Biden refuses to call Trump shooting an assassination attempt: ‘I don’t have any facts’
President Biden on Saturday refused to call the shooting at a Trump rally that left the former president bloodied an assassination attempt, claiming that he needed more information first.
“I don’t know enough. I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts,” the 81-year-old president told reporters when asked if he thought the shooting was an assassination attempt.
“I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make some comment — anymore comments,” Biden added, before leaving the Rehoboth Beach, Del., police station where he addressed the nation more than an hour after several shots rang out at the Butler, Pa., Trump rally.
The White House initially downplayed the shooting as an “incident.”
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on the assassination attempt of former President Trump
“The President has received an initial briefing on the incident at Former President Trump’s rally,” the White House said in its initial statement after the assassination attempt.
CNN’s first headline on its story related to the shooting bizarrely claimed that Secret Service agents stormed the stage at the rally because Trump fell.
“Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally,” read the headline.
The headline was later updated to read, “Secret Service rushes Trump off stage at rally.”
Biden, who was leaving church in Rehoboth Beach, Del., responded, “No,” when asked by reporters shortly after the shooting if he had been briefed.
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.”
More than an hour later, just prior to his short address to the nation, the president released a statement on the shooting and said he was “praying” for Trump and his family.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information,” Biden said.
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’
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” he added.
Biden was briefed on the assassination attempt by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, according to the White House.
A Trump operative told The Post that Biden’s election rhetoric — including tweeting hours before the rally that Trump would be “a dictator” — created a “dangerous” political environment.
“Joe Biden and his Democrat goons need to stop it with the dangerous and false rhetoric that democracy will end if President Trump wins the election. Their lies have consequences,” the operative said.
The Biden campaign said they are “pausing all outbound communications and working to pull down our television ads as quickly as possible.”
A former Trump White House official said they expected Trump’s response to help define the election.
“President Trump met the attack on his life with an iconic act of resolve, uniting all Americans against this unacceptable attack on our nation,” the former official said.
Last week, on a private call with donors, Biden reportedly said that “It’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
The former president is doing “fine,” according to Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, but Trump later revealed that he was indeed hit by at least one bullet.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening,” he recounted.
The suspected shooter and one rally-goer were reportedly killed in the shooting.
