Trump Rushed Off Stage at Rally After Being Shot in the Ear

President Donald J. Trump arrives at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Minn. Monday, April 15, 2019, and prepares to board Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (Official White House Archive Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Former President Donald Trump is “fine” after being shot at a major campaign event leading up to the Republican National Convention.

Article by Isabel Cantor, Associate Reporter

BUTLER, Pa. - Former President Donald Trump was rushed off stage by the Secret Service following confirmed gunshots at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump is safe, according to two senior law enforcement officials.

“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” said Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, in a statement. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”

Much attention was on this specific event, as it was a precursor of the big week ahead with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee set to begin Monday. Many people across the nation tuned into the rally after hearing word of a potential running mate selection by Trump within the next 48 hours. It was anticipated that he would hint at who he might pick as his running mate at this major campaign event. Over 15,000 audience members attended the rally, enthusiastically supporting Trump.

Several minutes into the rally, while Trump was discussing the crisis of border crossing, gunshots that witnesses say sounded like popping noises rang through the crowd. Trump grabbed his right ear, and two more shots followed as he went down behind the podium. In a state of panic, someone standing near the microphone said “get down, get down, get down, get down!” to the audience as first responders jumped to their feet.

A swarm of Secret Service agents immediately sprang into action, forming a human shield around the former President. The crowd cheered as he stood up, and repeatedly chanted “USA! USA!” as Trump walked off the stage with his Secret Service agents surrounding him. A sense of fear could be heard in Trump’s voice as he said “let me get my shoes” before exiting the stage.

While still on the stage, Trump pumped his fist into the air as blood trickled down his face, letting the audience know that he was okay, and showing his strength

despite what had just happened. He continued to do so until he entered an armored SUV that took him to Butler Memorial Hospital for medical attention, about seven miles away from the rally’s venue.

Law enforcement officials are calling this a potential assassination attempt, the first since President Reagan was shot in 1981.

The bullet grazed the outside of his skin, and it was just a quarter of an inch away from potentially assassinating Trump. If he would have tilted his head, it is likely that the outcome could have been fatal for him.

Trump’s shooter was on the roof of a building adjacent to the venue of the rally when he fired eight rounds of shots, and he was later neutralized by the Secret Service. The shooter’s location was outside of the security perimeter. Additionally, one spectator was shot and killed, and two others have been seriously injured and are in critical condition.

Although the former President did not suffer any life-threatening injuries, and he was able to walk off the stage, from a medical standpoint, he still has to undergo a full evaluation. Trump might appear to be okay now, but the bullet to his ear could potentially cause long-term health effects such as difficulty with his balance, problems in his inner ear, and skull fracture according to CNN medical reporters.

Donald Trump released a statement on social media later on. “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Former President George W. Bush condemned the act of violence, calling it a “cowardly attack” in a statement on the social media platform X.

“Now is the time for every American who loves our country to step back from the division, renounce our violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a statement on X.

“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,” said President Joe Biden in a statement. “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.”

Putting politics aside, Biden referred to Trump as “Donald” in his briefing for the first time in this campaign, and he also spoke with him on the phone.

Former President Barack Obama posted to X “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery.”

Following the violence at the rally, there are heightened threats in the nation at this time. Trump properties and headquarters across the country are having an increased police presence, including Trump Tower in Manhattan, and the Mar-a-Lago estate. However, there are no known threats as of now.

An American Flag has been raised at the venue of the rally to serve as a reminder of putting politics aside to unite as a country.

Trump is “fine” and “safe” right now, which is the important message to share with the public. Luckily, Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials were able to quickly rush in and take control of the situation. However, this is a massive security failure, because the shooter should have been detected before he fired shots putting all attendees of the rally in danger.

Much is not confirmed yet, and this is an active Secret Service investigation that will continue until there are answers. This is a developing story, and officials are still trying to understand what happened.

Hopefully something good can come from an incident as bad as this. The nation must unite, and come back stronger.

The campaign will go on, but no one will forget this day that someone attempted to assassinate the former President, while killing a spectator, and injuring two others. This is an unprecedented twist to an already historic campaign, and more investigations will continue to take place in the coming months.