The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was fiercely condemned as many high-profile figures publicly expressed support for the Republican.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was addressing a crowd of his supporters when gunshots were heard and the crowd began to scream. Trump was filmed reaching for his ear and looking behind him as the Secret Service raced to encircle him. Before he left the stage, Trump raised his hand and waved to the crowd, which erupted into chants of “USA!”
“I just landed and missed an assignation attempt. Holy s---. What a bad ass reaction from Trump,” wrote Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on X alongside a video of the attack. “The election is over. He's the next president. The Dems should give up. They can't beat him now.” I just landed and missed an assignation attempt. Holy shit. What a bad ass reaction from Trump. The election is over. He's the next president. The Dems should give up. They can't beat him now. pic.twitter.com/omtbue191d
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 13, 2024
Technology entrepreneur and CEO of X Elon Musk threw his support behind the Republican moments after the shooting.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk said. He shared a video of the assembled crowd cheering as Trump raised his fist above the head of the Secret Sevice agents.
“Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt,” Musk added in a second post.
“To survive an assassination attempt by mere millimeters then stop your security so you can raise your fist in defiance of death is the most badass thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” wrote YouTube personality Logan Paul on X.
Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest child, shared an image of his father being taken offstage with his hand in the air.
“He'll never stop fighting to Save America,” he wrote.
Some praised the Secret Service for their actions during the incident.
“LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THIS HERO FOR KILLING THE SHOOTER ONLY SECONDS AFTER HE OPENED FIRE ON PRESIDENT TRUMP, LIKELY SAVING HIS LIFE!” wrote Matt Wallace, who shared a picture of the government sniper that ran on stage. LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THIS HERO FOR KILLING THE SHOOTER ONLY SECONDS AFTER HE OPENED FIRE ON PRESIDENT TRUMP, LIKELY SAVING HIS LIFE! pic.twitter.com/aFgwAXLwSf
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) July 13, 2024
Others expressed frustration with the agency for failing to ensure Trump’s safety.
“Watch Secret Service snipers engage the shooter,” wrote political commentators the Hodge Twins, who shared a video of agents aiming a firearm from the roof of a building at the rally. “Question is, why didn’t they shoot him first?????”
Talk show host Dan Bongino called on Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle to resign following the attack.
“It is time right now for Kim Cheatle to get her head out of her ass and do the right thing,” Bongino said in a video clip on X. “I could tell you stories for days about her putting politics ahead of presidential protection."
Cheatle was appointed to lead the Secret Service by President Joe Biden in August of 2022.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance – a rumored contender to be Trump’s Vice President – denounced CNN for its headline “Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally” which did not acknowledge the gunfire. Vance also criticized President Biden’s campaign.
“Today is not just some isolated incident,” wrote the senator on X. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.”
