Former first lady has condemned Saturday’s violent act at a campaign rally as a “heinous crime”
Former first lady Melania Trump on Sunday condemned the attack on her husband at a rally the previous day, urging fellow Americans to come together and “reunite” in the wake of the incident.
“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband,” she said in a statement, describing the suspected attacker as a “monster” and his deed as a “heinous crime.”
The ex-first lady also urged fellow Americans to focus on arguably more important things, such as “love, compassion, kindness and empathy,” rather than on political rivalry.
“Let us reunite. Now. This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again,” she stated.
Former US President Donald Trump was targeted during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the suspected attacker firing at least five bullets at him. The suspect, identified as 20-year-old local Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed on the spot by Secret Service snipers.
Trump got grazed by one of the bullets, sustaining a wound to his right ear. At least one rallygoer was killed in the attack by stray bullets, with two others sustaining gunshot wounds, ending up hospitalized and in serious condition.
