Coaches and athletes from across the sports landscape condemned Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The presumptive Republican nominee for president said on social media that he was “fine” after being shot in the right ear.
The gunman also fatally shot a bystander at the rally before a Secret Service sniper killed him, FBI officials said.
“It’s such a demoralizing day for our country, and it’s yet another example of not only our political division but also gun culture,” U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr told reporters Sunday.
Kerr, who publicly endorsed President Biden in this year’s election, has regularly spoken out against gun violence. His father, Malcolm Kerr, was assassinated in 1984 while working as the president of the American University of Beirut.
“A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It’s hard to process everything, and it’s scary to think about where this goes because of the issues that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day.”
NBA star Stephen Curry, who plays for Kerr with the Golden State Warriors and is headed with his coach to the Paris Olympics as a member of the U.S. team, shared a similar sentiment. He advocated for “gun control, first and foremost.”
“It’s obviously a very sad time in general,” the 10-time NBA All-Star said. “All the conversations around the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this. … You want positivity and hope. It sounds cheesy, but it’s real. That’s when our country’s at its best, and it just adds another blemish to what’s going on.”
The mixed martial arts community was particularly outspoken in its calls for support for Mr. Trump, with current and former fighters praising the 78-year-old for his reaction to the attempt on his life.
Before Secret Service agents whisked him off the stage, the former president raised a fist to the crowd.
“I heard they just tried to whack my boy Trump,” fighter Evan Elder said after defeating Darrius Flowers at a UFC Fight Night on Saturday. “I’m glad that man is okay — long live Trump. Let’s go, baby. Trump 2024!”
Trump’s closest connection to the sports world is likely UFC President Dana White, who is scheduled to introduce the former president at the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
“I am absolutely SICK to my stomach and in complete shock. … I’m praying President Trump is 100% healthy,” UFC President Dana White wrote on Instagram. “He is the toughest, most resilient, AMERICAN BAD ASS on this planet. … I can’t WAIT to stand up on stage with him on Thursday and introduce him at the Republican National Convention and tell the WORLD exactly the character of the friend and man I KNOW!!”
The former president is a regular fixture at UFC events — he received a standing ovation from several fans when he attended UFC 302 last month in New Jersey. Several high-profile fighters, including former champions Sean Strickland and Colby Covington, have publicly endorsed Trump in the upcoming election.
“Trump is an utter savage. Man gets shot and still is for his people,” Strickland wrote on X Saturday night.
On Sunday morning, Strickland wrote that Secret Service agents “need to get fired” for failing to prevent the shooting.
“President Trump is the toughest man on the face of this earth,” Covington wrote on social media. “God bless him and his family right now.”
Trump attended four UFC events in 2023, including matches featuring Covington and now-retired fighter Jorge Masvidal.
“God loves this man,” Masvidal said on X alongside a picture of Trump. “I’m happy that President Trump is ok. The left knows no bounds! They say they are the non-violent ones. They will stop at nothing!”
“A 78-year-old multiple billionaire, he should be on a yacht on the [Mediterranean] touring golf courses. But he is not,” Conor McGregor, a former MMA fighter who recently appeared in the film “Roadhouse,” wrote on X. “He is in Pennsylvania spitting out bullets! Running for the love of his country! Godspeed Donald! God bless the United States.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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