US President Joe Biden called his Republican presidential rival Donald Trump on Tuesday evening after the latter was shot and wounded in the ear in what authorities say was an assassination attempt, the White House said.
“This evening, President Biden spoke with former President Trump. The President also spoke with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy,” a White House official said.
The US president, who has ruled out calling the incident an assassination attempt, saying in a televised statement shortly after the attack that he had an opinion “but no facts,” will return to Washington on Sunday, earlier than planned, from Delaware.
The White House said the president is receiving updated briefings from Homeland Security and law enforcement officials in charge of the investigation, which is being treated as an attempted murder and is being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Trump was wounded in his right ear after a shooter opened fire during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The shooter, who was killed by Secret Service officers, was on a rooftop outside the perimeter of the campaign event, Butler District Attorney said.
“There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must come together as one nation to condemn it,” the Democrat added in an earlier statement.
Two people were killed, including the attacker himself, and security forces said the incident was being investigated as attempted murder.
The president stressed that this type of violence cannot be allowed to take place in the United States and made it clear that the Republican rally should have been able to take place peacefully and without problems.
The rally was held days before the Republican National Convention scheduled to run from Monday to Thursday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump’s nomination as the Republican candidate will be confirmed.
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2024-07-18 00:56:05