Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, A V.P. Hopeful, Blames Biden For Trump Assassination Attempt

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) blamed President Joe Biden for the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

In a social media post, Vance blamed the “rhetoric” used by Biden during his reelection campaign for the shooting, saying that Biden aimed to make Trump look like a fascist.

“Today is not just some isolated incident,” Vance wrote. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.” He continued by writing, “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Vance was criticized for these remarks by former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who posted on social media calling for his disqualification from consideration for the vice presidency.

Donald Trump Jr., an ally of Vance, is expected to speak at the Republican National Convention before Trump’s vice president is announced.

On Saturday, Trump was shot in the ear and received treatment at a local medical facility. One attendee was killed, and stray bullets injured two. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers.

Biden issued a statement, “I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him, his family, and all who were at the rally as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Biden also spoke about political violence and denounced the shooting during an address from the Oval Office on Sunday night, where he urged Americans to solve issues with ballots, not bullets.