WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has ordered an independent review of the security measures at the Pennsylvania rally where an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump occurred.
In his remarks from the White House on Sunday, Biden said, “I’ve directed an independent review of national security at yesterday’s (Saturday) rally to assess exactly what happened. And we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well”.
Biden’s comments were his second public statement since the attack at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. He also directed the head of the US Secret Service to review security measures ahead of this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, according to CNN.
Biden also noted that he has sought to provide Trump with every Secret Service resource that the former US president and his team had asked for. “I’ve been consistent in my direction with the Secret Service to provide him with every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure its continued safety”, Biden said.
At the time of the shooting incident, Biden was at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He returned to the White House late Saturday and received an update from Homeland Security and law enforcement authorities in the Situation Room on Sunday morning.
In his remarks, Biden condemned the attempted assassination, saying, “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. Everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America. And we cannot allow this to happen”, according to CNN.
He emphasised that “unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is as important as that right now: Unity”. Biden confirmed that he and Trump spoke on the phone, but did not reveal the details of their conversation. He also added that he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for the family of the person killed at the rally and that he was sincerely grateful that Trump is doing well and recovering.
The FBI has identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Trump was on stage at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania’s Butler before gunshots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed the stage.
In a call for unity following the attack on Donald Trump, Biden also emphasised that there is no place for such violence in the country and urged Americans to refrain from making assumptions about the shooter’s motives. He stressed the importance of allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to carry out their investigation without interference.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence,” the president reiterated. “I urge everyone… please don’t make assumptions about his motives or affiliations,” Biden said, adding, “Let the FBI do their job, and their partner agencies do their job”. (ANI)