South Dakota’s top political leaders are condemning an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend.
Trump was injured in an assassination attempt Saturday when a gunman opened fire at him at a rally about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.
One person at the rally was killed and two others wounded before Secret Service agents killed the shooter. The FBI has identified the gunman.
US Sen. John Thune said he was shocked and angered by event and that he’s glad to hear Trump is okay.
Like most Americans, I was shocked and angered by today’s attempted assassination of President Trump. It is encouraging to hear that President Trump is going to be okay. He remains in our prayers, as do the deceased and injured and their families. We are profoundly grateful for…
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) July 14, 2024
Both Thune and Sen. Mike Rounds said they’re keeping Trump and the families of those injured and killed in their prayers. Rounds said information about the assassin should be made public as soon as possible.
Relieved to hear that the former President is doing well. Incredibly sad to hear of the rally attendee who was killed. Continuing to pray for those in attendance and the families of those killed and injured. Thank you to all of the first responders.
— Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) July 14, 2024
Praying for President Trump.
— Rep. Dusty Johnson (@RepDustyJohnson) July 13, 2024
These people are evil.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) July 13, 2024
God bless @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/Ow9MQiXDpb
Moments after the incident, Gov. Kristi Noem shared her reaction in a video on social media.
“These people are evil and need to be eliminated from power,” Noem said in a video Saturday evening. “President Trump is the only one who can do that. God bless President Trump. May God protect him and keep his family safe and he will win this election because he loves this country. He fights for this country and he fights for our kids.”
It’s unclear who Noem said should be eliminated from power. According to NPR, the gunman was a registered Republican who donated $15 through ActBlue, the Democratic-allied organization, in 2021. The governor's comments came before the shooter was identified. Requests for clarifications to the governor’s spokesperson have gone unanswered.
NDN Collective—an indigenous advocacy organization based in Rapid City—is also condemning the shooting. Leaders with NDN Collective helped organize a protest in Keystone in 2020 the same day as a fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore that Trump attended. The group is calling this weekend's shooting "a consequence of building and maintaining a nation based in violence, control and bloodshed."
"We need and deserve leaders who understand safety and peace are not abstract ideas – they are policy choices. We refuse to be reactive or to take 'sides' in a culture of violence," the organization said in a statement. "Instead, we will continue to be advocates for the paradigm shift our world needs to build a culture of peace."
