Reactions from Michigan officials and lawmakers to the alleged assassination attempt on Trump

Michigan state officials and lawmakers are praying for Donald Trump after an apparent assassination attempt on the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13.

“There is no place for political violence in this country, period,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “… I am appalled by this news and we will be monitoring the situation closely.”

Trump was removed from the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night after gunshots appeared to ring out in the crowd. He could be seen clutching his neck with his right hand. His ear and face were smeared with blood.

He ducked backstage as members of his security team rushed the stage. The banging continued while agents onstage dealt with him.

Related: Shooting at Trump rally being investigated as attempted murder, AP sources say

According to the Associated Press, a local prosecutor said the suspected shooter and at least one participant were dead.

The Michigan Republican Party’s official X-Account said members were praying for Trump.

The party’s chairman, Pete Hoekstra, agreed with this opinion.

Michigan Republican Sen. Roger Victory, of Hudsonville, said on X that he was praying for the former president and the thousands who attended his rally.

Peter Meijer, a Republican from Grand Rapids Township, called the incident a “heinous act of political violence.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain of Bruce urged people on X to “stop what you’re doing and pray.”

Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, said she couldn’t stop crying.

Republican state Rep. Angela Rigas of Caldonia said she was “disgusted and outraged” by what she called an assassination attempt on the former president.

“The attempt on his life is a stark reminder of the threats we face from those who seek to undermine our country and its leadership,” Rigas said in a statement shared by her re-election campaign team. “… Let this incident serve as a stark reminder of our country’s resilience and strength. We will not be intimidated or divided by acts of violence and hatred.”

Lavora Barnes, chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said Democrats “strongly condemn this act.”

Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, also condemned the incident.