Joe Biden, the President of the United States, has condemned the assassination attempt on his political opponent, Donald Trump insisting that ‘everybody must condemn‘ the incident.
Taking to a national broadcast approximately two hours after the incident on Saturday, Biden expressed relief that Trump is recovering well.
Although he had not been able to contact Trump prior to his remarks, the White House confirmed that the two presidents spoke several hours later, AP reports.
“We cannot allow this to be happening,” Biden said. “The idea that there’s violence in America like this is just unheard of.”
President Biden, speaking off the cuff, noted that he was awaiting further details before officially characterizing the incident as an attempted assassination of former President Trump, refraining from making a definitive statement until more information becomes available.
“I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts,” he told reporters, pledging to provide updates as he learns more.
According to an AP report, President Biden truncated his weekend getaway in Delaware and returned to the White House after midnight.
On Sunday morning, he and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to receive a comprehensive briefing from homeland security and law enforcement officials.
Earlier, the President addressed the nation from the emergency briefing room in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which is equipped to enable swift communication with the public during his travels.
At the time of the shooting, President Biden was attending mass at a nearby church, and as he departed, reporters inquired whether he had been informed about the incident.
Biden turned toward reporters with a serious look on his face but replied simply, “no,” before stepping into his motorcade.
President Biden was promptly briefed by his aides and subsequently convened a meeting with top security officials, including Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall, to receive a more detailed update on the situation.
However, some Republicans swiftly attributed the violence to President Biden and his supporters, claiming that their repeated characterization of Trump as a threat to democracy has fostered a harmful atmosphere.
They specifically cited a remark made by Biden on July 8, in which he stated, ‘it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye,’ suggesting that this rhetoric has contributed to the escalation of violence.