Former U.S. President Donald Trump said in a memo to staff on Sunday that he was in great spirits and doing well after he was shot in what law enforcement described as an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin," Trump said in a social media post. "We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness," he said.
"Our love goes out to the other victims and their families," he said, adding he was praying for the recovery of those who were wounded. "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."
A prosecutor said the suspected gunman and at least one attendee were dead, and the Secret Service said two spectators were critically injured. The assailant was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a registered Republican.
Allies of the former president accused the Biden administration of responsibility for the attack claiming President Joe Biden had incited violence. The Kremlin shared the same sentiment and although it said the administration was not directly responsible for the shooting, it blamed the Biden administration for creating an atmosphere that provoked the attack.
Biden and political leaders of all stripes condemned the attack. "There's no place in America for this type of violence," Biden said. "It's sick,' he said."
The political leanings of Crooks were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn into office.