By the grace of God, Donald Trump will himself tell you, the 45th U.S. President will accept the Republican Party’s nomination in his bid for a return to the White House.
Trump escaped a failed assassination attempt by the measure of millimeters Saturday at a “Make America Great Once Again” rally held at Butler Farm Show Grounds in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump, 78, took to social media in the aftermath of the shooting by a 20-year-old gunman on a nearby rooftop — done with an automatic rifle that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, left one spectator dead, two more in critical condition and a bloodied Trump whisked away by a bevy of Secret Service agents.
The gunman, according to published reports, was shot to death by a Secret Service sniper within seconds of the failed assassination attempt as Trump was swarmed by Secret Service agents assigned to the grandstand stage.
Tom McInnis is the Republican state senator and majority whip who represents the Cumberland County legislative delegation. He was watching events unfold on television.
“I was watching the rally in real time and heard the shots as they were fired,” says McInnis, 70, who also represents Moore County. “I am deeply sickened by the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. There is no occasion where violence should be even a thought, much less an action. My heart goes out to supporters who were killed or wounded. There is no question that the shooter was not in his right mind to think that violence was a better option than peace and civility.
“ … I respectfully ask everyone to stop the violence. It is time to support America and end threats because of political views.
“I thank God that Donald Trump is alive and well,” McInnis, a Republican, says, “as he continues to offer himself as the Republican nominee for the office of president of the United States in November.”
Fellow Republican Rep. Diane Wheatley is the second-term lawmaker from Cumberland County, and she, too, was taken aback by Saturday’s events.
“The most important thing at this point is to acknowledge that one person has lost their life and two more have had their lives inalterably changed,” Wheatley, 73, says about Corey Comperatore, 50, a Pennsylvania firefighter, who, according to published reports, died shielding his wife and daughters, from the assassin’s bullets; and 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, each of whom who were injured. “Their families’ lives have also been devastated, and there is no excuse for any of it. We all should mourn with them and for our country. President Trump is extremely fortunate to be alive today, and I thank God for it. There is no telling what the repercussions might have been, both short term and long term, if that were not true.”
A president’s plea
No matter your party affiliation — Republican, Democrat or independent — there is no place for political violence.
“Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers,” President Joe Biden said during a nationally televised appearance Sunday night from the Oval Office. “ … There’s no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence. An 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.”
Sen. Val Applewhite is a Democrat who represents Dist. 19 and Cumberland County in the state legislature. She described the assassination attempt on Donald Trump frightening.
“It is crucial that we heed President Biden’s call to calm our political rhetoric and lower the temperature of our political discourse, even when we disagree,” Applewhite, 62, says. “Our democracy depends on our ability to engage in respectful dialogue and a commitment to non-violent actions, both in our national politics and right here in North Carolina. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Hate begets hate; violence begets violence.’ I hope all political leaders will lead by example and contribute to a more respectful and constructive political environment.”
‘Attempted assassination … shocking’
You can only imagination the consternation at Cumberland County Republican Headquarters along East Russell Street as staffers and volunteers looked forward to this week of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Thursday they’ll hear from Trump, with his vice president choice of Sen. J.D Vance, the 39-year-old freshman senator from Ohio.
“At Cumberland County GOP Headquarters,” Nina Morton, chairwoman of the Cumberland County Republican Party, says, “we are going to embrace a new day with thankfulness, renewed energy and an unwavering commitment to moving forward with our plan of electing Republicans in November.”
“The attempted assassination of former president Donald J. Trump was shocking,” Morton continues. “I received phone calls from volunteers throughout the evening, with some calling in tears. Our volunteers are passionate and dedicated. The Republican Party stresses the importance of upholding the law to enable the peaceful exchange of ideas, promoting non-violent means of expressing opinions without resorting to violence. United as Americans, we must come together to overcome our differences and work towards the greater good. Let’s transform our struggles into a message of hope and resilience for our children and grandchildren.”
Epilogue
The measure of millimeters by Donald Trump’s head, and the 45th American president could be lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda with military honor guards solemnly surrounding Trump’s U.S. flag-draped coffin.
Instead, Trump strolled Monday evening into Fiserv Forum to roars from a reported 50,000 GOP supporters and delegates. With a white bandage covering his right ear, Trump appeared humbled by the emotional welcome as the GOP presidential candidate with Election Day now just 112 days away.
Place your finger by your thumb without touching the two. That close, if you will, to ending Donald Trump’s life.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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So poignant. We are living in contentious and dangerous times.