NEW YORK – President Joe Biden called for unity when addressing the nation from the White House on Sunday afternoon for a second time since the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump who was shot during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Biden said he spoke with Trump on Saturday night in a “short but good” conversation, he said.
“I’m sincerely grateful, really grateful that he’s doing well and recovering,” said Biden.
Biden acknowledged the person at the rally who was killed in the shooting as a “father protecting his family from bullets being fired.”
Biden returned to the White House from his home in Delaware ahead of schedule on Saturday in light of the shooting, according to White House press pool reports, and canceled a campaign trip in Texas planned for Monday.
Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed in the Situation Room by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the Secret Service, Biden’s homeland security and national security advisors, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and the Director of the FBI.
'Thorough and swift' investigation
The FBI is leading the investigation which is still in its early stages, Biden said.
“We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter, we know who he is. I urge everyone, everyone, please don’t make assumptions about his motive or his affiliations,” Biden said. “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job.”
Biden said he instructed that the investigation be “thorough and swift” and the investigators will have every resource they need to “get this done.”
Biden outlined what he’s going to do for the investigation.
Biden said he’s been consistent in directing the Secret Service to provide Trump with every resource capability and protective measure necessary “to ensure his continued safety.”
Second, Biden said, he’s directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for the Republican National Convention starting Monday in Milwaukee.
Third, Biden said he’s calling for an independent review of the rally to “assess exactly what happened.”
“And we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well,” he added.”
“And finally, I’ll be speaking more about this tonight in greater length from the Oval Office,” Biden said. “We must unite as one nation. We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are.”