Five days after the shooting that nearly took the life of former President Donald Trump, one of the surviving victims released a statement on the horrific scene that had played out at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

James Copenhaver, who is just a few days from celebrating his 51st wedding anniversary, described his feelings on the shooting that upended what should have been a fun and peaceful day rallying for a political candidate.

Fox News anchor Shannon Bream shared the full statement in a post to X, along with a note stating that Copenhaver had expressed his desire to celebrate his anniversary somewhere other than the hospital — “No offense to the hospital.”

Statement from one of the surviving shooting victims from the Trump rally, who will celebrate his 51st wedding anniversary this weekend – which he’d rather not do in a hospital. “No offense to the hospital.” 😉

From James Copenhaver:

“First and…

— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) July 18, 2024

“First and foremost, me and my family continue to extend the most heartfelt condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore,” Copenhaver began, paying his respects to the firefighter hailed as a hero for shielding his family with his own body before he was struck by the bullet that killed him.

“We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers for the full and speedy recovery of Mr. David Dutch and for the full recovery of President Donald Trump,” he continued. “I am thankful for all of my amazing caregivers who have done a wonderful job saving my life and helping me on my road to recovery. Recovery will be slow, but steady.”

He went on to offer personal thanks to his best friend, who was the first to tend to his injuries in chaos and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

“I hope to get back onto my Harley Davidson someday and go for a ride with my best friend Randy, who attended the rally with me that day and was the first person to care for me after being shot,” he said, adding, “I cannot express enough gratitude and love for my wife, who has been by my side for not only the past few days but also for over half a century. I look forward to spending our 51st wedding anniversary together this Sunday, even though I wish we didn’t have to spend it in the hospital. No offense to the hospital.”

He concluded with a message about his support for former President Trump and called on Americans to reject violence as a political expression.

“The events that transpired on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the rally were tragic and completely unnecessary. No person should be fearful to express their support for a candidate or attend an event,” he said. “My unwavering support for President Trump will continue and I am happy and unafraid to support him on his way to becoming the 47th President of the United States of America. I will close by saying thank you again for the outpouring of support from so many people across the country. The thoughts and prayers have made each day a little easier. My hope is that despite the differences we may have politically, we will always remain UNITED as Americans.”