U.S. President Joe Biden says he is ordering a security review following a failed assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.
Biden made the order from the White House on Sunday afternoon.
“There is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence for that matter. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation,” he told reporters gathered there.
“It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America, and we cannot allow this to happen.”
Biden to hold address from Oval Office
Biden will hold an address from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. eastern, the White House said.
Trump was injured after a shooting unfolded during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday that left two people dead, including the shooter.
Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience – a call Biden echoed.
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“Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is important than that right now,” he said.
“We’ll debate and we’ll disagree, that’s not going to change but we’re going to not lose sight of fact who we are as Americans.”
A barrage of gunfire set off panic Saturday, and a bloodied Trump, who said he was shot in the right ear, was surrounded by Secret Service and hurried to his SUV as he pumped his fist in a show of defiance.
One attendee was killed and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. All were identified as men.
‘We must unite as one nation’
The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue.
Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press investigators believe the weapon was bought by Crooks’ father at least six months ago.
The officials said federal agents were still working to understand when and how Crooks, a registered Republican voter in Pennsylvania according to state records, obtained the gun and gather additional information about him as they worked to try to identify a possible motive.
Biden urged the public not to make assumptions about any motives.
He added aside from the security review, which he said his government will share with the public, he has asked the Secret Service provide Trump with “every resource” available, and ordered the head of the agency to review security planned for Monday’s Republican National Convention, which Trump is set to speak at.
“We must unite as one nation,” Biden said.
“We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are.”
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