Maine

NH, Maine Republicans rush to support Trump after shooting: Here’s what they’re saying

Published

1 year ago

July 14, 2024

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NH, Maine Republicans rush to support Trump after shooting: Here’s what they’re saying

Staff report
| news@seacoastonline.com

Leading Republicans in New Hampshire and Maine are reacting to the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Many are condemning political violence. Some are indicating they believe the shooting is part of a broad attempt to stop Trump from winning the 2024 presidential election. Here’s a look at what they’re saying in prepared statements, posts on X and other social media:

Kelly Ayotte, Republican candidate for New Hampshire governor and former U.S. senator: “Joe and I are thankful to hear that President Trump is safe and this heinous attempt on his life failed. There is no place for political violence in our society and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families tonight.”

Chuck Morse, Republican candidate for New Hampshire governor and former state Senate president, reposted a comment by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and stated: “Governor Abbott is right. They will do everything in their power to try and stop President Trump from getting back into the Oval Office, but it won’t work. The American people will not be silenced, and our Republican Party will not stop working until we get President Trump across the finish line this fall.

Chris Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire GOP: “God Bless President Trump and the United States of America. I ask all of you to pray for President Trump, the attendees that have been killed or injured, and our country. This shooting is nothing less than evil. Let’s pull together and fight for our views – without violence. But make no mistake, we will protect ourselves.”

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu: “Violence of any form has no place in America. Glad to hear that President Trump is doing well and wish him the best in a speedy recovery.”

Russell Prescott, Republican candidate for U.S. House in New Hampshire District 1: “Susan and I are praying for President Trump. This incident is unacceptable.”

Hollie Noveletsky, Republican candidate for U.S. House in New Hampshire District 1: “It is hard to believe what has just happened today. President Trump is in my prayers and I wish him a speedy recovery. I am also praying for those in law enforcement and all who were attending the rally. This violence is unacceptable.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine: “I am very relieved that President Trump appears to be OK; however, this violence is absolutely appalling. Thank God for the Secret Service and first responders who hurried President Trump out of harm’s way.”

Maine state Rep. Austin Theriault, Republican candidate for U.S. House: “My family and I are praying for President Trump, everyone at the rally, our law enforcement, and for our country. This is a dark day in U.S. history and I am hopeful it will serve as a wake-up call. Our country needs to unite and come together.”

NH state Sen. Bill Gannon, Republican in NH state Senate: “My prayers are with President Trump, his family, and the attendees of tonight’s rally. Glad to hear he is doing well and wishing him a quick recovery. Grateful for the swift action of the Secret Service, political violence has no place in America.”

NH state Rep. Emily Phillips, Republican candidate for state Senate: “Be strong President Trump. We are with you.”

Democrats in NH and Maine reacting, too

Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire: “Political violence has no place in our civic life, and we must condemn it in the strongest possible terms. My thoughts are with former President Trump, his family, and all those in Butler, PA, and I am grateful for the Secret Service and local law enforcement on the scene.”

Joyce Craig, Democrat candidate for New Hampshire governor: “Political violence is unacceptable. I’m hoping President Trump and everyone at his rally is safe.”

Cinde Warmington, Democrat candidate for New Hampshire governor: “Today is a sad day for our country. There is no room for political violence in America. I am grateful for the swift response of the secret service. My thoughts are with former President Trump, his family, and all attendees of the rally in Butler.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Democrat: “Please join me in praying for the health and safety of former President Trump, those who attended his rally today, and our country. There is absolutely no place for violence in our politics – none.”

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine: “Political violence of any kind is never acceptable. Ever. My thoughts are with the former President, his family, and those who were in attendance.”

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine: “I am praying for former President Trump and others at the rally today in PA, as well as for law enforcement on the scene. I pray whoever is responsible is quickly apprehended and held accountable. There must be no room for violence of any kind in our politics.”

Troy Jackson, Maine Democrat, state Senate president: “I am glad to hear that President Trump is safe and am terribly sorry for the loss of a person – an innocent bystander – that was tragically killed during today’s incident. There is no place in our world for political violence – everyone should have the right to believe in whatever they want as long as it does not cause harm and hurt to other people.”

‘It’s sick’: Joe Biden condemns shooting at Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania

This story may be updated.

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Maine

Maine Celtics edge Delaware Blue Coats in thrilling 113-111 victory

Published

14 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Maine Celtics edge Delaware Blue Coats in thrilling 113-111 victory

The Maine Celtics returned to the Portland Expo for a two-game series against the Delaware Blue Coats. Both teams started strong, with Kendal Brown hitting a three-pointer to put the Celtics up by three. Igor Milicic responded with a long-range shot to tie the game for the Blue Coats. Celtics guard Max Shulga contributed significantly, scoring 17 points, including a crucial three-pointer. Ron Harper Jr. led the game with an impressive 46 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Celtics secured a narrow 113-111 win. The two teams will face off again Sunday afternoon at the Expo.

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Maine knows the cost of war. Our leaders must remember it too. | Opinion

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Maine knows the cost of war. Our leaders must remember it too. | Opinion

Morgan Lueck, a native of Sumner who now lives in China, Maine, served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He holds a Master of Science degree in counterterrorism and homeland security from American University.

As I reflect on this past Veterans Day, I am reminded of what military service demands and of what national decisions about war truly cost. It is about remembering the profound weight of what is asked when a nation chooses conflict.

The burden is not theoretical; it is carried by service members, their families and their communities for generations. Because of this, those we elect have a solemn obligation to exercise judgment before committing Americans to war.

That obligation is not being met.

The recent U.S. maritime and aerial operations have included lethal strikes that United Nations experts describe as extrajudicial killings in international waters. The president has stated that he “does not need a declaration of war” to expand these operations.

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean signals an unjustified escalation, without clear objectives, legal grounding or an exit strategy. Senior lawmakers report they have not been given the required legal basis for these operations.

Maine has a senator who chose to ignore that history.

Sen. Susan Collins serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Her duty is to oversee covert military activity and ensure compliance with U.S. law. That role is not symbolic. It is the constitutional safeguard intended to prevent undeclared war.

Twice now, the Senate has considered bipartisan measures to require congressional authorization for further U.S. strikes in Venezuela. Twice Sen. Susan Collins has voted to block those measures. Most recently, the measure failed 51–49, and hers was the decisive vote.

Her vote preserved the administration’s ability to conduct lethal operations without congressional approval. And it confirms what Mainers who serve in uniform have long known: her self-styled reputation for moderation does not extend to upholding constitutional checks on war power.

This was not an isolated misjudgment. It was the continuation of a pattern.

Collins has built her reputation on careful deliberation. This was careless. It is an abdication of the oversight she is uniquely positioned to exercise and was entrusted with by her constituents. Collins did not defend constitutional war powers or demand transparency on their behalf. She chose the path of least resistance and opposed the guardrails. She claimed the restrictions were “too broad.” We have seen this pattern from her before.

When she voted to authorize the war in Iraq, she did so under the same framework she invokes now: deference to executive assurances, an avoidance of hard constraints and a disregard for the human cost of what those decisions set in motion.

Maine remembers that cost. We remember it in the names etched into stone on town memorials, in flag-lined funeral routes through our smallest towns, in the quiet corners of our lives where someone’s absence is still felt. The Iraq War reshaped families and communities here at home. The lesson should have been clear: war must not be entered quietly, casually or without clarity. Yet the pattern is repeating. Only the geography has changed.

Those of us who have served are not “anti-intervention.” We are against unexamined intervention. We are against wars entered casually and exited slowly. We are against repeating the pattern that has taken so much from so many for so little strategic return.

Make no mistake, Nicolás Maduro is a dictator, and Venezuela’s alignment with Russia, China and Iran is strategically concerning. But recognizing a threat is not the same as authorizing a war.

If the United States is to use military force, the administration must explain the rationale, Congress must debate and approve it and the mission must have clear goals and limits, including a plan to end the conflict before it begins.

If Americans are going to be asked to risk their lives, then those we elect to vote on our behalf have a duty to stand up, speak clearly and take responsibility. That duty is not being met. And once again, Sen. Collins is choosing caution over courage, and silence over leadership, at the very moment when bravery and clarity are required.

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