Melania Trump has broken her silence on the attempted assassination of her husband Donald Trump by a 20-year-old shooter.
The previous FLOTUS branded the gunman a "monster" and described the moment she watched the bullet hit the side of husband's head at a Pennsylvania rally in front of thousands of his supporters.
"A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald's passion - his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration," Melania wrote in a statement on X on Sunday morning.
Melania's statement statment can be read in full below:
"I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans.
"We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one.
"When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.
"To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.
"A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion - his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times.
"Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.
"We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness and empathy are necessities.
"And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm.
"Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.
"This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again.
"I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans.
"The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide – thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family."
Named as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was pictured for the first time on Sunday morning - mere hours after he was fatally shot by Secret Service.
The registered Republican and 2022 high school graduate shot at Trump with an AR-style rifle from a roof 130 yards from the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at 6:15PM.
Images of Thomas Matthew Crooks, wearing glasses, braces, and an American flag t-shirt in yearbook headshots, surfaced on Sunday morning, revealing a stark contrast to the events that unfolded just hours earlier when he attempted to assassinate the presumptive Republican nominee and caused chaos at the rally.
In a terrifying and unprecedented scene, Trump suddenly grabbed his ear and collapsed to the ground as gunshots rang out, sending the crowd into a panic.
Moments later, despite being bloodied and injured, Trump rose to his feet, raised his fist, and shouted "fight, fight, fight" as Secret Service agents swiftly escorted him to safety via a motorcade and then to a hospital.
Overnight, a bomb squad and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were deployed to an address registered to Crooks, while police maintained a perimeter with yellow caution tape.
Tragically, one member of the rally crowd lost their life in the shooting, while two others sustained critical injuries. Law enforcement confirmed that all three victims are male.
According to FBI special agent Kevin Rojek, investigators have not yet determined a motive for what he described as "an assassination attempt on our former president."
Public court records from Pennsylvania indicate that Crooks had no prior criminal history. Officials continue to work diligently to uncover the motives behind the violent attack.