After a shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday left one attendee and a gunman dead and former President Donald Trump injured, Maryland officials on both sides of the aisle expressed support for victims and outrage at the act of political violence.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms what has happened in Pennsylvania today to President Trump,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in a statement. “Political violence is never acceptable. Ever.”
Minutes into a Trump rally in Butler County, Pa., gunshots rang out through the crowd. Speaking at the podium, the former president suddenly put his hand up to his right ear before crouching to the ground as gunfire continued. Secret Service agents rushed to create a protective barrier before quickly escorting Trump offstage and into a vehicle.
Trump later said in a Truth Social post Saturday evening that a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear.
Larry Hogan, Maryland’s former Republican governor and current candidate for the U.S. Senate, said on X: “We are praying that President Trump and all in attendance are safe. Political violence must be universally condemned. America is a tinderbox right now. This must stop.”
Hogan, an outspoken critic of Trump, confirmed last month that he will skip the party’s national convention, as he did in 2016.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin Monday in Milwaukee, Wis.
“Five days from now we will officially accept the Republican nomination for president of the United States,” Trump said moments before gunfire began.
An alleged gunman and a spectator are dead, according to a statement from the Chief of Communications for the Secret Service Anthony Guglielmi. Two other rally attendees were in critical condition, according to Guglielmi.
Nicole Beus Harris, Maryland Republican Party chairwoman and wife of Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md., 1st), wrote on Facebook that her party stands with Trump and wishes him a speedy recovery. Of the Secret Service and law enforcement that responded on the scene, Beus Harris said, “We support them and thank them for the difficult job they do.”
Republican and Maryland Rep. Kathy Szeliga, who is representing the state’s first congressional district as a delegate to the convention, wrote on X Saturday evening: “Prayers for Pres Trump. They say he will be fine. Thank GOD. Someone tried to assassinate him! Hopefully, no one else was hurt and Trump will be 100%. Can’t wait to see him on Thursday!”
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democrat who is running against Hogan for Senate, said on X that the nation must come together to “condemn this kind of political violence.”
Maryland Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen both condemned all acts of political violence shortly after the news broke Saturday through social media posts.
“There is no place for political violence or violence of any kind in our nation,” Van Hollen said on social media.
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, said his thoughts are with Trump and other victims of the attack, according to a statement provided through a spokesperson.
“This is not the country I want. This is not who we want to be as Americans for the rest of the world to see,” Ferguson said.
Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md., 7th), took the incident as a chance to point to the larger conversation of gun laws in the country.
“Despite our extremely different ideological beliefs, fortunately former President Donald Trump survived today’s sniper attempt,” Mfume said. “Political violence underscores again the need to get guns and semi automatic rifles off the streets of America.”
Law enforcement officials say the shooting remains under investigation as an attempted assassination, according to the Associated Press.
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