President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Sunday following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday evening.
Biden said he and Trump had a “short but good conversation” on Saturday after the rally shooting, and he’s “sincerely grateful that [Trump’s] doing well and recovering.”
Biden continued: “We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed. He was a father; he was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired when he lost his life. God love him.”
Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet at his campaign rally in Butler, Pa., after a gunman opened fire outside the venue, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The Secret Service “neutralized” the shooter, who is dead, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. One person in the crowd, who has been identified as firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed by the gunfire, and two were critically injured.
“We’re also praying for the full recovery of those who were injured, and we’re grateful to the Secret Service agents and other law enforcement agencies and individuals who risked their lives literally for our nation,” Biden said. “As I said last night, there is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation — everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not American and we cannot allow this to happen.”
He added, “Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is as more important as that right now: Unity.”
Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed in the Situation Room by his Homeland Security team, and the “FBI is leading this investigation, which is in its early stages.”
“We don’t yet have any information above the motive of the shooter; we know who he is,” the president continued. “I urge everyone … please don’t make assumptions about his motives or affiliations. Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job.”
Biden noted he will be “speaking more about this tonight at greater length from the Oval Office”; he is scheduled to deliver the Oval Office address at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.
From Variety US