Connect with us

New Hampshire

Political leaders in N.H. react to shooting at Trump rally – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

on

Political leaders in N.H. react to shooting at Trump rally – The Boston Globe


“The shooting tonight at President Trump’s campaign rally is nothing short of an outrage. For years, the Left has been peddling false information about President Trump, and as a result, radicalizing their base to despise him to the point of attempted murder,” State House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, Republican of Auburn, said in a statement posted on social media.

“Furthermore, we have witnessed an Administration that has weaponized our criminal justice system against their political opponent, President Trump, to delegitimize him in the eyes of public opinion,” Osborne added. “We insist that our colleagues on the other side condemn this shooting and wage campaigns on truth and policy rather than smear and defamation.”

Hollie Noveletsky, a Republican running for the 1st Congressional District seat, said Saturday marks “a sad day for America.”

“Make no mistake, the nonstop attempt to demonize President Trump and paint him as ‘Hitler’ have been irresponsible and contribute to a society where this violence happens,” Noveletsky said on social media. “Thankfully, the shooter failed in this attempt.”

Advertisement

Other political leaders reaffirmed their faith in democracy and the rule of law, and condemned the violence.

“I believe deeply in our democracy & the rule of law — there’s no place for political violence in America,” wrote Maggie Goodlander, a Democrat seeking the New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District seat. “My thoughts are with former President Trump & everyone who was in attendance. I’m grateful to law enforcement for their heroism & I’m praying for our country tonight.”

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “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.”

Advertisement

Gubernatorial candidates Kelly Ayotte and Chuck Morse, both Republicans, and Democrats Joyce Craig and Cinde Warmington, also weighed in, calling political violence “unacceptable” and expressing gratitude for the secret service.

“Joe and I are thankful to hear that President Trump is safe and this heinous attempt on his life failed,” Ayotte wrote on X. “There is no place for political violence in our society and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families tonight.”

“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,” wrote Morse. “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.”

Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, N.H., wrote: “Political violence is unacceptable. I’m hoping President Trump and everyone at his rally is safe.”

“Today is a sad day for our country,” wrote Warmington, a member of the state’s Executive Council. “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.”

Advertisement

New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, all Democrats, took to social media to laud law enforcement for protecting the former president, and offered their prayers.

“Political violence of any kind is never acceptable,” wrote Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “I’m appreciative of the quick efforts of law enforcement and hope the former President and anyone else injured today recovers fully.”

“Political violence is never acceptable,” wrote Senator Maggie Hassan. “I am praying for former President Trump, his family, those who were in attendance, and our country. Thank you to law enforcement for their response.”

“Political violence has no place in our civic life, and we must condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” posted Representative Chris Pappas. 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.”

“Political violence must never be tolerated,” posted Representative Ann M. Kuster. “Democrats and Republicans must come together swiftly to condemn this kind of abhorrent and dangerous behavior.”

Other local political leaders and candidates were forceful in their condemnation of the shooting, while others prayed for the safety of all involved or expressed disbelief.

“I condemn this cowardly act and attempted murder of a former president and presumptive Republican nominee for president,” wrote Lily Tang Williams, a Republican seeking the NH02 seat. “This is the result of years of the Left has been using extreme rhetoric and politically motivated prosecutions of Trump. I hope this is a wake-up call for all Americans.”

“There is no place in our nation for political violence,” wrote Colin Van Ostern, a Democrat seeking NH02 seat: “Praying for the safety of the former President, law enforcement officers who took action, and everyone at the rally in Pennsylvania today.”

“There can be no tolerance for violence of any kind in our country,” wrote Manchester Mayor Jay Rusais. “Our prayers are with former President Trump and all in attendance at the rally in Pennsylvania this evening.”

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

New Hampshire

Massachusetts man in burning car rescued by trooper on N.H. Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s security detail

Published

2 hours ago

on

March 31, 2026

By

Massachusetts man in burning car rescued by trooper on N.H. Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s security detail


A Bay State man who was trapped in his vehicle after crashing into a toll plaza was rescued by a trooper who’s on New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s security detail, according to police.

The governor also helped at the chaotic scene, police said, as the group helped the seriously injured 51-year-old man from Massachusetts at the Bedford Toll Plaza on the F.E. Everett Turnpike.

The state trooper assigned to the governor’s security detail helped pull the driver from his burning vehicle. The driver has been identified as Yevgeny Mirman.

At 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to the single-vehicle crash involving a 2026 Lucid Gravity that struck the toll plaza. 911 callers said the vehicle had caught fire, and someone in the vehicle appeared to be trapped.

Advertisement

While units were responding, a veteran trooper assigned to Ayotte’s security detail came upon the crash, saw that the vehicle was actively on fire, and spotted the driver inside the car.

The trooper then pulled the driver from the burning car through a window. Ayotte, along with other witnesses at the scene, provided assistance to the trooper.

Mirman was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with serious injuries. The name of the trooper is being withheld due to the nature of their position.

“Certainly, their actions were heroic in what they did,” Colonel Mark B. Hall said in a statement. “Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it.”

Troop B was assisted by members of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Bedford Fire Department, Litchfield Fire Rescue and Merrimack Fire Rescue.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

New Hampshire

Texting and driving? Lawmakers want you to pay steeper fines – Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

Published

14 hours ago

on

March 31, 2026

By

Texting and driving? Lawmakers want you to pay steeper fines – Monadnock Ledger-Transcript


If you use your cell phone while driving, you may want to think twice — unless you’re willing to pay twice as much.

A bipartisan bill, backed by state law enforcement, would institute higher fines for drivers who use handheld devices behind the wheel. In some cases, motorists could lose their licenses for a month or more.

Sen. Donovan Fenton, a Democrat from Keene who serves on Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s Highway Safety Task Force, pointed to state crash data as reason for the change proposed in his Senate Bill 649

Advertisement

The number of traffic deaths in New Hampshire has crept up over the past few years. In 2023, there were 127 fatalities, at least six of which stemmed from distracted driving, Fenton said.

“Distracted driving is becoming more pronounced, more dangerous and more deadly,” he said at a public hearing last week. “The current penalties are not enough to change behavior, particularly with repeat offenses.”

There were 133 traffic deaths in 2024 and 138 in 2025, according to the Office of Highway Safety. In 2026 so far, thirteen people have died in car crashes.

Fenton’s bill would increase the amount someone has to pay for violating the prohibition on cell phone use while driving. First-time offenders would pay $250 instead of the current $100, and on the second violation in two years, the offender would pay $500. For the third offense in two years, they would pay $750 and lose their license for 30 days. All those penalties could increase if cell phone use behind the wheel is found to be a contributing factor in a car crash.

Advertisement

Current law allows hands-free operation of a cell phone via Bluetooth but prohibits handheld device use. The state collected more than $568,000 in related fines and penalty assessments in the most recent fiscal year.

Distracted driving was a contributing factor in 4,520 of the state’s nearly 28,000 non-fatal crashes in 2023, according to the Department of Safety. That’s a little over 16%, though a report from the task force said officials suspect distracted driving is difficult to track and underreported in more serious collisions. Cell phones are a common culprit in distracted driving.

Ayotte’s task force has highlighted other policies that it says would increase public safety, including doubling the license suspension period for refusing a breathalyzer test.

In the first 10 weeks of 2026, three-quarters of the people arrested for impaired driving in New Hampshire refused to take a breath alcohol test, Ayotte said in a recent press release. The governor has waged a public campaign for the proposed law, Senate Bill 260, which she says would disincentivize drivers from refusing the test.

What’s next: Senate Bill 649 breezed through the Senate earlier this year. The House of Representatives is set to vote on it in the coming weeks after a committee recommended its passage almost unanimously.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

New Hampshire

Longtime Blue Jays organization member Tamargo tasked with leading New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Published

1 day ago

on

March 30, 2026

By

Longtime Blue Jays organization member Tamargo tasked with leading New Hampshire Fisher Cats





Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending