Former President Donald Trump’s GoFundMe for victims of the assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday has surpassed its $1 million goal just hours after being posted. As of 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, the GoFundMe had raised over $1.6 million from more than 21,000 separate donations. The surge in donations occurred by mid-afternoon, with over $265,000 being raised early in the morning.
The GoFundMe page states that President Trump authorized the account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in the assassination attempt. All donations will be directed towards these Americans as they grieve and recover from the incident.
Don Jr., Donald Trump’s son, shared the link to the fundraiser on Sunday morning, with an image of his father standing onstage with a bloodied face and his fist in the air. Trump’s lawyer and senior adviser Alina Habba also shared the link on Sunday, stating that it is authorized by President Trump to assist the innocent victims and those injured at the rally due to the assassination attempt. She emphasized that this is not the America they want to see and urged people to help if they can.
Trump was injured during the incident and rushed off the stage while speaking to supporters at the rally. In a statement on Truth Social, he confirmed that he had been shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear. He also expressed condolences for the person who was killed and those who were injured in the attack.
One of the victims, now identified as 50-year-old former Pennsylvania fire chief Corey Comperatore, was killed in the gunfire. Two others are still in critical condition, according to Secret Service confirmation. The identities of these individuals have not been released publicly.
Despite the assassination attempt, Trump plans to attend the upcoming Republican convention in Wisconsin. Interestingly, this convention will be held two blocks away from the site where President Teddy Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in 1912.
The FBI has confirmed that the shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Parks, Pennsylvania.