President Biden said Sunday he had a good conversation with former President Trump and that he had ordered an independent investigation into the security at the Pennsylvania rally where the shooting occurred.
Biden and President Trump met the previous night, with the president saying, “I’m truly grateful that he is in good health and recovering. We had a brief but meaningful conversation.”
He said the FBI was leading the investigation into the shooting but that there was no information yet about the shooter’s motive, and urged Americans not to jump to conclusions.
“I ask everyone to please not speculate about his motives or affiliations. Let the FBI and its partners do their job,” he said.
Biden also asked the Secret Service to provide all resources and security measures to ensure Trump’s safety, and said he had instructed the head of the Secret Service to review all security arrangements for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week and ordered an independent investigation.
“At yesterday’s meeting, I ordered an independent national security investigation to assess exactly what happened, and I will share the results of that independent investigation with the American people,” he said.
The president said he would have “more details from the Oval Office” about the shooting later Sunday night. His remarks are scheduled for 8 p.m.
“We must come together as one country,” he added.
The president began his speech by saying that he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for President Trump and his family, and offered his condolences to the victims. Identified Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former firefighter, was protecting his family during the shootout.
“He was a father, and he was protecting his family from those bullets,” Biden said.
“Unity is the hardest goal to achieve, but nothing is more important right now than unity. We will argue, we will have differences, that will stay the same, but we will never lose sight of who we are as Americans,” Biden said.
The president spoke at the White House, accompanied by Vice President Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The president and vice president were briefed early Sunday and would be briefed on the events in Pennsylvania, Attorney General Garland said.
He returned to Washington late Saturday night after spending the night at his home in Rehoboth, Delaware. He also made the comments on Saturday, two hours after the shooting.
