Biden Urges Unity as Trump Survives Assassination Attempt

US President Joe Biden attempted to calm a divided nation Sunday after his adversary Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, saying in a rare Oval Office address that it was time to cool America’s heated politics.

It’s time to cool things down. “We all have a responsibility to do that,” Biden said in a televised address following the incident, which injured Republican President Donald Trump in the ear and killed a bystander with gunfire.

As the country reeled from photos of a bloodied Trump shaking his fist after a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Biden said that US politics “must never be a literal battlefield, God forbid a killing field.”

The 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was fatally shot by Secret Service agents amid mayhem. Authorities believe his motive is unknown.

The FBI said it was investigating the attack as a suspected act of domestic terrorism and was looking through Crooks’ phone for any “ideologies” he may have had.
Biden, in just his third Oval Office address, cited the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack by pro-Trump fans as evidence that the situation is out of control.

“We can’t allow this violence to become normalized,” the 81-year-old Democrat said, adding that the November 5 election will be a “time of testing” for the United States.

The brief but strong address went off without a hitch, with the exception of Biden twice referring to the vote box as a “battle box”. Democrats are keeping a tight eye on the president after a dismal debate performance that raised doubts about his age and capacity to lead.

– ‘Stand United’ – The assassination attempt on Trump’s life has heightened the already polarizing election rematch with Biden, who defeated him in 2020.

Despite their intense animosity, both Biden and Trump appealed for calm following the most serious attack on a US president or former president in more than four decades.

In a social media statement, Trump stated that it was “more important than ever that we stand united” and urged Americans not to let “evil win.”

Numerous Republicans, who frequently pose with firearms in political advertising, have alleged that Democrats pushed harsh language that led to the shooting.
Just before Biden’s speech, Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he will formally be named the party’s nominee.

The US Secret Service stated that it is “fully prepared” to manage security at the convention, despite being under intense scrutiny following the attempted assassination of Trump.

The government is investigating how the shooter was able to climb onto a rooftop approximately 150 meters (500 feet) from where Trump was speaking and fire multiple rounds.

The FBI was “looking at it as a potential domestic terrorism act,” according to Robert Wells, the agency’s assistant director of counterterrorism.

The shooter’s father is thought to have purchased the semi-automatic weapon used in the attack, but it is unknown how the shooter obtained it. Investigators discovered a “suspicious device” in the shooter’s car.
– ‘Bullied’.

Crooks’ previous classmates characterized him as a shy student who often appeared lonely.

“He was quiet, but he was simply bullied.” “He was so bullied,” Jason Kohler, who attended the same high school as Crooks, told reporters.

The attack threatens to exacerbate already high tensions in the campaign for the White House.

Trump was recently convicted on criminal charges, and Biden’s poor debate performance fueled Democratic party concerns about his age and mental acuity.

The shooting is expected to disrupt both campaigns.

Trump and his allies will most likely use it to back up their story of Biden’s persecution.

Biden, who is trailing in most surveys, will have to tone down his harsh attacks of Trump, which he turned to last week to divert attention away from his own problems.
While the president canceled a trip to Texas on Monday, he plans to visit the battleground state of Nevada later this week.

“That’s how democracy should work,” he remarked during his Oval Office address. “We debate and disagree.”

AFP