U2 lead singer Bono visited House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) staff one week after the shooting at the Republicans’ congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia.
The rocker caused quite a stir when he was seen walking through the U.S. Capitol. While he was in Washington, D.C., Bono signed a large get-well card for Scalise, who was shot in the hip June 14 and is slowly recovering in the hospital, before going on to visit with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
Bono’s visit with Scalise’s staff comes just one day after he paid tribute to the injured lawmaker during a D.C. concert at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins.
“You’ve been through some troubling days here on the shooting in Alexandria,” Bono told concertgoers. “We are so grateful that Congressman Scalise and his comrades made it through — so grateful. We hold them up as love holds us all up.”
One conservative concertgoer, Inez Stepman, who writes for The Federalist, said she was “surprised and gratified” by Bono’s kind words for Scalise and noted that the legendary singer also said everyone is welcome to his shows, “no matter who you voted for.”
Team Scalise took to Twitter to thank Bono for his thoughtful message.
Scalise — along with two Capitol Police officers, one lobbyist, and one congressional staffer — was injured by 66-year-old gunman James Hodgkinson, who opened fire on GOP lawmakers practicing ahead of the Congressional Baseball Game on June 15. Hodgkinson was shot and killed by the Capitol Police officers.
Scalise sustained the worst injuries and has been in the hospital since the shooting. He was in critical condition for several days, but the hospital upgraded his status Wednesday to “fair.” The lawmaker is now “beginning an extended period of healing and rehabilitation.”
