United States (US) PRESIDENT Joe Biden asked Americans to calm down by lowering the political temperature following the shooting incident of Donald Trump on Saturday (13/7).
He also reminded them that they were neighbors following someone hurt his Republican rival, Trump.
“The shooting (of Trump) in Pennsylvania on Saturday calls on all of us to take a step back,” Biden said in the Oval Office of the White House on Sunday (7/14).
“Fortunately Trump did not suffer any serious injuries,” he said.
“We cannot allow this violence to be normalized. The political rhetoric in this country is getting heated. It is time to calm down. “We all have a responsibility to do this,” he added.
“In America, we settle our differences at the ballot box. Now, that’s how we do it. At the ballot box. Not with bullets,” Biden said in a speech that lasted regarding seven minutes.
Also read: Condemning the Shooting of Donald Trump, DPR: A Reminder to Respect Differences of Opinion
He emphasized that politics cannot be a killing field and nothing is more important than standing together.
This is the third time Biden has used the formal confines of the Oval Office to comment on issues of vital importance to Americans since he took power in 2021. This time, with less than four months to go before the Nov. 5 election and Biden’s political future unclear.
Biden’s emergence allows him to project the strength of an incumbent, an important symbolic gesture as he battles some in the Democratic Party. The 81-year-old leader has been called upon to withdraw from the race over concerns that he is not mentally prepared for another four-year term.
Also read: Trump Shooting Moments: Suspect Was Already Suspected During Security Screening
Biden outlined several examples of political violence that have occurred in the US in recent years, including the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 by Trump loyalists and the beating of Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022.
“Violence is never the answer,” Biden said.
Four US presidents have been assassinated and several have survived assassination attempts. Several presidential candidates have been shot, some fatally.
White House officials hope Trump’s attempted shooting will ease pressure on Biden to step down and encourage Democrats to support him.
Biden canceled a trip to Texas on Monday to deliver a speech on civil rights but will travel to Las Vegas on Tuesday to speak. (CNA/P-5)
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