WASHINGTON – On the morning of July 15, former US President Donald Trump’s website featured a striking image of him with a bloodied face, urging supporters to donate to his campaign and rally in the spirit of unity and peace following a weekend shooting incident.
The website redirected visitors to a fundraising page on WinRed, displaying a black-and-white image captured by an Associated Press photographer. The image, which Trump has described as “iconic,” shows the former president with blood streaking down his face and his fist raised in defiance after being shot in the upper right ear at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Captioned with the bold words “FEAR NOT,” the image is accompanied by a message: “Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again.” The page also features Trump’s signature and offers various donation levels.
In a New York Post interview published late on July 14, Trump discussed the photos taken immediately after he was shot, including the one featured on his campaign website. “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
The incident occurred on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump, who is running against Democratic President Joe Biden in the November election, was shot by a 20-year-old man wielding a semi-automatic rifle. The attack resulted in the death of one Trump supporter, injuries to two others, and the suspect being fatally shot by security agents. The FBI is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt.
Leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties, including Trump and Biden, have called for unity and calm in the wake of the shooting. A GoFundMe campaign, supported by Trump for the victims of the shooting, raised over US$3.5 million (S$4.7 million) by the end of July 14.