Following an attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump, prominent Republican figures swiftly expressed their support and condemned the rhetoric that led to the incident.
In the wake of a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, a chorus of Republican allies have come to his defense and condemned the hateful rhetoric that may have contributed to the incident.
Trump Assassination Attempt: Allies Rally Around Former President
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, considered a frontrunner for the Republican vice presidential nomination, denounced the vitriol emanating from the Biden campaign. "Today is not just some isolated incident," he wrote. "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum echoed Vance's sentiments, stating, "We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed it."
Trump Assassination Attempt: Allies Rally Around Former President
Former U.N. ambassador and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a former Trump challenger, took to social media to express her horror and solidarity. "Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized," she wrote. "We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire Trump family, and all in attendance in prayer."
Haley, who previously supported Trump's reelection, released all of her delegates last week and urged them to vote for him.
Trump Assassination Attempt: Allies Rally Around Former President
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also floated as a potential running mate, tweeted a picture of a bloodied Trump giving a fist-pump to the crowd on Saturday. "God protected President Trump," he wrote.
Additional prominent Republicans, including Former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, have condemned the attempted assassination as a "failure at multiple levels."
The incident raises concerns about the safety of presidential candidates and the potential consequences of escalating political rhetoric.
Trump is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday evening. In the meantime, his allies continue to rally around him and denounce the violence and hatred that led to the attempted assassination.
It is crucial for all political actors to condemn violence and promote civil discourse. The safety of our leaders and the integrity of our democracy depend on it.
Fox News Digital's Breck Dumas and Paul Steisenhauer contributed to this report.
