Biden urges against speculation on motives in Trump murder attempt

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Jul 2024 22:36

US President Biden said he had spoken to Trump on Saturday night and that the two men had a good conversation.

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US President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Sunday, July 14, 2024, about the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

US President Joe Biden on Sunday urged the American public not to make premature assumptions about the motives of the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

"FBI is leading this investigation, which is still in its early stages," Biden said. "We don't yet have any information about the motive of the shooter. We know who he is. I urge everyone, everyone, please don't make assumptions about his motives or his affiliations."

He further said he had spoken to Trump on Saturday night and that the two men had a good conversation.

"Last night I spoke with Donald Trump: I'm glad he is recovering," Biden said in a nationally transmitted broadcast. "We had a short but good conversation."

While giving a presidential speech at a Pennsylvania rally, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot in what was coined an assassination attempt by Rep. Senator Rick Scott.

Moments after the shooting, security was able to approach Trump's podium to evacuate him. Trump appeared to have sustained mild wounds, as blood was seen running from the side of his head.

"In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win," he wrote on his social media network Truth.

World leaders condemned the attack on Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, where the former president was shot in the ear. They expressed shock, denounced political violence, and extended wishes for his speedy recovery.

The Trump campaign provided an update stating that Trump, currently campaigning for reelection in November's US election, was reported to be "doing well."

Meanwhile, the FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, aged 20 and from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the individual involved in what they described as an attempted assassination.