Former President Donald Trump said he believes God shielded him from assassination during a rally in Pennsylvania, in a sentiment echoed by several prominent Republicans.
Later in the post, former President Trump expressed love for the families of the other shooting victims, including a firefighter who died and two others who were injured.
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” he wrote in his post.
Rep. Carlos Antonio Gimenez (R-Fla.) agreed with the sentiment, telling Fox News that the former president wasn’t gravely wounded or killed by “the grace of God,” while Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) said “divine intervention” and God’s “protective hand” foiled the assassination attempt.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote that it was God who “protected President Trump yesterday,” while he also told NBC News that he hopes politicians can tone down the political rhetoric following the assassination attempt.
“Yesterday there were miracles, and I think the hand of God was there too,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told Fox News on Sunday, noting that he himself was shot and wounded during a congressional baseball team event in 2017. “You can just see one centimeter over and we’re having a very different conversation,” he wrote.
Video of the incident shows the former president speaking at the rally and then turning his head slightly before he was struck in the right ear. Some Republicans, including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, noted that the slight turning of his head may have saved his life and suggested divine intervention is at play.
The shooting suspect has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from the village of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, about an hour from the rally, the FBI said Sunday. No motive has been revealed.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday identified the slain victim as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who “dove on” his wife and daughters as the gunman opened fire at the rally.
“These victims and their families are certainly in our thoughts today,” Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris said in a statement. “The Pennsylvania State Police continue to work tirelessly alongside our federal, state and local partners as this investigation continues.”
Saturday’s incident marks the first assassination shooting attempt on a current or former president in several decades, the last time occurring in 1981 when then-President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in Washington, D.C., by a lone gunman. The incident likely will roil the current 2024 presidential race, while many top Democrats, including President Joe Biden, condemned the violence.
