Shooting in Pennsylvania: Security guards remove injured Trump from the stage

Plötzlich knallt es. Erst einmal, dann ertönen weitere Knalle. Sekunden nachdem Donald Trump, auf dem Podium vor Anhängern stehend, sich die Hand ans Ohr hält und sich dann bückt, stürzen Secret-Service-Mitarbeiter auf ihn und lehnen sich schützend über ihn. Mit Sturmgewehren bewaffnete Sicherheitskräfte stellen sich auf die Bühne. Jemand ruft: „Down, down!“

Die Personenschützer wollen Trump in seinen Wagen und in Sicherheit bringen. Der frühere Präsident und Kandidat für die Wahl im November blutet am Ohr. Er streckt noch einmal seine Faust in die Luft. Wütend und sichtlich unter Schock scheint er ein Wort an seine Anhänger zu richten: „Fight.“  Bevor er von der Bühne geführt wird, sagt er noch: „Lasst mich meine Schuhe nehmen.“ 

Schreie und Panik im Publikum. Binnen Minuten leert sich am Samstagnachmittag das Kundgebungsgelände in Butler im Bundesstaat Pennsylvania, wo Trump gerade auf einer Wahlkampfkundgebung zu sprechen begonnen hatte. Er sollte die letzte Kundgebung vor dem Parteitag in Milwaukee sein, der am Montag beginnt und der Trump offiziell zum Kandidaten seiner Partei für die Präsidentenwahl nominiert werden soll.

A spokesman for Trump later announced that the former president was fine and was being examined at a local medical facility. He did not provide any further details on the extent of his injury.

Trump later announced on his platform “Truth Social” that he had been hit by a bullet in the upper right ear: “I knew immediately that something was wrong.” He said he heard a “hissing sound,” gunshots, and immediately felt the bullet tear through his skin. He was bleeding profusely. He thanked the security forces and sent his condolences to the relatives of the dead rally participant and the injured.

According to the Secret Service, the “shooter” was killed. In addition, a bystander was killed and two others were seriously injured. The attacker fired several shots “from an elevated position,” the agency responsible for the protection of former and current US presidents said on the online service X. The shooter was then “neutralized.”

According to a report in the Washington Post, the FBI, the Secret Service and the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating the incident as an “attempted assassination”. Richard Goldinger, the district attorney for Butler County north of Pittsburgh, told CNN that he did not know how the shooter got to his location. The station reported that the perpetrator was a sniper. Participants in campaign rallies have to go through a security gate. CNN reported that they had learned that the shooter was not on the premises, but on a roof outside the premises.

President Joe Biden said in a hastily arranged press conference that he hoped to be able to speak to Donald Trump soon. He had already tried to reach him. He, Biden, strongly condemned the “sick” attack. Something like this had “no place in America.” We must not allow something like this to happen. “All” Americans must condemn political violence. When asked whether it was an attempted murder, Biden replied that he had an opinion on the matter but did not know the facts.

Biden had previously said in a statement that he had been informed of the incident. He was grateful to hear that Trump was safe and doing well. He went on to say that he was “praying for him and his family and everyone who attended the rally as we await further information.” He and his wife Jill Biden thanked the Secret Service for getting Trump to safety. “There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as a nation to condemn it.”

Biden's campaign team said after the attack that they would pause “all outgoing communications” and work to remove all television ads as quickly as possible. The White House later announced that Biden would fly back to Washington from Reboboth on Saturday evening.

Vice President Kamala Harris expressed relief on Saturday evening that Trump was not seriously injured. “Such violence has no place in our country,” the statement said. “We must all condemn this heinous act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.”

Republicans and Democrats in Congress also expressed their dismay at the attack on Saturday evening. Chuck Schumer, the majority leader of the Democrats in the Senate, wrote in a statement that he was “relieved” that former President Trump was safe. “Political violence has no place in our country,” he continued. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, wrote on X: “I am praying for Donald Trump.”

Elon Musk, who reportedly recently donated a large sum to Trump's campaign team, used his get-well wishes on Saturday to publicly express his support for the Republican as president. He wrote on his platform X that he “fully” supports Trump and hopes for a speedy recovery.