KS, MO leaders call for prayers, condemn violence after Trump injured in rally shooting

Kansas and Missouri politicians on Saturday quickly called for prayers and condemned political violence after someone shot at former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Live video footage of the rally showed Trump brush his hand by his ear before being escorted off the stage by Secret Service. Trump appeared to be bleeding from his ear as he was moved away.

The Secret Service said Trump is safe after someone fired multiple shots at the stage that killed one spectator and critically injured two more. The shooter was killed by Secret Service. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Hours after the shooting, Trump posted on his social media site that a bullet grazed the upper part of his ear.

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin, Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

Lawmakers quickly posted a call for prayers of social media and called for accountability for the shooter.

“I’m praying for President Trump and everyone who was in attendance at the rally, including the family and loved ones of the innocent attendee that was reportedly shot and killed,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, said in a statement.

“It is an absolutely horrific scene in Pennsylvania. Secret Service should be applauded for their quick response and bravery in the face of danger. God bless President Trump and God bless the United States of America.”

Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican, said the “heinous act we saw committed today at a rally for President Trump is nothing short of despicable.”

“Political violence has no place here in the United States, the greatest country on Earth,” Alford said in a statement that also praised the actions of Secret Service and law enforcement.

The shooting comes on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where Trump is set to be nominated as the party’s presidential nominee for the third time since 2016. It also comes as Democrats have spent two weeks openly debating whether their presumptive nominee — President Joe Biden — has the ability to defeat Trump and whether he is fit to serve another four years in office.

Addressing the nation on Saturday evening, Biden condemned political violence. He said he hoped to speak with Trump, but declined to call it an assassination attempt, saying he didn’t have enough information.

“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick, sick,” Biden said. “It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, called for prayers for Trump and others at the rally. “Please pray for our nation,” Parson said.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said the free exchange of political discourse is a “bedrock of our democracy.”

“Today’s gun violence is unacceptable and resulted in senseless loss of life. I’m thankful for the quick response of law enforcement to protect all in attendance,” Kelly said.

Numerous officials issued statements calling for prayers. Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran said he was praying for Trump, everyone at the rally “and for our country.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, called on the Department of Justice to quickly release details of the shooting.

“The Justice Dept needs to release the shooter’s ID immediately and everything known about him,” Hawley said. “No sweeping it under the rug.”

Former Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican running for Congress, also called prayers. His campaign called the shooting an attempted assassination.

“Join me in praying for our nation, for all affected by this senseless act, for law enforcement officers who put duty above self, and for President Trump. We need his leadership now more than ever,” Schmidt said. “The People, not violent criminals, will decide our great nation’s path forward. May God bless America.”

Trump appeared to stand and raise a fist with blood on the side of his face as he was escorted off the stage. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, posted a picture of Trump with a raised fist from the rally after calling for prayers.

“May God Bless Our President,” Marshall said.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that the former president “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.”

The shooting took place at a moment of intense political polarization as the nation prepared for a rematch of the 2020 presidential race. Kansas and Missouri Democrats condemned political violence on Saturday evening.

Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, said she was “horrified” by the shots fired at Trump and expressed relief that he is OK.

“Political violence is never acceptable,” Davids said. “Thank you to the Secret Service and law enforcement who responded and are investigating.”

Pransanth Reddy, a Republican running for Davids’ seat in Congress, said he was praying for Trump.

“Political violence has absolutely no place in America,” Reddy said. “We must have a full investigation into what happened and how it happened. And that investigation must be 100% transparent to the American people.”

Kansas state Rep. Rui Xu, a Westwood Democrat, wrote on social media that he was glad to hear Trump was OK. “The fabric of our society already feels thin; any action of political violence has to be rejected in the strongest possible terms,” Xu said.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, a Democrat, wrote: “Heartbroken by the gun violence in our country.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.