Trump VP finalists Vance, Rubio and Burgum offer prayer, horror and anger after shooting
MILWAUKEE - Potential Republican vice presidential candidates, like many Donald Trump supporters, reacted to Saturday's shooting with a combination of prayer, horror, and anger ? while one top contender blamed the rhetoric of President Joe Biden's campaign.
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, in a post on the platform X, said that "today is not just some isolated incident."
"The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs," Vance said. "That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."
Today is not just some isolated incident.
The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.
That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 14, 2024
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also long seen as being under consideration to be Trump's vice president, gave a similar take.
"For years, Democrats and their allies in the media have recklessly stoked fears, calling President Trump and other conservatives threats to democracy. Their inflammatory rhetoric puts lives at risk," Scott said in a statement.
In his reelection bid, Biden has called Trump a threat to democracy who wants to be a dictator on day one in office. He's called attention to Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and comments from Trump about his intentions during a potential second presidency.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ? who, like Vance, is considered among Trump's vice presidential finalists ? cited Trump's opponents in paying tribute to the wounded 2024 GOP candidate. "We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies," Burgum said on X. "Today he showed it."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., offered a prayerful statement: "God protected President Trump." He also posted some of the news stories about the shooting, and criticized aspects of the news coverage.
Trump has said that Vance, Burgum and Rubio are all finalists for the vice presidential slot, but he has not yet made up his mind.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vance, Rubio, Burgum respond to shooting at Trump rally