NEW YORK – The Greek-American elected official, regardless of party affiliation, made condemnatory statements regarding the assassination attempt against the former U.S. president, Donald Trump.

In her extensive statement to the media, Republican Congresswoman representing the 11th District of New York Nicole Malliotakis spoke of the “shocking and heartbreaking” event and also thanked the Secret Service for their efforts.

“It is both shocking and heartbreaking that someone attempted to assassinate President Trump,” Rep. Malliotakis said. “In the process, innocent bystanders were also shot, including one who sadly succumbed to injuries. While we are still waiting to learn more about the shooter and a full investigation into how this horrifying act was able to occur, we are thankful for the Secret Service officers who ushered President Trump to safety and neutralized the situation in a matter of seconds. The way President Trump has been targeted and vilified has gone too far. This act of political violence and pure hatred is unacceptable. As Americans, we can disagree but should respect opinions from across the political spectrum and engage in respectful dialogue about the important issues facing our country today. The attempted assassination of any political candidate is unacceptable and only further divides our nation.”

For his part, Greek-American Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis, in his initial post on X, expressed his support for Donald Trump and his family, also thanking, in turn, the Secret Service. “We are praying for President Trump and his family in the wake of a truly terrifying incident. Thank goodness he is safe, and thank you to the Secret Service for a quick response.”

Democratic members of Congress Chris Pappas, John Sarbanes, and Dina Titus also expressed their shock at the incident, with a common point of reference being praise for the Secret Service and law enforcement officials who took immediate action. Rep. Sarbanes said: “We are all shaken by today’s tragic incident. Violence of this kind or any kind is unacceptable in America. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick action to secure former President Trump’s safety and protect those attending the rally.”

At the state level, Republican New York State Assemblyman and Staten Island GOP Chairman Michael Tannousis in his social media post said: “My thoughts and prayers are with President Trump and I applaud the brave men and women of the Secret Service and law enforcement who acted quickly in this instance and who put their lives on the line every day to protect the public.”

New York State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Democrat and fierce critic of Trump, emphasized that violence has no place in American political life.

“No matter how divided we are as a nation or how serious our differences, this cannot be the way. Our political disagreements should be resolved peacefully at the ballot box, not by violence. In this difficult moment, we must strengthen our commitment to democracy as a solution,” said Senator Gianaris.