Wall Street CEOs, including Jamie Dimon, have condemned political violence, echoing calls for unity from former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden following the weekend assassination attempt on Trump.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in a memo to employees on Sunday that the bank was “deeply saddened by the political violence.”
“We must all stand firm and united against the hatred, intimidation and violent acts that seek to undermine and harm our democracy,” Dimon said. “Only through constructive dialogue can we address our nation’s toughest challenges.”
JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, reported second-quarter results on Friday that beat expectations, along with many other major banks.
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon echoed Dimon, calling the shooting a “horrific act of violence.”
“We are grateful that he is safe and our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of those tragically killed and those seriously injured,” Solomon said during an earnings call Monday morning. “This is a sad moment for our country. Violence has no place in our politics.”
“Violence or speech of any kind has no place in political discussion or engagement,” Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said in a letter to employees.
Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser wrote to employees on Monday morning calling for calmer political commentary.
“I hope that these events will encourage people to think about their language and have more civil discussions,” Fraser said. “There’s so much at stake.”
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called the assassination attempt a “tragedy.”
“But this is a statement for America today: We have to create hope,” he told CNBC on Monday. “All of us have a responsibility. Every political candidate, every leader, every pastor, clergy, rabbi, all of us have a responsibility to unite our communities to bring hope.”
While major banks do not typically endorse presidential candidates, their employees and affiliates (including individuals and political action committees) often donate to presidential campaigns.
Meanwhile, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, pulled a 2022 ad that briefly showed the gunman at the Pennsylvania rally who shot President Trump.
The suspect who injured Trump, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, appears in the background of a BlackRock ad featuring teachers and other students from Crooks’ school, Bethel Park High School.
The company said it had pulled the ad out of respect for the victims.
Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump’s team said the bullet grazed Trump’s ear, causing him to bleed but “is OK.” Trump was released late Saturday after being examined at a local hospital. Trump said doctors told him it was a “miracle” he survived.
The gunman shot and killed firefighter Corey Comperatore and injured other protesters.
“It’s more important than ever that we come together,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. In his Oval Office speech, Biden said, “We are neighbors, we are friends, we are colleagues, we are citizens. Most importantly, we are fellow Americans and we must come together.”
