A GoFundMe fundraiser, organized by former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, has so far raised over $530,000, which will be donated to the victims of Saturday’s shooting.
The fundraiser is being organized by Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director and senior adviser to the Trump campaign, and comes after a failed assassination attempt of the former president while he was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has confirmed the shooter and one rally attendee were killed, and two other attendees were injured.
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt,” O’Rourke wrote. “All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation.”
Former 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Trump after suspending his campaign, is among the fundraiser’s top donors with $30,000. He has also shared the fundraiser on X, where he encouraged others to donate.
Apoorva and I mourn for the Trump supporters who were killed or wounded in the brutal assassination attempt. Please join us in supporting these proud Americans & their families. God intervened on behalf of our nation last night, let’s do our small part.
https://t.co/YbpjPhpreO
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 14, 2024
Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick, as well as his wife Dina, are also mentioned as donors with $10,000. One of the donors mentioned is “Ivanka and Jared,” potentially referring to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner.
The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who was killed by security moments after he opened fire. An eye witness, who said he tried to flag to local officials that there was a suspicious individual, said the Secret Service “blew his head off” when they returned fire.
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On Sunday, Trump confirmed that he will still speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which will start on Monday. He also wrote that “it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” and expressed his gratitude to his supporters.
The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden spoke with Trump following the shooting, though additional details about the call were not provided. Biden also issued his own statement in the wake of the shooting, condemning political violence as “sick.”
