President Biden said Sunday that ‘an assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation,’ after former President Trump narrowly survived an attempt at his life at his rally, vowing to ensure the U.S. Secret Service provides him with ‘every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety.’
Biden spoke from the Roosevelt Room at the White House. He is expected to address the nation Sunday night from the Oval Office.
‘Last night, I spoke with Donald Trump. I’m sincerely grateful that he’s doing well and recovering. We had a short but good conversation. Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers,’ Biden said. ‘We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed. He was a father. He was protecting his family from. The bullets are being fired. He lost his life. God love him.’
He added: ‘We’re also praying for the full recovery of those who were injured. And we’re grateful to the Secret Service agents and other law enforcement agencies and individuals who risked their lives literally for our nation.’
During his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, former President Trump was shot as multiple shots were fired towards the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. The bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. The former president was rushed from the stage by Secret Service.
The would-be assassin was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Crooks
One spectator was killed—Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pa. Comperatore was shot and killed, as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets.
Authorities say two others were critically injured in the attack.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt.
‘As I said last night, there is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for it as a nation. Everything,’ Biden said. ‘It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America. And we cannot allow this to happen.’
Biden said that ‘unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is important than that right now.’
‘Unity will debate and we’ll disagree. It’s not that’s not going to change, but it’s going to we’re going to not lose sight of who we are as Americans,’ Biden said.
Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed in the Situation Room by the Homeland Security team, ‘including the director of the FBI, the secretary of Homeland Security, the attorney general, the director of the Secret Service, my Homeland Security advisor, the National Security advisor. And we’re going to continue to be briefed.’
Biden stressed that the FBI is leading the investigation and said it is ‘still in its early stages.’
‘We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter. We know who he is,’ Biden said, while adding: ‘I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motives or affiliations.’
‘Let the FBI do their job and their partner agencies do their job. I’m instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift, and the investigators will have every resource they need to get this done,’ Biden said.
Biden said that Trump, a former president and nominee of the Republican Party, ‘already received the heightened level of security.’
‘And I’ve been consistent in, in my direction of the Secret Service to provide him with every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety,’ Biden said.
Biden also said he has ‘directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.’
Biden also said he is ‘directing an independent review of the security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened, and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well.’
The president said he will speak further Sunday night.
‘We must unite as one nation. We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are,’ he said.
Biden’s speech Sunday came after he and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed in the White House Situation Room from homeland security and law enforcement officials.
Biden called former President Trump after the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday night. The White House described that call as ‘good, short and respectful.’
Biden, on Saturday night, condemned the shooting and called the assassination attempt of a former president and presidential candidate ‘sick.’
The Biden campaign on Saturday night announced it would be pausing all outbound communications and pulling down their campaign ads targeting Trump. The campaign was in the middle of a $50 million ad blitz this month, with spots running in all of the key battleground states.