Biden urges America to 'lower temperature' after Trump shooting

President Biden addressed the nation from the White House following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Trump, who is the leading Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election, was injured in the ear when a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack resulted in one fatality and left two others critically injured. In his Oval Office address, Biden emphasized that political violence has no place in America and urged citizens to 'take a step back' from heated political rhetoric. He stressed that no matter how strong one's convictions, violence should never be the answer. Biden's speech, which lasted just under seven minutes, was delivered without any major issues, despite recent scrutiny over his verbal slips. The president called for unity and warned that the increasing political polarization could make the upcoming November election a significant test for the nation. Biden and Trump are currently neck-and-neck in opinion polls. Speaking from behind the Resolute Desk, Biden recounted a series of violent political acts in recent years, including shootings targeting congressional members from both parties, the assault on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, and the January 6 Capitol riots. He emphasized that in America, differences should be resolved at the ballot box, not with bullets. The attack on Trump left the nation in shock. Images showed the 78-year-old former president with blood dripping from his ear and down his face, raising a defiant fist as Secret Service agents escorted him off the stage and into a waiting car. The gunman, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead at the scene by Secret Service agents. Law enforcement officials discovered explosive materials in Crooks' vehicle and home. The investigation into his motives is ongoing. Crooks was a registered Republican who had previously donated $15 to a liberal campaign group in 2021. Classmates described him as a quiet individual who had been bullied throughout school. A local gun club confirmed that he was a member. In his speech, Biden expressed his condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former firefighter who was killed while shielding his family from bullets during the rally. Biden called Comperatore a hero who died while exercising his freedom to support a candidate of his choice. Trump's allies quickly blamed Biden and his campaign for the attack, accusing the president of inciting fear about Trump's potential return to office. Republican Senator JD Vance, who is being considered for the vice-presidential nomination, wrote on social media that Biden's campaign is based on the premise that Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. Biden did not address these criticisms in his speech, and his campaign has temporarily halted attack ads against Trump. Trump, on the other hand, has adopted a conciliatory tone since the shooting, thanking his Secret Service detail for their swift actions and calling on Americans to 'stand united' and 'show our True Character as Americans. ' He arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he will accept his party's nomination for president. Trump is also expected to announce his running mate, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and Senator Vance of Ohio being the top contenders. The Secret Service has stated that they do not plan to implement additional security measures for the convention, expressing confidence in the existing arrangements. However, the agency is facing scrutiny over how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump, despite reports that audience members had pointed him out to the police.