Washington [US], September 17: US President Joe Biden had a phone call with Donald Trump on September 16 following an assassination plot against the Republican presidential candidate.
"We had a very good call, talking about the issue of Secret Service protection ," former US President Donald Trump said in a statement, The Hill reported.
The White House said President Biden had a "cordial" call with his predecessor and "expressed relief that Mr Trump is safe".
Biden has previously said the Secret Service needs more support. "I think Congress should meet their needs, if they really need more people for the Secret Service," Biden told reporters.
Ryan Wesley Routh , 58, was charged on September 16 with two gun-related counts after allegedly opening fire at Trump's West Palm Beach golf course in Florida while the former president was there, prompting a Secret Service agent to shoot the suspect.
In the affidavit, the FBI agent stated that the suspect's weapon used to attack Mr. Trump was an SKS-style rifle , caliber 7.62x39 mm, and equipped with a scope.
The incident comes two months after Mr Trump was shot during a rally in Pennsylvania. On September 16, Mr Trump blamed Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for inciting violence against him, after the two warned that Mr Trump was a serious threat to democracy.
The Washington Post quoted former US officials as saying that right after Mr. Trump took office as president in 2017, authorities warned about the risks at his own golf courses , due to their proximity to public roads.
The Secret Service released photos taken with a telephoto lens, arguing that if a photographer with such a lens could capture the president playing golf, the gunman could pose a threat. However, Mr. Trump insisted that his golf clubs were safe and wanted to continue playing there, according to former US officials.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
