President Biden delivered a prime-time national address from the Oval Office on Sunday, warning of the dangers of political violence in the United States following the attempted assassination of former President Trump. Biden emphasized the need to “cool it down” and stated that political passions should never escalate into violence. He firmly stated that there is no place for any form of violence in America and called for it to be unequivocally rejected.
During his address, Biden acknowledged the opening of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and his own upcoming campaign events. He acknowledged the high stakes of the election and implored the nation to uphold the principles of American democracy, where arguments are made in good faith and the rule of law is respected.
Earlier on Sunday, President Biden condemned the attempted assassination of his predecessor as contrary to the values of the nation. He ordered an independent security review to investigate how such an attack could have occurred and called for unity among the American people. The Secret Service, responsible for the security of the RNC, stated that the incident did not prompt any changes to their security plan for the event.
Biden expressed his condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was tragically shot and killed during the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He described Comperatore as a hero who was protecting his family from the bullets.
The president also revealed that he had a brief but positive conversation with former President Trump after the shooting and expressed gratitude that Trump is recovering well. Trump, who has been advocating for national resilience since the incident, called for unity on his social media account, urging America to come together.
Achieving unity in the midst of a bitter presidential campaign will be a significant challenge. Biden’s campaign has temporarily paused political messaging and is working to pull down its television ads. The president also postponed a planned trip to Texas and will conduct an NBC News interview at the White House instead of in Texas.
Despite the temporary pause, Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee intend to continue drawing contrasts with Trump during the Republican convention. The campaign plans to resume ads, although the exact timing remains uncertain. Biden will also proceed with a planned trip to Las Vegas, including a campaign event on Wednesday. Vice President Kamala Harris postponed her campaign trip to Florida, where she was scheduled to meet with Republican women.
The recent events have added further turbulence to an already topsy-turvy campaign. Biden’s campaign has been working to salvage his candidacy after a shaky debate performance and criticism from within his own party. The Oval Office address aims to reinforce the message of unity and demonstrate leadership to assuage nervous critics.
While investigators are still determining the motives and details of the attack, some critics have called out President Biden for remarks made during a private call with donors. In the call, Biden stated that it was time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye, referring to the former president’s light public schedule following the debate. However, Biden’s campaign maintains that he remains focused on defeating Trump and is the best person for the job.
