Business leaders and CEOs are offering congratulations to former President Donald Trump after the attempted death at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday that claimed the life of a spectator and injured two others.
Before Trump announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his own Election of VP On Monday, public figures and tech leaders, including Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, condemned the violence and, in some cases, even supported the presidential candidate.
Here's how CEOs and business leaders reacted to the weekend's events.
Mark Zuckerberg
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Threads to write a message calling for a “speedy recovery” for Trump, saying Saturday was a “sad day” for America and noting that the “violence politics undermines democracy”.
Zuckerberg is not affiliated with any political party, although a 2019 time The report revealed that the billionaire was quietly recommending potential hires to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign team.
Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos praised Trump at X for his “extraordinary grace and courage” and mourned other victims of violence along with their families.
Our former President showed incredible grace and courage under literal fire tonight. So grateful for his safety and so sad for the victims and their families.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 14, 2024
Bezos has previously donated to both Democratic and Republican candidates and organizations, including former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump. He has yet to endorse a candidate for the 2024 election.
He is also the owner of Washington Post.
Tim Cook
Apple's chief executive strongly condemned the violence and said he hoped Trump would have a “speedy recovery”.
I pray for President Trump's speedy recovery. My thoughts are with him, the other victims, and the Trump family. I strongly condemn this violence.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 14, 2024
Cook and Trump met several times during Trump's presidency, most notably during Washington's trade war with Beijing, China, a country where Apple manufactures most of its product base.
“I feel very strongly about engaging with people, whether they agree with you or not,” Cook told GQ last April regarding his meetings with the former president. “I actually think it's even more important to engage when there's disagreement.”
Brian Chesky
Airbnb's CEO shared on X that he was “horrified” by the assassination attempt and said he was “grateful” for Trump's safety.
I am horrified by today's political violence and thankful that President Trump was not seriously injured. My thoughts are with him and his family.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) July 14, 2024
Chesky voiced criticism of Trump's desire to build a wall between Mexico and the US in a 2016 panel at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In 2022, donated 100 million dollars for the Obama Foundation.
Connected: Elon Musk backs Trump, says 'dangerous times ahead'
“Anyone who tries to put up barriers against culture will be on the wrong side of history,” Chesky said at the time.
Mark Cuban
Cuban went to X in a series of posts thanking the US Secret Service for their actions.
Let's hope the former President is okay and no one else is hurt.
And let's hope they catch the idiot who did it. This is not the way
And thanks to the Secret Service for putting themselves in harm's way to protect the former President
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 13, 2024
Cuban got it too opportunity to warn his followers about potential robbers and scammers who may take advantage of the tragedy to steal funds through fake fundraisers claiming to raise money for victims.
I know some people may say this is not the right time to share this. But I don't think anyone would disagree that there are a lot of bots and fake accounts on social media.
When tragedies and horrific events like the assassination of former President Trump occur, it brings… https://t.co/DgiOd0r6Y8
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 14, 2024
Cuban has often been critical of Trump and has made it clear that he is not endorsing him for President.
“I'm not a Trump supporter,” Cuban said in one March 2024 post to X. “That's for sure.”
Elon Musk
Elon Musk officially approved Trump for President after Saturday's shooting, just one day after another Bloomberg report revealed that Musk had donated to Trump's 2024 campaign.
I fully support President Trump and hope for his speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024