House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) called on the former president’s opponents to “stay quiet” following the assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.
“When you have this constant message that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy and that the republic is going to end, I mean, it’s a heated environment,” Mike Johnson said Sunday on NBC’s “Today” show. “Everybody needs to tone that down.”
A gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, with Trump saying a bullet pierced his ear. The FBI said the gunman and one rally attendee were killed and two others were seriously injured.
“I believe God saved him,” Johnson said.
The Speaker called on his colleagues to remain calm and maintain a statesmanlike attitude. found Honor and Courtesy Parliamentary League.
“We have political opponents and adversaries, but we are all Americans. We need to treat each other with dignity and respect,” he said.
Since Saturday night’s shooting, several Republican lawmakers have blamed the assassination attempt on anti-Trump rhetoric from the Biden campaign.
“The Republican District Attorney of Butler County, Pennsylvania should immediately charge Joseph R. Biden with soliciting assassination,” said Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.). I have written On social platform X.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Johnson similarly cited it as an example of the harsh rhetoric aimed at President Biden.
“President Biden himself recently said, ‘Now is the time to attack President Trump,'” he said. “Such comments, on either side, should be condemned.”
During a press conference on Sunday, Biden urged the public to avoid speculating about the shooter’s motives.
“We still don’t have any information about the perpetrator’s motive,” the president said. “I ask that all of you please refrain from speculating about the perpetrator’s motive or affiliation. Let’s let the FBI do their job.”
Biden also announced that his administration would launch an independent investigation into security failings at the Pennsylvania rally and would make the findings public.
House Speaker Johnson vowed to launch a congressional investigation into security procedures in the coming weeks, and told “Today” he has already had a chance to question Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“We as a society cannot continue like this,” Johnson concluded.
