President Joe Biden spoke Saturday evening after former President Donald Trump was shot and wounded at a political rally and rushed off the stage.
“This kind of violence has no place in America,” Biden said in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
“It’s pathological,” Biden said. “It’s pathological.”
“That’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country,” the president said. “We can’t allow this to happen. We can’t be like this. We can’t tolerate this.”
Biden said he hoped to speak with Trump soon, adding, “Obviously, he’s doing well.”
He said political violence was “unheard of, unjustified and must be condemned by everyone.”
President Joe Biden speaks after his Republican opponent Donald Trump was shot and wounded at a Pennsylvania campaign rally at the Rehoboth Beach Police Department in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on July 13, 2024.
Samuel Corum | AFP | Getty Images
Asked whether he believed the shooting was an assassination attempt on Trump, Biden said he had an opinion but wanted to gather more facts before commenting further.
Trump’s campaign said shortly after the incident that Trump was “fine and undergoing evaluation at a local medical facility.” Trump was seen with blood on his face and ears as he was being evacuated by the Secret Service.
The U.S. Secret Service said the former president is safe and that the shooting is being actively investigated.
Biden, who is seeking reelection against Trump, said in a written statement Saturday evening that he was glad to hear that Trump was “safe and doing well.”
“I am praying for him, his family and everyone who attended the rally,” Biden said in a statement. “We are waiting for additional information.”
“This kind of violence has no place in America. We must stand together as a nation and condemn it,” the president said.
The statement and Biden’s comments came as an outpouring of support for Trump from both his political allies and opponents, who have roundly condemned all forms of political violence.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures with a bloody face as multiple shots are fired during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Trump’s predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, have already expressed relief that Trump did not appear to be seriously injured.
“There is absolutely no place in our democracy for political violence,” Obama said in a statement on X. “While we still don’t know exactly what happened, we should be relieved that former President Trump was not seriously injured, and we must use this moment to recommit to civility and respect in politics.”
President Bush said he and former first lady Laura Bush were “grateful that President Trump is safe after this cowardly attack.”
“Political violence is scary. I know it,” said former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in a 2011 assassination attempt and later became a gun control activist.
“My thoughts are with former President Trump and all those affected by today’s indefensible acts of violence. Political violence is un-American and will never be tolerated. Ever,” Giffords wrote.
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she and her second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, were “relieved.” [Trump] “There were no serious injuries.”
“This kind of violence has no place in our country,” Harris said. “We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do everything we can to prevent it from leading to more violence.”
Not all reactions were nonpartisan.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, known as a strong critic of Biden, Recently Donated To the Trump-supporting super PACI wrote to X An hour after the shooting: “I fully support President Trump and wish him a speedy recovery.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
