Several evangelical leaders called for prayer in the aftermath of what is suspected to have been an assassination attempt on former President Trump who was shot and wounded at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Join me in praying for former President @realDonaldTrump as it appears gunfire erupted at his Pennsylvania rally and he had to be rushed off the stage,” Franklin Graham posted on X, formerly Twitter. The President of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse later added: “I thank God that former President @realDonaldTrump is alive.”
“Our prayers are also with the others injured at the rally today and the family of the individual who was killed,” Graham said in another post.
Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler posted on X: “May God protect all who serve us. Thankful former President Trump is safe. We need to know what happened here. This kind of attack is an attack upon our entire political system and our commitment to ordered liberty. Let’s pray for our nation.”
He later added, “What a stunning reminder of how history can turn in an instant. Very humbling. Again, thankful that President Trump is not seriously wounded. Praying for families of others involved. Nation needs facts as soon as possible.”
President Trump later shared an update in a post on his TruthSocial platform, "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!"
President Joe Biden condemned the attack in a nationally televised address. “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
Biden said he was not yet able to reach Trump directly as he was still cared for by his doctors. “Apparently, he’s doing well. I plan on talking with him shortly, I hope.”
He added, “The bottom line is that the Trump rally was a rally that he should have been able to conduct peacefully without any problem. But the idea, the idea, that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of, it’s just not appropriate. Everybody, everybody must condemn it, everybody.”
The shooting, which reportedly left one spectator and the suspect dead and two other spectators wounded, comes at a time of heightened political polarization in the lead up to the U.S. presidential election in November. It also happened just days before the upcoming Republican National Convention next week where Trump is expected to be declared the official Republican nominee.
