Former President Trump was attacked during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13th, shocking the entire United States. President Biden delivered a speech on Sunday emphasizing once again that violence has no place in America. He stated that he has ordered a review of the security measures for rallies.
Accompanied by Vice President Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, President Biden spoke briefly at the White House on Sunday. He confirmed in his speech that he had a “short but very good” conversation with Trump after the shooting incident.
He condemned the assassination attempt on Trump and stated that such violence has no place in America. “This kind of violence or any violence has no place in America. An assassination attempt goes against everything we stand for as a nation,” Biden said. “We cannot allow such things to happen. Unity is the most challenging goal to achieve, but there is nothing more important than unity now.”
Biden also said that he has instructed a review of the security measures at the Pennsylvania rally where Trump was targeted, leading to an injury to his right ear. “I have ordered an independent review of the national security at yesterday’s rally to assess what exactly happened,” Biden said. “We will also share the results of the independent review with the American people.”
The President emphasized that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading the investigation, which is still in its early stages. He urged the public not to make assumptions about the shooter’s motives. “There is no information yet about the shooter’s motive, but we know who he is,” Biden said. “I urge everyone… please do not make assumptions about his motives or affiliations. Let the FBI do their job, let their partner agencies do their job.”
He stated that he has instructed the investigation to be “thorough and prompt,” adding that “investigators will have all the resources necessary to complete the investigation.”
Regarding the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Biden has directed the United States Secret Service to review all security measures for the event. Trump announced that he would visit Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon before the Republican National Convention. He stated on his social media platform “Truth Social” that he had initially planned to postpone his trip following the assassination attempt on Saturday, but ultimately decided that he could not “allow the shooter or potential assassins to forcibly change the schedule or anything else.”
In the assassination incident on Saturday, one rally participant died, and two others were seriously injured. The deceased was identified as former firefighter Corey Comperatore. Biden expressed his deepest condolences to Comperatore’s family in his speech.
The President mentioned that Comperatore was protecting his family from bullet attacks at the time and tragically lost his life. “God loves him,” Biden said.
Biden will also address the nation at 8 p.m. on Sunday from the Oval Office in the White House. President Biden postponed his plans to visit Texas on Monday, July 15th, in light of the shooting incident at the Trump rally.