President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 while riding in his motorcade, and his brother Bobby Kennedy was shot in 1968. President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
Donald Trump was shot in the ear in an apparent assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally on Saturday, in a chaotic and shocking incident that will fuel fears of instability ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
The 78-year-old former president was carried off the stage with a bloodied face after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, while the gunman and a bystander were killed and two spectators were critically injured.
The Republican candidate raised his fist defiantly to the crowd as he was led to safety, then said: "I was shot with a bullet that went through the top of my right ear."
President Joe Biden, who is set to face Trump in a highly polarized election in November, said the incident was "disgusting" and added that "there is no place in America for this kind of violence."
"We can't be like that," Biden said.
As the shots rang out, Trump, wearing a red "Make America Great" hat, grimaced and put a hand to his ear, blood visible on his ear and cheek.
He fell to the floor as Secret Service agents mounted the podium, surrounded him, and led him off the stage to a nearby vehicle.
"It is unbelievable that such an act could happen in our country," Trump wrote on his TruthSocial network a few hours later, a statement sure to inflame the political tensions that have already gripped the United States.
"I immediately knew something was wrong in that I heard a whistling sound, gunshots, and immediately I felt the bullet tear through the skin," Trump said.
"I felt profuse bleeding, and then I knew what was happening."
The US Secret Service said in a statement that the suspected gunman "fired several shots at the stage from a high vantage point outside the rally" before being "neutralized" by agents.
It said Trump was "safe" while confirming the death of one spectator while two others were critically injured.
The shooter has not yet been identified.
Trump said in his statement: "I want to express my condolences to the family of the slain rally participant."
After the attack shocked the world, Biden said he hoped to speak with Trump soon.
The shooting came shortly after Trump took the stage at his final campaign rally before next week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Signaling the political stakes, J. D. Vance — Trump's eventual vice presidential pick — was quick to blame Biden's "rhetoric" for the shooting.
Those present at the rally panicked after shots were fired and screams and shouts rang out.
"Let me get my shoes," Trump was heard saying into a microphone as security agents helped him to his feet.
He turned to the crowd and repeatedly raised his fist, as well as uttering words that were not immediately apparent, in what would become an iconic image.
Agents loaded the tycoon into an SUV as he raised his fist again at the crowd.
“We saw many people lying on the ground looking confused. I heard the shots,” said one attendee at a Trump rally.
Former President Barack Obama said there was "absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy".
Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell added: "Tonight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be okay after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics."
Billionaire Elon Musk responded by quickly endorsing Trump.
"I fully support President Trump and hope for his speedy recovery," Musk wrote on the X social network, sharing a video of Trump pumping his fist while being escorted away.
There are many examples of political violence in the history of the United States, and tight security measures have been taken for presidents, former presidents, and candidates.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 while riding in his motorcade, and his brother Bobby Kennedy was shot in 1968. President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981. I BGNES
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