What Biden and Texas politicians say about the shooting at Trump rally

Texas Agriculture Secretary Sid Miller was sitting in the front row at former President Donald Trump’s rally in rural Pennsylvania on Saturday when shots rang out. He said he heard as many as eight shots and saw a woman nearby who appeared to have been struck by gunfire.

“At first I didn’t know what it was,” Miller told the American-Statesman by phone from the outdoor venue. “Then I heard ‘pop! pop!’ and knew it was gunshots. Everyone lay down, but I stopped to see what was going on.”

Miller said he was not injured and did not know what condition the woman who was apparently hit was in.

Reactions to the incident were not long in coming from other Texas politicians, with many expressing horror and speculating about the political implications for the likely Republican presidential nominee.

Cable channels broadcasting the rally showed the incident, in which bangs and screams could be heard from people in the crowd at the outdoor event. Trump was escorted from the venue by the Secret Service with his fist raised and appeared to have blood on his ear and cheek as he left the stage.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted a defiant message on social media platform X shortly afterward, linking the attack to the charges brought by prosecutors against Trump.

“They’re trying to lock him up. They’re trying to kill him. It’s not going to work,” Abbott posted at 5:39 a.m. Central Time. “He’s invincible.”

President Joe Biden did not comment on the attack until around 7 p.m. CDT, more than an hour after he received an initial briefing on the shooting.

“I am grateful to hear that (Trump) is safe and doing well,” Biden wrote in a press statement that he also posted on social media. “I am praying for him and his family and for everyone who was at the rally as we await further information.”

In both his initial statement and in brief televised remarks 15 minutes later, Biden condemned the attack.

“There is no place for this kind of violence in America. It is sick,” Biden said from Rehoboth, Delaware. “It is sick. It is one of the reasons we must unite the country.”

The president, who is likely to run against Trump in the 2024 presidential election, said he had “tried to contact” his predecessor after the attack but had not yet spoken to him.

When asked by a reporter whether he believed the shooting was an attempted murder, Biden said he did not yet have enough information to make such a statement.

“I have an opinion, but I have no facts,” he said.

This is how Texas politicians reacted to the shooting.

Former President George W. Bush

“Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attempt on his life,” the 43rd president said in a statement. “And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their swift response.”

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who enlisted Trump’s help to oust Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan in this year’s Republican primary, wrote on X on Saturday night that he was “shocked by the assassination attempt on President Trump.”

He shared on social media a long text message he sent to Trump after the shooting.

“By the slightest turn of your head in just a microsecond or the protection of a teleprompter, your life was saved by the grace of a merciful and holy God,” Patrick wrote. “I told you recently on our flight to Houston that God has had his hand over you since you first ran for president. I believe that.”

US Senator Ted Cruz

“Extraordinary. God bless President Trump,” Cruz posted on X, captioning a photo of Trump with a streak of blood on his face and his fist in the air as Secret Service agents rushed to his aid.

US Senator John Cornyn

“Whoever is responsible must be brought to justice swiftly,” Cornyn wrote. “May we all pray for our country tonight.”

US Representative Colin Allred, Democrat, Dallas

“Violence of any kind has no place in our democracy and I condemn this horrific attack in the strongest possible terms,” Allred wrote in a statement. “I pray for a full recovery for former President Trump and am grateful to the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift actions.”

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin

“Violence begets violence, whether it is directed against Trump or inspired by him,” Doggett wrote in a statement. “I strongly condemn all acts of violence and hope that swift action by law enforcement will keep everyone at the Trump rally safe and that he suffered no lasting harm. In America, we must make our voices heard through ballots, not bullets.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, Democrat, Austin

“I agree with President Biden,” Casar wrote in a Post on X“Political violence – against Trump or anyone else – has no place in our politics or our country.”

Senator Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) from Texas

“Guns have no place in political rallies,” Gutierrez wrote in an X-post. “Or in elementary schools. Or in churches. Or in grocery stores. It’s time to put an end to this madness, America.”

Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont

In a social media post, Phelan described the photo of Trump with a bloody ear and raised fist as a depiction of the “next President of the United States.”

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and X

“I fully support President Trump and hope for his speedy recovery,” Musk, the Tesla entrepreneur who now lives in Texas, said on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk included footage of Trump clenching his fist as the Secret Service rushed to protect him.

US Representative Veronica Escobar, Democrat, El Paso

“Any form of political violence is absolutely unacceptable,” Escobar wrote in an X-post. “Prayers for all those in the line of fire and grateful for the swift response of law enforcement.”

Texas Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro

“God bless President Donald J. Trump,” Spiller wrote in an X-post. “Please pray for him, his family, others in the line of fire, and our country. This is a catastrophic day for our country and an attack on our entire republic. Thank you to our brave Secret Service agents.”

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen

“Political violence is never the answer,” Gonzalez wrote. “Thank you to the first responders and Secret Service for doing their jobs and keeping order. I am praying for former President Trump and our country. We must unite against all violence.”

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin

“Please join me in praying for President Trump, his Secret Service agents, and everyone at today’s rally,” McCaul posted on social media shortly after reports of Trump’s attack emerged.

State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano

“I’m praying for President Trump – and for our nation,” wrote the veteran congressman. “An attack on a president is an attack on all of us and an attack on everything that makes America great. November – and the White House – here we come!”

State Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe

“I am praying for President (Trump)’s safety and that this sick (man) is arrested,” Creighton posted.

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