Elected officials across California have offered their well wishes to former President Donald Trump following the assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday that left an innocent man dead.
Around 6:10 p.m. local time, gunshots rang out at a rally for the former President in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump appeared to reach for his ear following the initial shots, and became bloodied as he dove for the ground with Secret Service agents.
The shooter, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by agents just seconds after he allegedly fired at Trump.
One innocent bystander died in the gunfire. He was later identified by officials as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief from the area.
In California, several politicians and vocal Trump critics have denounced the act of political violence against the former President.
“Violence has NO place in our democracy,” said Governor Gavin Newsom on X, formerly Twitter. “My thoughts are with President Trump and everyone impacted at the rally today.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass offered similar sentiments.
“What just happened today in Pennsylvania is unacceptable and tragic. Political violence has no place in our nation,” she said. “I wish former President Trump a full recovery and my thoughts are with all of those impacted this evening.”
U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler from California admonished against “political violence” in a post to X.
“My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump and his family as well as all the Americans who were present at the rally,” Butler said. “We must not allow political violence to become acceptable in our democracy.”
On the other side of the political spectrum, the Republican Party of Orange County said the attempted assassination should “shock the soul of our country.”
“I hope congressional members from both sides will swiftly investigate the failures in public safety. That is the true threat to democracy,” a statement reads. “The campaign has changed after today, I hope and pray for the better where candidates will lower the temperature from hyperbole and focus on the issues facing Americans every day.”