President Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2024 in Washington, DC, to call for calm in political rhetoric, a day after a shooting in Butler, Pa., that injured former President Trump at a campaign rally.
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Erin Schaff/Getty Images
President Biden condemned political violence in a speech from the Oval Office on Sunday and said the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump calls for a cooling of the harsh political rhetoric at home.
“I want to talk to you tonight about the need to cool down our politics,” Biden said. “We are neighbors or friends, colleagues, citizens. Most importantly, we are fellow Americans, we have to come together,” Biden said.
Biden drew a straight line from the January 6 attack on the Capitol to the attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband and the intimidation of election officials: “We cannot let this violence become normal,” Biden said. “I believe politics must be an arena for peaceful debate.”
“Our politics should never be a true battlefield,” he said. “We settle our differences at the ballot box — not with bullets.”
An attempted assassination of former President Trump is being investigated as Trump prepares to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Milwaukee this week.
On Saturday, a 20-year-old man was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks accused of shooting Trump and killing one person at a political rally for the former president in Butler, Pa.
Trump said a bullet went through the top of his right ear.
Biden’s remarks from the Oval Office on Sunday night capped a day of revelations about Crooks and his victims, including one who died.
FBI officials described Crooks as a lone gunman with no apparent political ideology. On Capitol Hill, the shooting prompted increased scrutiny of the Secret Service and whether it was doing enough to protect Trump, but also raised widespread concerns about political violence.
Biden has ordered an independent review of national security measures taken at Trump’s campaign and promised to make the results of that investigation public.
Security beefed up at RNC
The Trump campaign said security is being beefed up around the site of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins Monday. The RNC, already a high-security event, is drawing guests from across the country to participate in the formal process of nominating former President Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s nominee for president.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday after saying a threat to his life a day earlier would not delay his plans.
“Based on yesterday’s terrible events, I was going to postpone my trip to Wisconsin and the Republican National Convention for two days, but have just decided that I cannot let a “shooter” or potential assassin cause a change in schedule or anything else,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
At the event, Trump is expected to accept his party’s nomination for president and name his running mate during the week. His speech is scheduled for Thursday.
Biden, after speaking briefly with Trump on Saturday evening, said he was “really grateful that he is healthy and recovering.”
Biden also said he had ordered the Secret Service to provide Trump with “every resource, capability and protection necessary to ensure his safety,” in addition to asking the agency to review all security measures in place for the Republican National Convention.
Officials from the city of Milwaukee, the Secret Service and the FBI say their security plans for the Republican National Convention will remain in place.
“We do not anticipate any changes to our current security footprint or plans,” said Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, RNC coordinator for the U.S. Secret Service.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle said the agency is investigating chatter that erupted after Saturday’s shooting, but said there was “no apparent threat to the RNC” or any attendees.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman reiterated that coordination is ongoing between the city and federal officials. He said the police department is “very comfortable” with the current plans.
“We did it,” he said. Norman emphasized the police department’s commitment to protecting not only convention attendees but also city residents. “This is our community,” Norman said.
Where is the investigation?
The FBI is investigating Crooks’ actions in the days and weeks leading up to the shooting as it conducts its investigation into the assassination.
The bureau said it was investigating the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism,” but had not yet determined the ideology associated with the shooter. Investigators said they believed he acted alone but had not yet determined a motive.
Key evidence collected at the scene included a legally purchased AR-style 556 rifle and Crooks’ cellphone, said Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office.
“Our main focus is phones and we are working hard to get to phones,” said Rojek.
Investigators said they have limited knowledge of recent communications Crooks made.
Crooks’ family is cooperating with the investigation. His father purchased the weapon used in the attack and investigators are looking into how Crooks got access to it.
Another device found in Crooks’ car is also being analyzed. FBI officials said the device was “crude in nature.”
There was no indication that Crooks had mental health issues and investigators found no threatening language on his social media accounts.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was “grateful that former President Trump is safe after yesterday’s horrific assassination attempt.” FBI Director Christopher Wray called the attack “absolutely despicable.”
Congress investigates attack
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, plans to open an investigation into the assassination, an aide confirmed to NPR. Peters is also running the Democratic Senate’s 2024 campaign.
The attack raised concerns about threats to lawmakers.
House Republicans received a briefing from top law enforcement officials on Capitol Hill on Sunday afternoon, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security concerns. Those agencies include the House Sergeant-at-Arms and the U.S. Capitol Police. A separate source confirmed that House Democrats will receive a similar briefing on Monday at 2 p.m.
The briefings are part of a broader concern among lawmakers about the rise in threats against members, staff and their families. Congress has debated additional funding for members’ security since the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and a wave of subsequent threats continues.
Other victims
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old father and firefighter from Sarver, Pa., has been identified by state officials as the man killed in Saturday’s attack.
At a press conference, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had spoken with Comperatore’s wife, who described him as a “girl dad” and a firefighter who went to church every Sunday; a man who loved his community and his family. Comperatore, Shapiro said, was a staunch Trump supporter and “was thrilled to be with him last night in the community.”
President Biden sent his condolences to his family after they said Comperatore died shielding them from bullets.
“He was a father who protected his family from bullets being fired,” Biden said. “And he lost his life, God love him.”
Two other Pennsylvania residents injured in the shooting — David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township — were both hospitalized and in stable condition Sunday.
NPR’s Carrie Johnson and Ryan Lucas contributed to this article.
