President Joe Biden took a significant amount of time to release a statement on Saturday after an apparent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump was shot at a political rally in Pennsylvania.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania,” Biden said nearly two hours after the incident happened. “I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information.”
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety,” he added. “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
Biden made subsequent remarks during a live press conference where, at the end of the event, he refused to call it an “assassination attempt.”
The sound of shots rang out as Trump appeared to grab around near his ear and he quickly dropped to the ground as he was instantly swarmed by Secret Service agents.
Once Secret Service agents got him up, they were in the process of rushing him off stage when he stopped them so he could deliver a message.
“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Trump said to the agents. Then looking at the thousands of supporters who showed up, he raised his fist and shouted: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said that Trump was “fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.”
He said that Trump “thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act.”
