In the hours and days after President Donald Trump survived the assassination attempt, a string of business leaders offered words of support and condemned political violence.
President Joe Biden also condemned the attack and, in a rare speech from the Oval Office, called on the nation to “remain calm.”
On Saturday evening, a gunman opened fire during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding Trump in an ear piercing before he was taken away by Secret Service agents. One audience member was killed.
“We wish President Trump a speedy recovery,” Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook wrote, adding that he “strongly condemns these acts of violence.”
It was a sentiment shared by many.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Walmart (WMT) CEO Doug McMillon added in his own statement.
“It's absolutely awful,” Amazon (AMZN) CEO Andy Jassy said.
“Our former president showed extraordinary grace and courage tonight, even while under literal attack,” added Jeff Bezos, Mr Jassy's predecessor.
The supportive sentiment was felt across the political and business worlds and was echoed by many top leaders, including some who have long been at odds with Trump.
“We wish President Trump a speedy recovery,” META CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote. “Political violence is an undermine of democracy and must always be condemned.”
Similar statements were heard from the CEOs of Microsoft (MSFT), Airbnb (ABNB), Alphabet (GOOG), and BlackRock (BLK).
“This is a very tough night for our country,” Intel (INTC) CEO Pat Gelsinger added.
Trump was taken to a hospital after the attack, where he was examined and released, and posted an online message thanking emergency responders.
The former president said Sunday morning that he looks forward to speaking at the Republican National Convention later this week, after which he'll head to Milwaukee, where the House of Representatives is due to begin its session Monday night.
The Secret Service said the suspect was killed in the attack “from an elevated position outside the rally venue,” and two other people at the rally were seriously injured.
President Joe Biden and political leaders from both parties and world leaders also voiced their support. “This kind of violence has no place in America. This is sick. This is sick,” the president said in a televised address.
He then spoke with President Trump by phone later in the evening and made a further appearance from the White House on Sunday, announcing a national security review of the incident in an address to the nation.
I'm so glad President Trump is safe!
— Sam Altman (@sama) July 14, 2024
The Business Roundtable, a group of leading company CEOs, called on “all Americans to reject political violence and to seek peaceful resolution of political differences.”
Business groups including the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers also issued statements condemning the political violence.
New political support for Trump
The fallout also garnered new political support for the former president in his campaign against President Biden.
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said just 30 minutes after the shooting that he “fully supports President Trump and wishes him a speedy recovery.”
He also appeared to endorse J.D. Vance as Trump's running mate later that day, making a series of comments that included an attack on the Secret Service.
Musk's public endorsement isn't necessarily surprising: He has previously praised Trump and criticized Biden, and The Wall Street Journal recently reported that he speaks with Trump multiple times a month on a range of issues.
The endorsement also came after Bloomberg reported on Friday night, before the shooting, that Musk had made his first donation of 2024 to America PAC, a super PAC aligned with Trump.
In the aftermath of the riot, Trump gained a new official backer from the business community when Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman formally endorsed him.
Like Musk, Ackman has long been a critic of Biden and supporter of Trump, but he said in his post that he “came to this decision some time ago” and that it would come as no surprise to his followers.
Post has been updated.
Ben Warschle is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.
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