Supporters of former President Donald Trump attend a prayer vigil hosted by Turning Point Action near the venue for the Republican National Convention at Zeidler Union Square in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 14, 2024.
“VIOLENCE is not the answer.”
This was the statement of the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands in “strongly condemning” the recent shooting at former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“We are deeply relieved to hear that former President Trump is safe and well. We stand with Democrats across the nation condemning political violence, and violence of any kind, against our fellow Americans,” the local party’s vice chair, Luella Marciano, said.
“Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of the innocent person whose life was tragically taken by the shooter. We commend the swift and courageous actions of federal and local law enforcement officers,” she added.
She said elected Democrats and the party’s candidates in the November election share this sentiment.
The NMI Democratic Party’s candidate for the U.S. Congress, House Minority Leader Edwin Propst, said, “Regardless of where you stand in politics, we all must condemn the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and be grateful he is okay. We must rise against the growing gun violence in America, where no one is truly safe. Praying for peace in our nation and around the world for greater tolerance and respect for each other. God bless.”
The party’s Saipan senatorial candidate, Rep. Manny Gregory T. Castro, said, “My prayers go out to President Trump, who was exercising his right to free speech. Freedom of speech is closely connected to freedom of thought, an essential tool for democratic self-governance.”
Freedom of speech, he said, helps promote the virtue of tolerance.
“If we tolerate a wide range of speech and ideas, this will promote greater acceptance, self-restraint, and a diversity of ideas. May we continue to remember the Constitution, our history, and continue to be a tolerant society open to different viewpoints,” he added.
Rep. Denita Yangetmai, a Precinct 3 Democrat, said she was “shocked and saddened” by the shooting of former President Trump. “Thank goodness it was not fatal. I pray that this does not happen again. Any violence of this nature does not belong in our democracy or in the United States of America,” she said.
Marciano said as an organization dedicated to building safe communities, the Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands also emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive gun reform to address the growing gun violence in America.
“Violence is not the answer. It is our duty to ensure that our communities are safe and that such tragic incidents do not happen again. We must continue to strive for peace, unity, and a stronger, safer nation together,” she said.
