Biden cuts short beach weekend, returning to White House after Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — President Biden is returning to the White House on Saturday night — cutting short a weekend stay at his beach home — following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
The 81-year-old president will leave the Delaware shore around 10:30 p.m. and reach the White House just after midnight, according to an updated schedule shared with reporters.
Biden will arrive at the White House via motorcade, meaning he will not walk past the press on the South Lawn, where he would face shouted questions from journalists.
Here’s the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
Would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks visited gun range dozens of times — including Christmas — for ‘intense preparation’- Newly surfaced texts show Trump rally gunman was on authorities’ radar more than 90 minutes before shooting: report
- FBI to conduct victim interview with Donald Trump after assassination attempt
- Ex-Trump doc says FBI’s Wray is ‘wrong’ to doubt ex-prez was struck by bullet: ‘Absolutely no evidence’
- Trump defends female Secret Service agent who was criticized after assassination attempt: ‘So brave’
Biden said in Saturday evening remarks that the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., was “sick” and that he tried to call Trump, 78, while he was being treated at a Pittsburgh-area hospital.
The president did not appear to know that one of Trump’s rally attendees had been killed while giving those remarks.
Everything we know about the Trump assassination attempt
- 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
- Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
- The gunman grazed Trump’s ear, killed a 50-year-old retired fire chief, and injured two other rally-goers.
- Investigators detailed Crooks’ search history to lawmakers, revealing that he looked for the dates of Trump’s appearances and the Democratic National Convention.
- Crooks’ search history also revealed a broad interest in high-profile people and celebrities, regardless of their political affiliation, FBI officials reportedly said.
- Trump exclusively recounted surviving the “surreal” assassination attempt with The Post at the rally, remarking, “I’m supposed to be dead.”
- High-profile politicians, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, addressed the nation about the shooting, calling it “a heinous, horrible and cowardly act.”
“We have more detail to come relative to other injured — other people may be injured in the audience. I don’t have all that detail,” he said. “We’ll make that available to you. I may be able to come back a little later tonight, but we’ll put out a statement if we don’t — if I’m not able to, if it’s not convenient for you all.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Biden had met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in Rehoboth Beach, as speculation swirls about congressional Democrats pressuring the president to abandon his 2024 run.
“I sat with President Biden this afternoon in Delaware; we had a good meeting,” Schumer told The Post in a statement.
At least 20 Democratic members of Congress have urged Biden to drop out, following his disastrous debate performance against Trump last month and lackluster performances in a critical media interview and high-profile press conference since.
