Florida Republican leaders respond largely muted to shooting at Trump rally

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Florida Republican leaders have responded generally mutedly to Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, though U.S. Sen. Rick Scott called for swift Senate hearings to determine how such an attempt could have happened.

Scott wants the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to meet on the matter before the end of the month “to demand answers from the (Department of Homeland Security) and the U.S. Secret Service on how this happened and what steps are being taken to investigate this assassination attempt and ensure it never happens again,” he said in a written statement.

“It is a miracle that President Trump is alive and well, but it is absolutely inexcusable that the deranged would-be assassin had a direct line of sight to the former president and leading candidate for president of the United States,” he continued.

“Chairman Gary Peters must immediately hold a hearing, before August 1, with testimony from these agencies and provide the answers that we, as United States Senators and the American people, demand and deserve from our government. The security of our Republic is in question and we, as a nation, need answers.”

Governor Ron DeSantis, for his part, expressed concern for the former president. He too demanded answers.

“@CaseyDeSantis and I are praying for Donald Trump and his family,” the governor said on his X account.

“It’s great that President Trump is doing well. It’s extremely sad that a rally-goer was killed and others were injured. The American people deserve answers about the circumstances of this event, as well as information about the killer,” he said on a separate X account.

DeSantis later took a harder line.

“Biden tells us to trust the bureaucracy to investigate the killer’s motive. But the feds categorized the congressional baseball shooter, a crazed leftist, as ‘suicide by cop’ — even though the shooter had a well-documented left-wing political bent and made sure the players on the field were Republicans before attacking,” he wrote.

“There also needs to be an investigation into the security protocols used at Butler. The question that needs to be answered as soon as possible is: How did someone with a rifle get onto a roof 500 feet from the scene? Bureaucratic failures in Washington, D.C. almost never result in prosecution; this time, it needs to be different. Our country is in danger in part because the Washington, D.C., establishment has a history of evading accountability for its failures.”

“Instant chills”

Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody’s response was similarly muted. On X, she wrote: “Trump injured at rally in Pennsylvania. Praying for President Trump, his family and our entire nation.”

Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Republican finance director, blamed Democrats. He was glad Trump was not seriously injured. “For an attack like this, he got up as soon as he could and immediately attacked the crows and told them to fight. Instant chills,” he wrote.

He then added: “The people who hate Trump, who created the kind of environment that made this attack possible, should be ashamed of themselves. Joe Biden and all elected Democrats must condemn this assassination attempt to the fullest extent possible.”

“This is an attack on who we are as Americans. All of us. With more determination than ever, we will stand with President Trump to make America great again,” wrote Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, also a Republican.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from the Panhandle, predicted the attack would rekindle GOP voters.

“President Trump is determined to save this country from the path of ruin we are on. No politician in the history of our country has ever faced this kind of effort to stop him,” Gaetz wrote on X.

“They tried to impeach him. They’re trying to imprison him. They’ve now tried to assassinate him. Every time they do that, the American people become more engaged in the vision that they have for this country, for our success and our prosperity.”

“I pray for him”

“We thank God that @realDonaldTrump appears safe and has survived today’s assassination attempt. Our entire family is praying for him now and in the days to come. President Trump’s resolve was on full display after the attack. Make no mistake: democracy will not be deterred!” wrote Florida Republican House Speaker Paul Renner.

“I pray for President Trump and our nation. I am grateful to the Secret Service agents and law enforcement who responded quickly,” wrote Kathleen Passidomo, Republican president of the Florida Senate.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio complained on X that some initial reporting had downplayed the nature of the attack, but also said, “I pray for President Trump and everyone who attended the rally in Pennsylvania today,” adding, “God has protected President Trump.”

The Florida Democratic Party condemned the attack.

The Florida Democratic Party unequivocally condemns today’s violence and thanks the Secret Service, law enforcement and first responders for their swift response,” the party posted on X.

“Political violence has no place in our democracy. I thank the Secret Service and first responders for their swift action to protect former President Trump. We must condemn all forms of violence and encourage the use of voices, not guns, when disagreeing,” wrote House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell.

“Violence has no place in our democracy. No matter who you support or what you believe, we must resolve our differences at the ballot box, never through violent attacks. I am praying for the former president,” wrote Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book.

“Political violence is unacceptable and is never the solution. We must all be committed to community safety, regardless of our political beliefs,” added State Representative Anna Eskamani.

This article has been updated to include a new quote from Gov. DeSantis.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains its editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado with questions: (protected email)Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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