Biden condemns ‘sick’ shooting of Trump, campaign suspends ads – FBC News

US President Joe Biden called for an end to political violence after Republican challenger Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a rally on Saturday. Biden’s campaign team then suspended all political communications, including ads attacking Trump.

The name of the shooter, his political views and his motive are not known.

The 81-year-old president was at a church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, at the time of the shooting and later went to his residence. After issuing a written statement, Biden left the Delaware beach house in his motorcade and drove to a local police station to speak on camera about the issue.

When asked if he believed the shooting was an attempted murder, Biden said, “I have an opinion, but I don’t know all the facts.”

Biden later spoke with 78-year-old Trump on the phone, the White House said, but no further details of the conversation were given.

A Biden campaign official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the team is “working to pull our television ads as quickly as possible” to reflect the seriousness of the situation. The official did not provide further details.

Biden’s political future has been uncertain since his shaky debate against Trump on June 27 sparked calls within his own party for him to step down and let a younger candidate take the lead in November.

In recent weeks, the Biden team launched its most aggressive effort to brand Trump a felon: with the launch of a new television ad that focused on Trump’s criminal conviction.

The ad was part of a $50 million investment in swing states and marked a shift in strategy after an initial reluctance to comment on the issue in order to avoid having to deal with Trump’s legal problems.

Trump was found guilty by a New York jury on May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to silence a porn star before the 2016 election.

After the shooting, Senator JD Vance, a leading contender for Trump’s vice presidential nomination, criticized the Biden campaign for portraying Trump as an authoritarian who “must be stopped at all costs,” and suggested that this rhetoric led to the attack.

The former Republican president’s rhetoric during the election campaign has repeatedly raised concerns that, if elected, he might disregard democratic norms by abusing the power of the state to target perceived enemies.

Political violence is increasing in the United States. According to experts, most of the deadly attacks come from right-wing groups.

In April, Trump shared a video on social media showing an image of Biden handcuffed and restrained in the back of a pickup truck.