US President Biden condemned political violence in remarks from the Oval Office on Sunday, and said the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump necessitates a cooling down of heated political rhetoric in the country,
Alaska Public Media reports.
“I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “We’re neighbors or friends, coworkers, citizens. Most importantly, we are fellow Americans, we must stand together,” Biden said.
Biden drew a throughline from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to the assault former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband and intimidation of election officials: “We can’t allow this violence to be normalized,” Biden said. “I believe politics ought to be an arena for peaceful debate.”
“Our politics must never be a literal battlefield,” he said. “We resolve our differences at the ballot box — not with bullets.”
The attempted assassination of former President Trump is being investigated as Trump prepares to officially accept the Republican party’s presidential nomination at its convention in Milwaukee this week.
Biden, after speaking briefly with Trump on Saturday night, said he’s “sincerely grateful that he’s doing well and recovering.”
Biden also said he’s ordered the Secret Service to provide Trump with “every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety,” and in addition has asked the agency to review all security measures in place for the Republican National Convention.
Officials from the city of Milwaukee, the Secret Service and FBI said their security plan for the Republican National Convention will remain in place.
“We’re not anticipating any changes to our current security footprint or planning,” said Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the RNC coordinator for the U.S. Secret Service.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle said the bureau is investigating the chatter that has bubbled up since the shooting Saturday, but said there was “no known articulated threat against the RNC” or any attendee.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman reiterated that coordination was happening between the city and federal officials. He said the police department was “very comfortable” with the current plans.
“We got this,” he said. Norman emphasized the police department’s commitment to protecting not just convention attendees, but also city residents. “This is our community, too,” Norman said.
