Donald Trump: Biden warns America against political violence after assassination attempt

Before Donald Trump’s nomination as the Republican presidential candidate, US President Joe Biden warned against violence in the election campaign in light of the shocking assassination attempt on the 78-year-old. “We resolve our differences at the ballot box. That’s how we do it – at the ballot box, not with bullets,” Biden said in a rare address to the nation from the Oval Office in the White House.

The political debate in the country has become very heated. “It’s time to cool it down,” he warned. “We all have a responsibility to do that.” Violence is never a solution, Biden stressed. “We are not enemies.” Trump, meanwhile, landed in the US state of Wisconsin just one day after the dramatic scenes in Pennsylvania, where he is to be officially nominated as a candidate for the election in November.

An evening address from the President’s office, broadcast live on television, is reserved for moments of crisis and major turning points in the country. This is exactly what the United States is currently dealing with after the act of violence against presidential candidate Trump. The assassination triggered worldwide horror and fueled fears of a spiral of political violence in the USA. Trump wants to challenge the Democratic incumbent Biden in the presidential election on November 5.

Attack on Donald Trump

A man shot the 78-year-old during a Trump campaign speech in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, wounding him in the ear. The perpetrator, a 20-year-old man from the region according to the FBI, was killed by security forces. Investigators have not yet determined a motive, but the FBI reportedly believes the shooter acted alone.

He reportedly fired with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle. The shooter’s family is cooperating with the authorities. In the attack, he killed a fireman and father who was a spectator at the event. Two other participants were seriously injured.

In his speech, Biden praised the victim in the audience as a hero who stood up for his family in the face of the fatal bullets. The US President further emphasized: “I will continue to stand up for our democracy, our constitution and the rule of law, and call for action at the ballot box, without violence on our streets.” This is how democracy should work, he warned. “We stand for an America not of extremism and anger, but of decency and kindness.”

Joe Biden issues urgent warning

“Here in America, we must come out of our silos where we only listen to those we agree with,” Biden said. He warned against misinformation and “foreign actors stoking the flames of our division to influence election results that suit their interests, not ours.”

The 81-year-old also mentioned the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump supporters had violently stormed the parliament building in Washington. Congress had met there to formally confirm Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech with unsubstantiated claims that his election victory had been stolen from him through massive fraud.

Trump makes first appearance in Milwaukee

Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, the final preparations are underway for the Republicans’ big nominating convention, which begins on Monday in Trump’s presence. A major speech by the 78-year-old is planned for Thursday evening (local time). Trump is certain of being nominated by the convention delegates. The Secret Service is not yet planning to tighten measures for the mega-event.

There is great anticipation as to who will run alongside him as a candidate for the office of Vice President. Even before the assassination attempt on Trump, the organizers were planning very high security measures. The police presence is already enormous, and many streets are closed. There are fences and concrete bollards in the city center. You can only get close to the event site with appropriate security checks.

Security in focus at party conference

After the attack, the question remains whether the event and Trump were adequately protected. Biden announced an independent investigation to clarify what exactly happened. Attorney General Merrick Garland instructed the investigative authorities to “use all available resources.”

The political mood in the United States has been heated for years. At the beginning of the year, the US Department of Justice complained about a “deeply disturbing increase in threats” against officials and democratic institutions in the country.