
The former president was rushed to safety after gunshots were fired at his rally Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2024. © Donald Trump Jr. / social media
Donald Trump has been injured after gunshots were heard during his campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former US president was quickly rushed off stage by his security team. He had blood stains on his right ear.
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13 July 2024
23:12 GMT
Elon Musk was one of the first to comment on the incident. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” the owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) wrote on social media.
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23:08 GMT
Following the shooting, tech billionaire Elon Musk openly endorsed Trump.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X, which he owns. He had previously said he supported Trump’s policies, but had stopped short of a full endorsement.
“Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt,” he added a few minutes later, referring to another presidential candidate who survived an assassination attempt in 1912.
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23:08 GMT
A photo of bloodied Trump shaking his fist has quickly made rounds on social media. His son Donald Trump Jr. posted it on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “He’ll never stop fighting to Save America.”
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23:08 GMT
Trump was in the middle of an impassioned speech when the shots were heard.
“And then the worst president in the history of our country took over. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]… you want to really see something that sad, take a look at what happened over…” Trump said before shots rang out.
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23:06 GMT
Local authorities believe one person at the rally was fatally shot, but have no confirmation or information about their identity. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and a Trump ally, also said that there might be at least one fatality.
There has been no information about the shooter.
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23:02 GMT
At least three shots could be heard as Trump addressed a crowd of his supporters. The candidate clutched his right ear and ducked behind the podium. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded him.
As Trump’s microphone was still live, he could be heard telling them to “wait, wait” as he rose, put a fist up in the air, and mouthed “fight, fight” at the crowd, which cheered. The Republican presidential candidate was then taken to a hospital. (RT)