Biden says politics must not become a ‘real battleground’ or ‘killing field’ in speech after Trump shooting

president Biden In an address to the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday evening, Trump said the assassination attempt on former President Trump forced Americans to “step back” and called on all parties to “turn down the political heat.”

“My fellow Americans, I want to talk to you tonight about the need to lower the level of political tension. Please remember that while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We are neighbors, friends, colleagues, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must come together as one,” Biden said.

He added that the assassination attempt on Trump “requires all of us to step back and recognize where we are.”

Biden said he was “grateful” Trump was “okay” and that he “would be praying for him and his family.” He also expressed his “deepest condolences” to the family of Cory Comperatore, who was shot and killed while protecting his wife and daughter from a bullet.

Biden vows Secret Service will provide Trump with ‘every resource’ to ensure ‘continuous security’

The president linked several recent incidents of political violence to attacks on Trump, pointing to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot; the attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband; the 2020 attempt to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and “intimidation of election officials.”

“The United States will never tolerate this kind of violence, ever, any violence. There will be no exceptions,” Biden said.

Trump claims he was ‘shot’ at Pennsylvania rally

The president stressed that “division is inevitable in American democracy” and “part of human nature,” but that incidents like Saturday’s shooting cannot be “normalized.”

“Politics must not become a true battlefield, and hopefully not a killing field,” Biden said.

Trump was giving a speech at a high point near an outdoor venue when he was hit by multiple gunshots on the stage. assembly The former president was rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, after being shot in the upper right ear.

The assassin was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service sniper shortly after he opened fire.

But Crooks killed a spectator: Comperatore, the former fire chief of Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania.

Authorities said two other people were seriously injured in the attack and the FBI was investigating whether the shooting was an assassination attempt.

“Tonight I want to talk about what we do know: A former president was shot and killed. An American citizen was killed simply for exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choice,” Biden continued. “We cannot and must not go down this path in America.”

Biden said politics should be “an arena for peaceful debate in the pursuit of justice, with decisions guided by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”

“We represent not an America of extremism and anger, but an America of decency and grace,” Biden said. “As the election approaches, all of us are tested. The higher the stakes, the greater the passions.”

Biden noted that the Republican National Convention will open in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Monday.

“I have no doubt they will criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country,” Biden said. “I’m going to be traveling this week to defend our record and our vision, my vision, our vision for this country, our vision. I’m going to continue to speak out for our democracy, to defend our Constitution and the rule of law, to call for action at the ballot box, (not) violence in the streets. That’s the way democracy is supposed to work.”

Biden said the parties needed to “resolve their differences through voting” and called on Americans to “come out of isolation.”

“Let us remember that in America, unity is the most difficult of all goals to achieve right now,” he said. “Nothing is more important to us right now than unity. We can do this.”

Biden urged Americans to “never forget who we are.”

The Oval Office speech was the second time Biden has spoken about the assassination of Trump, which took place on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Biden said he spoke with Trump on Saturday night and that the two opponents had “a brief but pleasant conversation.”

Biden vowed in an afternoon speech in the Roosevelt Room of the White House to ensure that the U.S. Secret Service provides Trump with “all necessary resources, capabilities and protections to ensure his continued safety.”

Trump rally shooting live updates

Biden also said he had “instructed the Director of the Secret Service to review all security measures for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to open tomorrow.”

Biden said he was “directing an independent review of the security of yesterday’s rally to accurately assess what occurred, and we will share the findings of that independent review with the American people.”

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The Biden campaign announced late Saturday that it was suspending all external communications and pulling its campaign ads targeting Trump as it ran a $50 million ad campaign in all key battleground states this month.