Lawmakers from both the Democratic Party and GOP have condemned political violence in response to the recent apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The FBI confirmed on September 15 that they are investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination after shots were reported near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was golfing.
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder stated that a suspect connected to the incident has been taken into custody. At this time, authorities have not disclosed the identity of the suspected gunman.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), said that Trump was “amazingly, in good spirits” when he spoke to him after the incident. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state will conduct its own investigation into the apparent attempted assassination, emphasizing that “the people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin” and how they were able to get so close to Trump.
President Joe Biden expressed relief that Trump was unharmed and emphasized that political violence has no place in our country. He praised the Secret Service for their efforts in keeping Trump safe.
Vice President Kamala Harris also expressed relief at Trump’s safety and condemned political violence in a statement issued by the White House. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer commended the Secret Service for their response and stated that there is no place for political violence of any kind.
Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) echoed these sentiments, condemning political violence and expressing relief that nobody was injured during this incident.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) expressed gratitude for Trump’s safety and called for prosecution of those responsible as well as an end to violence.
This incident comes just two months after an assassination attempt on Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania where he was struck by a bullet but survived with minor injuries.
A bipartisan congressional task force investigating this previous shooting has requested a briefing with Secret Service regarding this latest apparent attempt on Trump’s life. They aim to uncover details about both incidents and how they were handled by law enforcement agencies.
Rep Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), another member of this task force, expects a briefing from Secret Service soon as ongoing domestic and foreign threats require immediate attention.
