Washington [US], July 15: President Biden said Mr. Trump's shooting "calls on all of us to take a step back" and that fortunately Mr. Trump was not seriously injured, according to Reuters.
"We cannot allow this violence to be normalized. The political rhetoric in this country has become very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do this," Biden said.
This is the third time President Biden has used the Oval Office to comment on issues of great importance to Americans since he took office in 2021.
The appearance of President Biden, 82, allowed him to project the strength of the incumbent, an important symbolic image as he deals with some in the Democratic Party who want him to abandon his re-election bid over concerns about his mental fitness to serve another four years as president.
Gun violence is a reality in the United States. Political violence, however, is much rarer. Four U.S. presidents have been assassinated, and several have survived assassination attempts. Several presidential candidates have been shot, some fatally, according to Reuters.
President Biden and his team are trying to chart a course for their campaign in the wake of Trump's shooting , which Biden sees as a threat to American democracy if the former president is re-elected on November 5.
Biden's campaign has stopped attacking Trump to focus on the future. Within hours of the July 13 shooting (July 14 US time), Biden's campaign pulled its television ads and suspended other political communications, according to Reuters.
Mr. Biden himself also called Mr. Trump - his predecessor and direct election opponent - after hearing the news that Mr. Trump was shot.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
