In his speech from The Oval Office, Mr Biden stresses the importance for people to remember that “although we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbours, we’re friends, co-workers, citizens and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.”
The attempted assassination of Trump “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are, how we go forward from here.” Biden said.
At a rally held in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump was shot in the ear, after a gunman opened fire on the former-president and crowd behind him. One person was shot dead and two more were critically injured.
"All of us now face the time of testing as the election approaches. The higher the stakes, the more fervent the passions become," Mr Biden added. "No matter how strong, our convictions must never descend into violence... It's time to cool it down."
Biden recalls other acts of violence in recent history, referencing the storming of the capital on January 6th as well as the attack on the husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. "We cannot, we must not go down this road in America, we've travelled before throughout our history,"
“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy. It's part of human nature. But politics must never be a literal battlefield, and god-forbid a killing-field.”
Biden added that he and his wife were keeping Trump and his family in their prayers, as well as the families of the those who were killed or injured in the shooting.
“We resolve our differences at the ballot box…not with bullets,” Biden said. “The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin."
Footage from the attack in Pennsylvania shows Trump waving his fist as blood dripped from his ear and down his face. He was quickly ushered off stage surrounded by Secret Service agents.
The gunman was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a boy just 20 years old. He was shot dead by Secret Service agents at the scene. Law enforcement later found explosive materials in his car nearby and at his home.
Media reports say Crooks was a registered Republican and had previously donated $15 in 2021 to a liberal campaign group.
