The White House on Saturday initially did not call the shooting at a rally of former President Trump that left the former president covered in blood an “incident” rather than an assassination attempt.
“The President was first briefed on the incident at a rally held by former President Trump,” the White House said in a statement.
Asked by reporters immediately after the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting if he had been briefed, President Biden, who was on his way out of a church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, said “No.”
More than an hour later, the 81-year-old president released a statement on the shooting, saying he was “praying” for Trump and his family.
“We have received reports of a shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I am pleased to hear that Mr. Trump is safe and well. As we await more information, I am praying for Mr. Trump, his family and all who were at the rally,” Biden said.
“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. This kind of violence has no place in America and we must come together as one nation to condemn it,” he added.
The White House said Biden was briefed on the assassination attempt by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood Randall.
A Trump aide told the Post that Biden’s election rhetoric, which included tweeting just hours before the rally that Trump would be a “dictator,” had created a “dangerous” political environment.
“Joe Biden and his Democratic allies need to stop their dangerous and false narrative that democracy will end if President Trump wins the election. There are consequences for their lies,” the operative said.
The Biden campaign said it has “suspended all outside communications and is working to remove our television ads as soon as possible.”
A former Trump White House official said he expected Trump’s response would determine the outcome of the election.
“President Trump stood up to the attack on his life with a symbolic act of determination and united all Americans against this unacceptable attack on our nation,” the former senior administration official said.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang said the former president was “in good spirits.”
The suspect and one rally attendee were reportedly killed in the shooting.
