Bruce Springsteen, a harsh critic of President Trump, prayed and gave thanks for his safety following the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“We also send out a prayer of thanks that our president, nor anyone in the administration, nor anyone attending, was injured at last night’s incident at the press correspondents’ dinner,” Mr. Springsteen said Sunday at his concert in Austin, Texas, according to Billboard.
Mr. Springsteen also said that while criticizing people in power is acceptable, political action must be peaceful, telling the crowd that “there is no place in any way, shape or form for political violence of any kind in our beloved United States.”
Cole Allen, 31, is accused of trying to kill Mr. Trump at Saturday’s gala and shooting a Secret Service agent while trying to get past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton in order to get to where the president was sitting with members of his administration.
In a manifesto he wrote prior to the alleged assassination attempt, Mr. Allen is believed to have referenced the president by saying, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” according to the New York Post.
Mr. Allen also wrote that any Trump administration officials with the exception of FBI Director Kash Patel were his targets, reported the newspaper.
Mr. Springsteen has also implied that Mr. Trump is a traitor. At an appearance in England in May, the singer said America was “currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.”
In an April 7 performance in Los Angeles, Mr. Springsteen reiterated that he believes the country is “currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous administration.”
Mr. Trump has also had invective for Mr. Springsteen.
On April 2, the president wrote on Truth Social, “Bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Mr. Trump has not yet posted about Mr. Springsteen’s prayer for his safety.
Meanwhile, the president says the shooting proves that his White House ballroom is crucial.
“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Mr. Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social.
