News of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump Saturday sent shock waves across the nation, including the residence of Gov. Jim Justice.
Justice said during a virtual press briefing Monday he “never dreamed” of such an attack, and that Trump’s survival marked “a miracle right in front of our eyes.”
“How could the bullet have missed his head?” he asked. “Unbelievable, the blessing we saw.”
Justice offered words of support to Trump, who he described as “a really dear friend,” and to the family of Corey Comperatore, the Pennsylvania resident who was killed during the shooting.
Throughout the briefing, the governor also urged the nation to set aside political tensions.
“From the standpoint of our politicians, we’ve got to amp down the rhetoric. We’ve got to get back to where we’re respecting one another, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, whatever it may be,” Justice said.
Justice also expressed criticism of President Joe Biden’s leadership, and said the country has come to tolerate too much violence.
“Frankly, I do not agree with the path that President Biden has set us on. It seems like the violence is just amped up all over the place all the time,” he said. “The more our judges just let people go right back on the streets automatically, the more we condone, the more we’re going to have.”
Overall, crime rates are down in the last few years according to FBI statistics, with murder down more than 12 percent from 2022.
The governor ended his briefing with a prayer for the nation, and reaffirmed his commitment to attend this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee — without “one ounce of fear,” he added.
