President Joe Biden revealed that he called former President Donald Trump after his ear was grazed by a shooter during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. It was reported that the call was “short and respectful,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Besides the phone call, Biden has released numerous statements, calling for peace and denouncing the assassination attempt on the former president.
Following the shooting, Biden took to social media to inform Americans that he had been briefed on the shooting. He also shared best wishes with the former president and denounced the shooting. “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,” he said. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
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
Biden shared a message calling for unity after the attack during a televised address on Sunday evening. “There is no place in America for this kind of violence — for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception. We can’t allow this violence to be normalized,” he said, reiterating his statement online. “Here in America we need to get out of our silos, where we only listen to those with whom we agree, where misinformation is rampant, where foreign actors fan the flames of our division to shape the outcomes consistent with their interests, not ours.”
The president also spoke out against the vitriolic language that people use when discussing politics. “The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that,” he said.
The shooter has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents. One rally attendee was killed and two more were injured. Former First Lady Melania Trump has also released a statement about the shooting.