Donald Trump shooting: Vivek Ramaswamy slams ‘toxic climate’ ahead of polls, says ‘first they sued him, then they…’

After Donald Trump was shot in the ear in an attempted assassination during an election campaign rally on Saturday, Vivek Ramaswamy said Americans witnessed Trump’s “true character, unvarnished”.

Ramaswamy, who challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination at the primaries, also said the Trump took the hit, he felt the blood, and then stood right back up for the people.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly twitter), Vivek Ramaswamy said: “First they sued him. Then they prosecuted him. Then they tried to take him off the ballot. The only thing more tragic than what just happened is that, if we’re being honest, it wasn’t totally a shock.”

“Biden’s inevitable ritual condemnation of political violence today (when it comes) will be insufficient and irrelevant. No amount of verbiage today changes the toxic national climate that led to this tragedy,” he added.

The alleged attack on Donald Trump has raised sharp questions about security provided to the Republican candidate.

At the rally an attendee was killed by the shooter and two other spectators were critically wounded.

Expressing condolence for the deceased, Ramaswamy said: “We believe the fact that President Trump is safe right now is nothing short of an act of God. My heart tells me God intervened not just for Trump, but for our nation. Today, the future survival of the United States of America came down to less than a hair’s width in the path of a bullet.”

Further, he said: “If any good comes of today, let it be this: Americans just had the chance to see our next President’s true character, unvarnished. He took the fire, he took the hit, he felt the blood, and then he stood right back up for the people he was put here to lead.”

Ramaswamy has urged Americans to unite around the truth that what happened is unacceptable, and quoted what Thomas Jefferson said 225 years ago: “A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions…And if we feel their power just sufficiently to hoop us together, it will be the happiest situation in which we can exist. If the game runs sometimes against us, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.”