The heads of probably the most powerful Wall Street firms condemned the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania this weekend.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told employees on Sunday that he and his management team were “deeply saddened by the political violence” and the attempt on Trump's life. The shooting left one bystander dead and two others injured.
“We must all stand together against any act of hatred, intimidation, or violence that seeks to undermine or harm our democracy,” Dimon said within the memo. “Only through constructive dialogue can we address our country's greatest challenges.”
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon addressed the matter at first of a quarterly earnings call on Monday morning, calling the attempted murder a “horrific act of violence.”
“We are grateful that he is safe and extend our sincere condolences to the families of those who were tragically killed or seriously injured,” Solomon said. “This is a sad moment for our country. There is no place for violence in our politics.”
Saturday's shooting shocked a nation preparing for a contentious election in November. Wall Street firms don’t officially endorse political candidates because they cope with each Republican and Democratic politicians. However, their executives and employees often donate to campaigns.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told CNBC's “Squawk on the Street” on Monday that the weekend's events were “a tragedy.”
“But it is a statement for America today. We must create hope. We all have a responsibility, every political candidate, every leader, every pastor, minister, rabbi, we all have a responsibility to bring our community together to bring hope,” Fink said.
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, said in an email on Sunday that it had run a business in 2022 wherein suspected shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks appears briefly within the background together with other students at Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania.
“We will provide all video footage to the appropriate authorities and have removed the video out of respect for the victims,” BlackRock said in a press release.
Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, also gave a speech to his employees over the weekend.
“We are deeply saddened for the family of the rally participant who died at the event,” Moynihan said within the staff email. “Our thoughts are with former President Donald Trump, all those injured, and their families.”
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