This evening of Saturday, July 13th should shake up the American election campaign. Donald Trump, Republican candidate to (re)become president of the United States after the election scheduled for November, was evacuated from a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, blood visible on his right ear, after detonations were heard. Here is what we know, at this time, about the events.
What exactly happened?
The incident occurred as the former president had just begun his speech. In videos posted on social media, Trump can be seen on the podium speaking. Several light explosions resembling gunfire can be heard, the Republican candidate stops, puts his hand to his ear and falls to the ground. Agents from the Secret Service, responsible for the security of presidents and former presidents, then rush towards him.
The Republican candidate, who was visibly hit in the right ear and whose face was covered in blood, stood up after a few moments, surrounded by officers who escorted him from the stage to his car. He raised his fist in the air in defiance, to the cheers of his supporters.
“We saw a lot of people throwing themselves on the ground, looking confused. I heard the gunshots, it sounded like something between firecrackers and a small caliber pistol,” said a sympathizer, John Yeykal, at the scene.
What is Trump’s health?
He “is safe,” a spokesman for the Secret Service, which protects presidents and former presidents, announced shortly after. He is in good health and “being examined in a medical facility” on site, his campaign team also specified.
Are there any other victims?
According to the Washington Post, citing the Butler County District Attorney in Pennsylvania, two people (the alleged shooter and a bystander) were killed.
What were the reactions?
The current US president, his Democratic rival Joe Biden, said there was “no place for this kind of violence in America”. He said he was “relieved” to learn that Donald Trump was “safe and well”.
The leader of the Democrats in the US Senate said he was “horrified”. On the social network X, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro said that “violence targeting a political party or a political leader is absolutely unacceptable”. “This has no place in Pennsylvania or in the United States,” he added.
The boss of X, billionaire Elon Musk, officially gave his support to Trump after these events, by sharing a photo that was widely shared on social networks.
It was Donald Trump’s last rally before the Republican convention where he is to be officially nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate to face Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden in the November election.