Unlock the US Election Countdown newsletter for free
The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House
US President Joe Biden called on Americans to “stand together” and lower the political temperature in the country in the wake of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump during a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania.
“The political rhetoric of this country has gotten very heated,” Biden said during a rare address to the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday evening: “It’s time to cool it down and we all have a responsibility to do that.”
“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy, it’s part of human nature. Politics must never be a battlefield, God forbid a killing field,” he said.
Biden had rushed back to Washington from his Delaware beach home on Saturday night, after the former US president was struck by a gunshot in the ear. Trump crouched temporarily and then stood up defiantly pumping his fist before being rushed offstage to his motorcade.
One person attending the rally was killed in the shooting, along with the shooter, whose motive has not been established.
After spending the night in New Jersey at his golf club, Trump travelled to Wisconsin on Sunday ahead of the Republican National Convention which is due to take place this week to formally nominate him for president.
This is a developing story
Read the full article here
