Catholic and civic leaders called for peace and unity in the hours after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet and a spectator was killed July 13 in an assassination attempt during the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Holy See expressed “concern about last night’s episode of violence, which wounds people and democracy, causing suffering and death” in a July 14 statement in Italian. The Holy See is “united in the prayer of the U.S. bishops for America, for the victims, and for peace in the country, so that the motives of the violent may never prevail,” according to Catholic News Service.
On July 14, Trump thanked “everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” on his social media platform Truth Social.
“We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed,” he continued. “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our County, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
President Joe Biden condemned the attack, calling it “sick” in Saturday evening remarks shortly after the incident. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee returned to the White House from his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and addressed the American public again July 14.
“Jill and I are keeping him (Trump) and his family in our prayers,” said Biden, a Catholic. “We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed. He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired, and he lost his life. God love him.”
That victim has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a firefighter from Pennsylvania who was among the thousands attending Saturday’s rally.
Biden said he is also praying for the full recovery of those who were injured and are grateful for the response of the Secret Service agents, other law enforcement and individuals who risked their lives.
“As I said last night, there is no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence for that matter,” he said. “The assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation. Everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not American, and we cannot allow this to happen.”
“Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now,” he said.
He said the FBI is leading the investigation, which is in its early stages. Biden encouraged the American public not to make assumptions about the motive or affiliations of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was named as the gunman killed by the Secret Service at the rally.
Biden also emphasized that Trump has had and will continue to have “a heightened level” of security protection, that he’s asked the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for the Republican National Convention, and he has ordered an independent review of the July 13 incident and will share its results with the public.
Biden plans to speak more about the situation the evening of July 14 in an Oval Office address. “We must unite as one nation,” Biden said, repeating the phrase, “to demonstrate who we are.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro described Comperatore as a husband and father with two daughters “who died a hero.”
“Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most especially, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said July 14 during a press conference.
