President Biden speaks Saturday in Rehoboth Beach, Del., about an apparent assassination attempt at former President Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign rally. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — President Biden said Saturday that “everybody must condemn” the suspected assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and later spoke to his political rival over the phone.
Addressing the nation about two hours after the shooting, Biden said he was relieved that Trump is reportedly “doing well.” He said he was unable to reach Trump before his remarks and pledged to update the public later on whether they speak, as well as additional details about the investigation.
“We cannot allow this to be happening,” Biden said. “The idea that there’s violence in America like this is just unheard of.”
Later Saturday evening, the White House said Biden and Trump spoke on the phone. No further details on the call were provided.
Biden was set to return to the White House on Saturday night and convene a briefing with homeland security and law enforcement officials at the White House on Sunday morning.
Earlier, Biden said he was waiting for additional information before formally calling the attack an attempted assassination on the former president.
“I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts,” he told reporters, pledging to provide updates as he learns more.
The president delivered remarks, without a teleprompter, from the White House’s emergency briefing room in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which is set up whenever the president travels to allow him to deliver remarks to the country in a matter of minutes. He was spending the weekend at his beach home – a trip he cut short in light of the shooting – and was at a nearby church for Mass when the shooting occurred.
After he left church, Biden received an “initial briefing” from aides minutes after the shooting, then convened security officials for a more in-depth update from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall.
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that she was also briefed, adding that she and her husband “are relieved” that Trump was not seriously inured.
“We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting,” she said.
The Biden campaign said it was pausing all messaging to supporters and working to pull down all of its television ads as quickly as possible, the campaign said.
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