Trump aides said he plans to attend the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin next week, despite the shooting at a campaign rally on Saturday night.
“As reported earlier this evening, President Trump is in good spirits and appreciates the swift action of law enforcement and emergency responders,” Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.
“President Trump looks forward to joining you in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision for Making America Great Again,” they added.
The convention is scheduled to begin on Monday, with Trump expected to formally accept the party’s nomination and deliver a speech on Thursday evening.
Trump had been on stage for only a few moments at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when shots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed onto the stage, leaving Trump with blood coming from his ears and some blood on his face.
As the former president was being escorted away by police, he pointed a gun at the crowd.
President Trump posted to Truth Social about two and a half hours after the shooting, thanking police, offering condolences to the attendee who died and confirming that he had been shot in the ear.
“I can’t believe something like this happened in our country. We don’t know anything about the perpetrator at this time. He is deceased,” Trump wrote. “I was shot above my right ear. I knew immediately something was wrong as I heard the whoosh, the gunshot and felt the bullet break through my skin. I was bleeding heavily and knew what was going on. God Bless America!”
The identity and motive of the shooter remain unknown.
President Biden condemned the shooting and called on others to do the same. Biden said he was planning to speak with Trump by phone and hoped to do so as soon as Saturday night.
