Former President Donald Trump on Monday blamed the recent assassination attempt on comments made by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
With just 50 days until the presidential election and early voting already underway in some places, this election campaign is shaping up to be one of the most turbulent in American history. The most recent incident occurred on Sunday in Florida, when a man identified as Ryan Wesley Routh hid in bushes about 400-500 yards away from Trump and was confronted by Secret Service agents. When agents located the shooter, they reportedly opened fire, firing four to five rounds. Sheriff Bradshaw said the suspect dropped his rifle and fled in a vehicle, abandoning his weapon along with two knapsacks, a targeting scope and a GoPro camera.
This is the second assassination attempt since a July bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump praised the Secret Service for protecting him, but he also did not hesitate to place the blame for the attack on his opponents: “They’re shooting me because of what they’re saying. I’m in a position to save my country, and they’re destroying it from the inside and out,” he told Fox News.
“These people want to destroy our country. They’ve called it the enemy from within. They are the real threat. They use a combination of rhetoric and lawsuits to get me involved. This is what dangerous fools like shooters listen to. This is the kind of rhetoric they listen to, and the same rhetoric the shooter listened to in the first place,” Trump said.
In a social media post, President Trump also called for national unity, saying “it is more important than ever that we come together.”
Trump’s critics have long accused him of stoking division with his inflammatory rhetoric.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, in a speech in Philadelphia, sought to focus on condemning political violence. “It doesn’t solve anything. It only divides our country. We must do everything we can to stop this, never allow it to thrive,” Biden said, calling for efforts to prevent further incidents. The president also said the Secret Service was investigating the Florida shooting and was assessing possible increased security measures to keep President Trump safe. According to the White House, Biden called President Trump on Monday and conveyed relief for his safety in what was described as a friendly conversation.
Political observers are still unclear how Sunday’s shooting will affect the electoral campaign. The U.S. election is due to be held on Nov. 5.