The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms condemns Saturday’s attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump during a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and praises the quick action by the U.S. Secret Service to protect Mr. Trump and neutralize the suspect.
“We offer prayers of thanks that Donald Trump is safe, and we mourn for the innocent person who was killed during the incident,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “We condemn this act of insanity, because violence of any kind can never be tolerated as part of the political process in a free country.”
The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Brooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa. Authorities have reportedly recovered a semiautomatic rifle used in the shooting.
“Furthermore, we condemn the political vitriol which has been directed toward the former president, creating such an atmosphere of irrational hatred,” Gottlieb continued. “It is despicable that Donald Trump has been vilified for many months as a ‘threat to democracy.’ What has become clear is that the level of hateful rhetoric directed at the former president is the real threat to democracy, which is underscored by the Biden campaign’s suspension of political advertising.
“The whole world is watching how the American people respond to this deplorable attempt on the life of the former President,” Gottlieb added. “In America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box. We cannot allow those differences to reach the level of volatility which results in this kind of dangerous extremism. We call for calm on all sides. We are a nation of rational debate, not political derangement.
“There is no room for the sort of vile rhetoric which has been rampant so far in the campaign to demonize Mr. Trump and prevent at all costs his possible re-election in November,” Gottlieb observed. “We expect a thorough investigation and full public disclosure of the facts surrounding this horrific act.”
