DC, Maryland, Virginia officials respond to Trump rally shooting

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Officials across the DMV are speaking out against violence after a shooting left two dead and one injured at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday afternoon.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the following in a post on X :

Praying for our nation and all those impacted by today’s shooting at former President Trump’s event in Butler, PA. Chief Smith has briefed me and will remain in close contact with our federal partners related to any concerns known to DC’s security environment. We wish President Trump the best. The scourge of gun violence and political violence in our nation must end.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said in a post on the X platform that he condemns “In the strongest possible terms what has happened in Pennsylvania today to President Trump.”

“Political violence is never acceptable. Ever. This kind of cowardice must be roundly condemned by all Americans. We have to be a country that can learn to disagree without turning to political violence,” said Moore.

Moore went on to say that he is praying for Trump’s safety and recovery, and that “Our nation is and must be better than this.”

In the hours after the shooting, the Associated Press reported that the shooting is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also offered prayers . Youngkin said he and his wife, Suzanne, are “Praying for President Trump, praying for his family, and praying for America.”

In a following official statement, Youngkin said :

“Yesterday’s attempted assassination of President Trump was an action of pure evil – an afront against our morality, an afront against our liberty, an afront against the very foundations of our great nation. If we ever deem it acceptable, then we will lose our Republic. We fix this through courage, faith, and yes, love. We fix this by repairing our culture. We fix this by defending our beliefs with dignity and fortitude. We fix this by knowing God Almighty blessed this chosen land, and we will defend America against all enemies foreign and domestic. We fix this, together, by being Americans,”

County Executive for Prince George’s County and Senate candidate Angelia Alsobrooks called for unity.

Alsobrooks said “As a nation, we must come together and condemn this kind of political violence. It has no place in America. Our prayers are with President Trump.”

In a succinct statement on X, Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass wrote, “Violence is never the answer.”

Anthony Guglielmi, the Chief of Communications for the Secret Service, said that the former president is safe and that the Secret Service has implemented protective measures.

“This is now an active Secret Service Investigation and further information will be released when available,” said Guglielmi.

In a statement issued after the rally, President Joe Biden said the following:

I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.

I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.

Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.

President Joe Biden

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