Donald Trump, who has yet to speak directly to media after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday, issued a statement Sunday morning from his home in Bedminster, NJ. “Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.” “Our love goes out to the other victims and their families and we pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed. In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I truly love our country and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.” (signed) DJT. Trump’s campaign team issued a statement, saying the former president was “fine” and was preparing to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukie this week. The New York Post reported Sunday morning former First Lady Melania Trump also issued a statement. “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. “The former first lady said a ‘monster’ saw ‘my husband as an inhuman political machine’ before opening fire,” reported the Post. “She added that “political games are inferior to love.” She also conveyed her sympathies to the other victims of the shooting as well as their families. The shooter has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. .Crooks, 20, was on the roof of a manufacturing plant over 130 yards away from Trump’s rally when he took fire at the former president, grazing Trump’s ear and killing one rally attendee and wounding two others, reports the Post. On his voter registration card, Cooks identified as a Republican, but the Post reports “when he was 17 he made a $15 donation to Act Blue PAC that raises money for left leaning and Democrat politicians according to the FDC. The donation was earmarked for Progressive Turnout Projects, a national group that rallies Democrats to vote. The group did not immediately respond to requests for comments.” Immediately after he began shooting, Secret Service snipers took the 20-year-old out. He was found with an AR-style rifle. Greg Smith, who was at the rally, told the BBC he saw Crooks on the roof before the shooting began. “You can clearly see him with a rifle. We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground (and) we’re like, hey man there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle and the police are like huh? What? Like they didn’t know what was going and we can see him from right here...we see him...he’s crawling.” “And next thing you know I’m thinking to myself, ‘why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage?’ I’m standing there pointing at him (the shooter) for two or three minutes......secret service is looking at us from the top of the barn...I’m pointing at that roof and next thing you know five shots rang out.” .Saleno Zita, a reporter for the Washington Examiner, has interviewed Trump many times over the years and was on stage, about four feet behind Trump when the shots rang out. She wrote about her experience in the Free Press. Her account: It was just before six o’clock on Saturday when he greeted me. He was about to go onstage for the rally. He was in great spirits. At rallies like these, he always is. I was four feet from the stage, in a causeway with about five other journalists. My daughter, a photographer, was next to me. Her husband was next to her. Trump started speaking. Six minutes later, we heard the noise. Pop. Pop. Pop. Some people in the crowd might have thought they heard fireworks. But I knew exactly what it was. I own a gun. I looked up at the president. He touched his ear. I was shocked to see blood on his face. A smear of red across his cheek. My daughter hit the ground. My son-in-law lay on top of her. I threw my body next to theirs. Immediately, a security officer was on top of me. “ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY?” he asked. He stayed on top of me for five minutes, protecting me. Then, three more shots. Pop. Pop. Pop. I saw the president go down and the first thing he said was, “Get me my shoes.” He was adamant in standing up and he puts his fist up (and says) “fight, fight, fight.”
