President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Sunday night to discuss Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
Addressing the country in a rare speech from the Oval Office, Biden said, “My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors. We’re friends, coworkers, citizens. And, most importantly, we are fellow Americans. And we must stand together.”
The president explained that the shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania calls for Americans to “take a step back, take stock of where we are, how we go forward from here.”
Highlighting Trump’s condition, Biden said the former president was “not seriously injured,” noted that the two political rivals had spoken to one another on the phone in the aftermath of Saturday’s assassination attempt, and said that he and his wife were praying for Trump and his family.
Biden also offered his condolences to the family of firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed by the shooter at Trump’s rally. Biden added, “We should all hold his family and all those injured in our prayers.”
During Sunday’s speech, Biden did not provide an update regarding the ongoing investigation into the shooter’s motivation. However, the president said law enforcement professionals were working to determine the motive and whether the shooter had communicated with anyone regarding the assassination attempt.
Emphasizing the need to tone down the “political rhetoric” in the United States, Biden said, “We cannot allow this violence to be normalized.”
The Post Millennial reported that Biden noticeably did not mention Democrat officials who previously called for violence against Republicans and Republican-led causes. The outlet also reported that Biden had privately told Democrat donors last week that it was time to put the “bullseye” on Trump.
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“It’s time to cool it down,” Biden said on Sunday. “We all have a responsibility to do that.”
“In America, we resolve our differences at the battle box. You know, that’s how we do it, at the battle box, not with bullets,” Biden added. “The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin.”
The president said he was asking Americans to “recommit” and to consider what has made America “so special.” Biden said people in America should be treated with “dignity and respect” and warned that hatred should have “no safe harbor” in the country.
“Look, let’s never lose sight of who we are,” Biden said at the conclusion of his speech. “Let’s remember that we are the United States of America. There is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.”
