Former U.S. President and current candidate Donald Trump has claimed God prevented a shooter from assassinating him.
The incident took place during a Trump presidential campaign rally at the Butler Park Showgrounds in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening.
In a social media post shared shortly after the shooting, Trump said he was "fine" after he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear". One person was killed and two others critically injured. Images from the rally showed Trump with blood on his ear and face, being whisked away from the rally stage.
In a later statement on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump wrote: "Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.
"We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.
"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. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Pennsylvania as the "subject involved" in the assassination attempt.
The incident comes as Trump steps up his campaign to defeat President Joe Biden in a repeat of the 2020 contest he lost as the incumbent president.
Biden has condemned the attack, saying: "We must unite as one nation to condemn it. It's sick, it's sick."
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