President Joe Biden addressed the nation for a second time after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, stressing the importance of “unity” and announcing he has called for an independent review of security procedures at the rally where the shooting took place.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter,” Biden said from the White House on Sunday afternoon. “An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation. Everything. It’s not who we are as a nation, and we cannot allow this to happen. Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now: unity.”
The president said he was “extremely grateful” that Trump is “doing well and recovering,” and added, “Jill and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers.”
Trump and Biden spoke by phone on Saturday, just hours after the attempted assassination attempt. Biden said the call was “a short but good conversation.”
Biden offered his “deepest condolences” to family of former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who died when he was shot while shielding his family from the gunfire. “He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired. And he lost his life. God love him.” Biden added that he is “praying for the full recovery of those who were injured.” He also thanked the Secret Service for their actions.
Biden has directed an independent review of national security measures taken at yesterday’s rally to uncover how the shooting happened. He and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the incident and investigation by the director of the FBI, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The president emphasized that the investigation is “still in its early stages” but will be “thorough and swift.” He stressed that law enforcement does not yet know the shooter’s motives, although he has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Pennsylvania. Biden asked Americans not to speculate on Crooks’ motives. “I urge everyone — everyone please — don’t make assumptions about his motives or affiliations,” Biden said. “Let the FBI… and their partner agencies do their job.”
Republicans, many of whom downplayed the political violence that took place during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, have attempted to blame Biden — as well as the Democrats writ large, the media, critical race theory, identity politics, and the head of the Secret Service (who one GOP congressman called a “DEI person” on Sunday) — for the shooting.
While the investigation continues, Biden vowed that Trump will continue to have “every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety”
Since the shooting, the Secret Service has been scrutinized for the potential gaps in its protection of Trump, and House Republicans on the Oversight Committee have already asked Cheatle to voluntarily testify about the shooting. “There are many questions and Americans demand answers,” Republican Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer wrote in a letter to Cheatle.
“This was a catastrophic failure. It should never have been a remote possibility,” Jason Chaffetz, former House Oversight chair, told The Washington Post. Chaffetz oversaw a wide-ranging 2015 investigative report on the agency’s failures. “We did all these investigations and did an extensive report so this would never happen again. It’s as if they paid no attention to the bipartisan recommendations.”
Retired Secret Service agent Jeff James during a Fox & Friends appearance on Sunday explained the particular challenges of securing an outdoor rally. “When you look at these outdoor events [and] the reasons the candidates love the outdoor events — if they were in Pittsburgh they can get 18,000 people. These outdoor events, they can get 30,000 people. There’s so many more faces. But you have to say there’s a stopping point, and when you get beyond that, it’s tough to secure this unending amount of land regardless of how big the outdoor event is.”
Secret Service Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi dispelled rumors that the agency declined to provide additional protection for Trump. There is “an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed,” Guglielmi wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”
The president said that he has instructed Cheatle and the Secret Service to review all security procedures for the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The convention is planned to go ahead as scheduled. Trump said Sunday morning that he “look[s] forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin.”