Biden Urges Americans To ‘Cool Down’ Political Rhetoric After Trump Shooting

President Joe Biden addressed the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during remarks from the Oval Office on Sunday night.

Biden told viewers that the assassination attempt must force Americans “to take a step back” and evaluate “how we go forward from here.”

This comes after a series of shots were fired at Trump on Saturday during a Pennsylvania rally. Trump said that one bullet hit his right ear. A stray bullet killed one attendee, and two others were injured.

Biden spoke about political violence, which was a significant reason for his presidential campaign after various violent political events took place, such as the Jan. 6 attacks or a failed attempt to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).

“We can’t allow this violence to be normalized,” Biden said. “The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that.” He continued, saying, “Politics must never be a literal battlefield, God forbid, a killing field.”

Biden said, “In America, we resolve our differences at the ballot box, not with bullets.” He told viewers that the power to advocate for change comes from the people, not an assassin.

Biden spoke about the assassination attempt twice before his Oval Office address. He briefly addressed the shooting on Saturday night and shared a phone call with his political rival. In earlier remarks on Sunday, he said, “An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation — everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America, and we cannot allow this to happen.”

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers following his assassination attempt. His motive has not yet been determined. The FBI reported that violent online rhetoric has increased since the shooting on Saturday.