On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the attempted assassination of former President Trump as “despicable, dreadful, and cowardly act,” calling on the American people to unite and stop political violence.
Harris, speaking at a campaign rally in Michigan on Wednesday, said, “I want to say a few words about the attempted assassination of former President Trump last weekend.”
“It is widely known that this is a despicable, dreadful, and cowardly act. My husband Doug and I are grateful that he was not seriously injured,” the 59-year-old Vice President continued. “That day, when we saw what happened, we prayed for his well-being, and we immediately thought of Melania and their family. At the very least, no one should have to worry about the safety of their loved ones because of holding public office.”
Harris then expressed her condolences to the family of 50-year-old former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who tragically passed away at the Trump campaign rally last Saturday. She said, “Our hearts go out to Corey Comperatore’s family, he was a true hero who sacrificed to protect his family. Of course, Doug and I keep him close in our hearts.”
“We also wish for a swift and full recovery for those who were seriously injured that day,” the Vice President added.
Harris pointed out that the shooting incident raises an important question about how opponents should interact during an election campaign.
“I believe that the United States is the greatest democracy in the world. But following the shooting incident this past weekend, the question we face now is how should we interact during this campaign,” she said.
“On Sunday night, our President Joe Biden made a call for unity.” Harris continued, “We must rally around this idea of unity, that even though our nation’s history has been scarred by political violence, violence is never acceptable. There is no room for ambiguity on this.”
Since the shooting incident at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania, which resulted in one fatality and two serious injuries, Democrats and Republicans have been condemning political violence and encouraging all parties to tone down their rhetoric.
Harris emphasized on Wednesday, “To reaffirm the power of our democracy, the most reliable way is through constructive and civilized exchanges of ideas.”