Biden to deliver rare Oval Office address tonight after Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. Sunday following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Biden, 81, announced plans for the formal primetime address during brief afternoon remarks in the White House Roosevelt Room.
“I’ll be speaking more about this more tonight at greater length from the Oval Office,” Biden said. “We must unite as one nation, we must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are.”
Biden condemned the Saturday afternoon attack at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., as “sick” in his initial r💧emarks hours after the shooting and in his Sunday afternoon comments expressed condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, the rally attendee who died.
“An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation,” Biden said — standing with Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Unity is the most elusive goal of all,” the president said. “We’re gonna not lose sight of who we are as Americans.
Here’s the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
Would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crookꦍs visited gun range dozens of times — including Christmas — for ‘i⛄ntense preparation’- Newly surfaced texts show Tr🌸ump rally gunman was on authorities’ radar more than 90 minutes before shooting: repo꧅rt
- FBI to conduct victim interview with Donald Tru✃mp 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 he had a “short but good conversation” with Trump in the aftermath of the shooting and that he was briefed in the Situation Room by various federal le♍aders, including Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who appeared virtu꧑ally.
“We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed — he was a father, he was protecting his family from the bullets that were fired, and he lost his live, God love him,” said Biden, who has delivered just two other formal evening addresses from the Oval Office during his presidency.
Biden has taken criticism from Republicans in the aftermath of the shooting for frequently claiming that Trump would be a dictator if elected on Nov. 5 and telling donors last Monday that he wanted to put a “bullseye” on Trump.
Comperatore, 50, who served as the fire chief for Buffalo Township, was shot and killed by Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at a rally for Trump that left the former💖 presi♓dent and two others wounded.
“We don’t yet have any information about the motive of the shooter,” Biden said in his Sunday afternoon remarks. “We know who he is. I urge everyone, please, don’t make assumptions about his motives or associations. Let the FBI do their job and their partner agencies do their job. I’ve instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift.”