Joe Biden, Kamala Harris react after shots fired near Donald Trump
US President Joe Biden has spoken out about the failure of the Secret Service to perform its duties after the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
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US President Joe Biden has said that the US Secret Service needs more personnel to perform its duties after a second apparent assassination attempt against Republican election candidate Donald Trump.
“One thing I want to make clear, the (secret) service needs more help, and I think the Congress should respond to their needs,” Mr Biden told reporters at the White House.
“I think we may need more personnel.”
Mr Biden added that “thank God the president’s OK” following Sunday’s incident in which the Secret Service opened fire on a gunman, who was later arrested, at Mr Trump’s golf course in Florida.
The White House said Mr Biden called Mr Trump after
The president continued at a speech in Philadelphia that the Secret Service was meeting Mr Trump at Mar-a-lago to examine extra protection, and that the agency should be commended for its “expert handling” of the incident.
“There is no place for political violence in America. None, zero, never,” Mr Biden said at a speech in Philadelphia.
“In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the end of a gun ... It solves nothing and just tears the country apart.”
The White House said Mr Biden called Mr Trump but that they had not been able to connect.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk deleted a post on X questioning why Mr Trump has been targeted twice in two months while President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have not encountered any attempts on their lives.
“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala”, Musk wrote in the now-deleted tweet, which he insisted was posted “in jest”.
Musk has championed X, which he owns, as a free speech platform and has tweeted profusely during the race for the White House, siding with Donald Trump.
Both Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said they were “relieved” after an apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
The shocking incident unfolded while the Republican candidate was playing golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The FBI says it is investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of Mr Trump after the former president is said to have heard the sounds of gunfire.
A White House spokesman confirmed Mr Biden and Ms Harris – Mr Trump’s opponent in the election – had been briefed about the “security incident” that occurred “where former president Trump was golfing”.
“They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” the spokesman said.
Mr Biden later added in a statement: “There is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.”
He said on X he was briefed on the incident.
“A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe,” the president said.
“I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
Ms Harris also added in a statement: “I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Mr Trump’s son Donald Jr said: “Again folks! SHOTS FIRED at Trump Golf Course.”
Several Trump supporters and members of his inner circle, including his running mate J.D. Vance, offered their support and gratitude that tragedy was avoided.
“I’m glad President Trump is safe,” Mr Vance said on X.
“I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.”
Republican senator Lindsey Graham said he spoke to Mr Trump after the incident and he was “in good spirits”.
“He is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” he said.
“He’s in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country.”
The US Secret Service, tasked with protecting presidents, former presidents and other dignitaries, faced criticism after the Pennsylvania incident.
Representative Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking US House Republican, thanked law enforcement for their actions but raised serious questions about the latest incident, which involved a potential assailant apparently able to make his way unobstructed to bushes that offered a cloak of protection - and a clear line of sight to the ex-president.
“We must ask ourselves how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again,” she said in a statement.
“There continues to be a lack of answers for the horrific assassination attempt in Pennsylvania and we expect there to be a clear explanation of what happened today in Florida.”
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the “protective incident involving former President Donald Trump … occurred shortly before 2pm”.
“The former president is safe,” he said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates about it, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.
Mr Trump is due to speak about cryptocurrency live Monday night local time on the social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He’s expected to do that from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The former president is scheduled to return to the campaign trail on Tuesday local time for a town hall in Flint, Michigan with his former press secretary, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a campaign rally in New York on Long Island on Wednesday local time.
At the end of the week, he’s scheduled to attend and address the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, DC and on Saturday local time hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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