 50,000 people on one country road,” James E. Hulings, the Butler County Republican Committee chairman, told me by phone from his car. He said he was still stuck in a parking area around 7 p.m. Eastern time. “It’s such a tragedy. So many people were crying. We waited here since 10:30 this morning.”
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTPresident Biden is being briefed on the incident at the Trump rally by Kimberly Cheatle, director of the Secret Service; Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; and Liz Sherwood-Randall, the president’s homeland security adviser, the White House reported.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the Republican leader in the Senate, said in a statement: “Tonight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics. We appreciate the swift work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement.”
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the head of the Democratic Governors Association and a close ally of Mr. Biden, says he is “praying for the safety” of Trump and all the attendees at his rally. He thanks law enforcement for their quick response.
James E Hulings, chairman of the Butler County Republican Committee, said in a phone interview that he was about 30 to 40 feet away from Trump when he heard what sounded like shots ring out. “They told us all to get down to get down on the ground,” he said.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTRepresentative Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana and the House majority leader, says he is “praying for President Donald Trump. There is never any place for political violence.” Mr. Scalise was shot and injured in 2017 at a congressional baseball game practice session in the Washington, D.C., area.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a statement: “My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump. I am thankful for the decisive law enforcement response. America is a democracy. Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.”
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, in a statement says, “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country.”
The Team Trump official account on X, citing Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, wrote: “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.”
A medical helicoper arrived about 19 minutes ago and has just left, headed south, likely to the medical center in Pittsburgh.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTElon Musk, the tech billionaire, publicly endorsed Donald Trump in a statement minutes after the shooting. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” he wrote on X.
I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024
Dean Phillips, the Democratic House member who challenged President Biden in a primary, posted on X that “no matter your politics, please pray for Donald Trump and pray for America.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that he had been “briefed on the situation” and that the state police were on the scene working with federal partners. “Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” Shapiro said. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States.”
Some Trump aides I’ve talked to are both in shock and feeling an initial level of fury about what happened.
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTTrump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., posts on X that his father will “never stop fighting to Save America,” with the photo of him being taken off stage.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a harsh critic of Donald J. Trump who was the target of a kidnapping plot, condemned the violence on Saturday. “There is no place for political violence in this country, period,” she wrote on X. “This is not how we solve our differences.”
The president has received an initial briefing about what happened at the Trump rally, the White House says.
Ruben Gallego, the leading Democratic Senate candidate in Arizona, denounced the apparent shooting as “absolutely horrible.” “Political violence should never be tolerated,” he said, adding, “I hope President Trump and everyone at the rally is safe.”
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