Leaders in the tech and business sectors have voiced strong condemnations after former U.S. President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The incident has brought forth a unified message from these leaders: political violence poses a serious threat to democracy in the United States.
Trump remains unharmed following the shooting, which resulted in the death of one spectator and critically injured two others attending the rally. The alleged shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, is also deceased, according to a press release from the U.S. Secret Service. Trump is still expected to speak at the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee.
In the wake of the attack, top executives from some of the world’s largest companies — including Apple, Microsoft, and Meta — have strongly condemned the act of violence.
“Praying for a quick recovery for President Trump,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote Saturday night on Threads. “This is such a sad day for our country. Political violence undermines democracy and must always be condemned.”
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook also denounced the violence. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, expressed similar sentiments: “There is simply no place for any type of violence in our society. Sending my best wishes to President Trump for a speedy recovery and to all those impacted by today’s horrific event,” he wrote on X.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk likewise condemned the assassination attempt, with Musk stating: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”