WASHINGTON: Former first lady Melania Trump on Sunday called the gunman who opened fire at a Donald Trump rally a “monster” as she condemned the assassination attempt that wounded the Republican presidential candidate.
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to play on Donald's passion – his laughter, his wit, his love of music and his inspiration,” Melania said in a statement shared on X.
“When I saw that vicious bullet hit my husband, Donald, I realized that my life and Barron's life were on the brink of a devastating change,” she said, referring to the couple's 18-year-old son.
“I am grateful to the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband,” Melania said.
Donald Trump said he was shot in the ear when a shooter attacked an election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
The shooter and a bystander were killed, while two spectators were seriously injured.
The former first lady said she offered her “deepest sympathy” to the victims' families, saying: “Their need to summon their inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.”
Melania, 54, has barely been involved in her husband's campaign for the White House: she has not attended any of Trump's rallies and has rarely joined him in public.
He has also remained largely absent during the former president's multiple court appearances in recent months to fight legal cases against him and as he ramps up his 2024 election campaign.
