President Joe Biden led the condemnation following a shooting incident at a Pennsylvania rally where his election rival, Donald Trump, was wounded. Reports indicate that at least one bystander was also killed.
Political leaders from both parties denounced the violence shortly after the Secret Service rushed Trump off stage, with blood visible on his face.
Joe Biden Reacts To Donald Trump Shooting Incident
Joe Biden expressed relief at Trump’s safety and offered prayers for him, his family, and the rally attendees. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for ensuring his safety. This kind of violence has no place in America. We must unite as a nation to condemn it,” he said in a statement.
I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.
Jill and I are grateful to the Secret…
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 13, 2024
What Else Did Joe Biden Say?
The President Joe Biden on Trump attack stated, “I have tried to get ahold of Donald. He’s with his doctors. Apparently he’s doing well. I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope, when I get back to the telephone.”
He stated, “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this,” adding that he wants to “thank the Secret Service and all the agency, including the state agencies, that have been engaged.”
Biden did not acknowledge that one attendee had died or that the shooter had been killed. “We have more detail to come relative to other injured — other people may be injured in the audience. I don’t have all that detail. We’ll make that available to you. I may be able to come back a little later tonight, but we’ll put out a statement if we don’t if I’m not able to, if it’s not convenient for you all.”
“But the bottom line is that the Trump rally was a rally that he should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea, the idea that there’s political violence, or violence in America like this is just unheard of, is just not appropriate,” the president stated, adding “everybody must condemn it.”
Biden further stated, “I’ll keep you informed. And if I am able to speak to Donald, I’ll let you know that as well. So far, it appears he’s doing well. I’m going back to my phone to speak with the federal agencies that are being put together, again, to give me an updated briefing as anything happened, if they learned more in the last couple hours. So thank you very much, and I hope I get to speak to him tonight, and I’ll get back to you if I do.”
Former President Barack Obama Echoes Joe Biden’s Sentiments
Former President Barack Obama supported what Biden’s said on X, emphasizing that political violence has no place in democracy.
“Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics,” he stated.
There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 13, 2024
George W. Bush Too Condemned The Attack
Former President George W. Bush condemned the attack, describing it as “cowardly.” He and his wife, Laura, expressed gratitude for Trump’s safety and commended the Secret Service’s swift response.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, expressed his horror over the incident and relief that Trump was safe. “Political violence has no place in our country,” he wrote on X.
Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell also condemned the attack, stating, “Tonight, all Americans are grateful that President Trump appears to be fine after a despicable attack on a peaceful rally. Violence has no place in our politics.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was a victim of political violence in 2022, shared her relief for Trump’s safety and urged prayers for all rally attendees. “Political violence of any kind has no place in our society,” she wrote on X.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced his full endorsement of Trump following the rally violence.
