- At least two people were killed in a shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
- Tech CEOs and billionaires have condemned the shooting, with some voicing their support for President Trump.
- Billionaires Mark Cuban and Elon Musk, who have been at odds over their political views, condemned the shooting.
Prominent tech CEOs and billionaires condemned the shooting at a Trump rally on Saturday, with some voicing support for former President Donald Trump.
At least two people, including the suspect, were killed in a shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to a Secret Service statement. Two other people at the rally were also seriously injured, the Secret Service said.
The shooting drew immediate reactions from leading lawmakers across the political spectrum, the Biden administration and business leaders.
Billionaire Mark Cuban, who has voiced his support for President Joe Biden’s second term, posted on X a few hours after the shooting, “I hope the former president is safe and that no one else is injured.”
“I hope the idiot who did this gets caught. This is not OK,” Cuban wrote. “And I thank the Secret Service for risking their lives to protect our former President.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has clashed with Cuban on political issues, used the opportunity to announce his support for Trump. Though Musk had previously said he would avoid donating money to 2024 presidential candidates, Bloomberg reported this week that he had donated to a pro-Trump super PAC.
“I fully support President Trump and wish him a speedy recovery,” Musk wrote to X.
Some technology investors, including venture capitalists David Sachs and Sean Maguire, reiterated their support for the former president on social media.
“There is no braver man in America than Donald Trump,” Sachs wrote on X.
Marc Andreessen, co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, responded by posting a cryptic image of an American flag to X. Andreessen has not yet publicly endorsed a 2024 presidential candidate but has been critical of the Biden administration.
CEOs of major technology companies also condemned the shooting on social media.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who typically prefers to maintain a neutral and diplomatic stance in US politics, condemned the shooting.
“I pray for President Trump’s speedy recovery. My thoughts are with him, the other victims and the Trump family. I strongly condemn this act of violence,” he wrote to X.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg similarly said in a Threads post that he was wishing “President Trump a speedy recovery.”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, in his first Twitter post in nine months, wrote that Trump “demonstrated extraordinary grace and courage tonight while under literal attack.”
“I am so grateful that he is safe and deeply saddened for the victim and his family,” Bezos wrote.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy also expressed shock at the shooting, calling it “unacceptable” and “horrible.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called the incident at X a “horrifying event” and said “violence of any kind has no place in our society.”
“We are so happy that President Trump is safe!” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a short statement to X.
“We are grateful that President Trump was not seriously injured,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement posted to X.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, while not publicly endorsing any candidates in the 2024 presidential election, remains optimistic about his company’s prospects regardless of the election outcome, posting on Twitter wishing President Trump a speedy recovery and condemning “political violence.”
“I pray for President Trump’s full and speedy recovery. May his body be healed, his mind calmed and his soul comforted. May he be blessed with strength and courage and regain his health quickly. There is no place for political violence in our country,” he wrote.
