‘Cool it down,’ Biden tells nation after Trump assassination bid

WASHINGTON: In an uncommon Oval Office speech on Sunday, President Joe Biden attempted to defuse tensions in the country following the election of his opponent, Donald Trump, by stating that it was time to moderate the country’s divisive politics.

“You know, there’s a lot of vitriol in our nation these days about politics. It’s time to calm down,” Biden declared in the only other address he has made from behind the storied Resolute Desk during his administration that was broadcast on television.

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Biden continued, saying that US politics “must never be a literal battlefield, a, God forbid, a killing field” as the nation recoiled at pictures of a bleeding Trump shaking his fist following a gunman’s opening fire at a Pennsylvania rally.

The 81-year-old Democrat claimed that in the run-up to a fiercely divided election, both parties had an obligation to defuse the situation, calling it a “time of testing” for the US.

Biden called the vote box a “battle box” twice throughout his brief but impactful address. The aging president is under intense criticism after his dismal debate performance against Trump. Despite this, the speech went over without any significant hiccups.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot dead by snipers at the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday after firing several bullets with a semi-automatic rifle that was lawfully purchased. According to investigators, they are currently looking into Crooks’ motivations.

On Sunday, the former president Trump stated on social media that it was “more important than ever that we stand United” and that Americans should not let “evil to win.”

Later on social media, the 78-year-old Republican said that “God alone” was the reason he had been rescued. Trump’s spouse Melania referred to the gunman as a “monster.”

Security questions

Trump managed to raise a defiant fist to the audience as Secret Service officials hauled him away, despite the fact that the attack killed a bystander and left him with a bleeding face and an injured ear.

Later on Sunday, he touched down in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to be declared the party’s presidential nominee. His supporters are hoping that his assault would help him win over more people in November.

Even after the attempt on Trump’s life, the US Secret Service claimed that it is “fully prepared” to manage security at the sizable Republican meeting and that it would not be altering its standards.

But how the gunman was able to get onto a rooftop about 500 feet (150 meters) away from where Trump was speaking and fire many rounds raises serious issues for the agency.

Prior to the attack, Biden claimed to have had a “short but good conversation” with Trump.

Now, as investigators try to determine the gunman’s motivation, the FBI has stated that it believes Crooks acted alone and did not have a predetermined ideology.

Assistant Director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division Robert Wells told reporters, “We are looking at this as a potential domestic terrorist act, but we are also investigating it as an assassination attempt.”

The shooter’s father is thought to have purchased the AR-style 556 rifle, according to the FBI, but they are unsure of how the gunman obtained it or whether he took it without the father’s knowledge.

A “suspicious device” was also discovered by investigators in the gunman’s vehicle.

Bullied

Crooks was quiet and frequently came across as lonely, according to his old classmates.

Though he was reserved, he was being tormented. Jason Kohler, who claimed to have gone to the same high school as Crooks, told reporters, “He was bullied so much.”

Meanwhile, Biden applauded fireman Corey Comperatore, the bystander who was murdered, claiming that he “was protecting his family from the bullets.”

The world was shocked by the attempt on Trump’s life, but it is unclear how this will affect a close and sharply divided US presidential contest.

US politics have grown more antagonistic as a result of Trump’s aggressive rhetorical attacks, which have helped him establish his brand. Many Democrats have expressed their outrage and disgust at Trump’s ascent.