Business leaders respond to attempted assassination of former President Trump
Business leaders and trade groups are responding to the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Business leaders around the U.S. are reacting with shock, sorrow and prayers to the attempted assassination of former President Trump during a campaign rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump was grazed by a bullet that pierced his upper right ear after he turned to his right while addressing the crowd from a podium at the event. One attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed in the shooting while two other rallygoers were wounded.
The shooter, who has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by law enforcement personnel. Authorities haven't disclosed a motive for the shooting and the investigation is ongoing.
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The act of political violence elicited responses from several prominent U.S. business leaders and executives as well as leading trade groups. Here's a look at their reactions to the attempted assassination:
Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "I pray for President Trump's rapid recovery. My thoughts are with him, the other victims and the Trump family. I strongly condemn this violence."
Cuban, a billionaire investor and longtime Trump critic, wrote in a post on X in the immediate aftermath of the attempted assassination that he hoped "the former President is Ok and no one else was injured" and that authorities would "catch the idiot who did this. This is not the way." He also expressed gratitude to the "Secret Service who put themselves" in harm's way to protect the former president.
After reports emerged about the death of one of the rallygoers who was shot in the assassination attempt, Cuban wrote: "This is heartbreaking. Hopefully there is a way we can help support this person and their family."
Cuban also warned followers and social media users to beware of scams being carried out by fraudsters using fake accounts and bots to capitalize on the public's reaction and sympathy with victims, writing, "When tragedy and horrific events like the assassination attempt on former President Trump happens, it brings out these accounts to make things worse and grift."
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"We are deeply saddened by the political violence and the assassination attempt on former President Trump last evening," JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon wrote in a message to all of JPMorgan Chase's employees on Sunday, per a report by CNBC.
"On behalf of our entire leadership team, our thoughts today are with the former President, his family and the families of those who were tragically injured and killed," Dimon continued. "We must stand firmly together against any acts of hate, intimidation or violence that seek to undermine our democracy or inflict harm. It is only through constructive dialogue that we can tackle our nation's toughest challenges."
AMAZON FOUNDER JEFF BEZOS SAYS TRUMP SHOWED 'GRACE AND COURAGE' IN RESPONSE TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Billionaire Amazon co-founder and entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, who has sparred with Trump over political issues in the past decade, praised the former president's response to the assassination attempt in a post on X.
"Our former President showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight. So thankful for his safety and so sad for the victims and their families," Bezos wrote Saturday on X.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a post Saturday, "It's hard to digest what happened in Pennsylvania today. Just awful. My thoughts go out to the victims' families. Glad that President Trump is safe and hoping he recovers quickly."
"There is simply no place for any type of violence in our society. Sending my best wishes to President Trump for a speedy recovery and to all those impacted by today's horrific event," Nadella wrote on X.
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Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – who recently donated to a super PAC supporting former President Trump, according to a report by Bloomberg – announced his support for Trump's presidential campaign in the wake of the attempted assassination.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk wrote Saturday in a post on X.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, posted on Instagram's text app Threads: "Praying for a quick recovery for President Trump. This is such a sad day for our country. Political violence undermines democracy and must always be condemned."
BILLIONAIRE BILL ACKMAN PUBLICLY ENDORSES TRUMP FOLLOWING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The world's largest asset manager, BlackRock, released a statement Sunday on the assassination attempt:
"The assassination attempt on former President Trump is abhorrent. We’re thankful former President Trump wasn’t seriously injured, and thinking about all the innocent bystanders and victims of this awful act, especially the person who was killed. As our leadership team communicated to colleagues last night, BlackRock strongly condemns political violence of any kind and will do our part to promote civility and unity in the country."
The statement also explained the appearance of Crooks in an ad the company produced two years ago: "In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks. We will make all video footage available to the appropriate authorities, and we have removed the video from circulation out of respect for the victims."
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Billionaire Bill Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, wrote a lengthy post on X announcing that he is endorsing former President Trump in this year's presidential election.
"I came to this decision some time ago as many @X followers have already understood from my supportive posts of Trump and my criticisms of @POTUS Biden," Ackman wrote. "The reason why I have not yet formally done so is that I want to explain my thinking in detail and address the arguments put forth by others against Trump."
He added that he plans to explain his rationale for endorsing Trump in a "long-form" post but that "I just haven't had the time nor felt the urgency" to write it before the assassination attempt.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest business trade group in the country, released a statement Saturday that read: "We are relieved to hear that President Trump is safe following the shooting at his rally, and we are deeply saddened by the impact on the innocent attendees, including the tragic loss of life. There is no place in our democracy for acts of violence. Now, more than ever, we must unite as a country and uphold the democratic values that define us as a nation."
The Business Roundtable, a group of CEOs at leading U.S. companies, released a statement Saturday that said: "We mourn the loss of innocent life and are relieved that President Trump is safe. We call on all Americans to reject political violence and to commit to resolving political differences peacefully."
Fox News' Pilar Arias contributed to this report.