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Biden says he's grateful Trump is safe after rally shooting, denounces political violence

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WASHINGTON -

U.S. President Joe Biden said he is grateful former president Donald Trump is safe after a shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania.

Speaking from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, about two hours after the shooting, Biden said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no place in America for this kind of violence.鈥

鈥淚t鈥檚 sick,鈥 the president added. Biden said he hoped to speak with Trump soon.

With the apparent shooting threatening to further inflame political rhetoric in the months ahead of November, Biden took the opportunity to call for the country to unite.

鈥淲e cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this,鈥 he said.

Biden and Trump spoke late Saturday night, a White House official said.

The shooting 鈥 which is being investigated as an attempted assassination, according to law enforcement officials 鈥 left Trump bleeding from the ear. A spokesperson said the former president was doing 鈥渇ine鈥 and being treated at a medical facility. The suspected shooter and at least one rally attendee were killed, Butler County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Richard Goldinger told CNN.

Biden was attending mass at St. Edmond鈥檚 Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach when the shooting occurred. The president is due to return to the White House late Saturday night, cutting short his planned weekend in Delaware. He鈥檒l receive an updated briefing from homeland security and law enforcement officials on Sunday, the White House official said.

The shooting marks a massive turning point not only for the country, but for Biden鈥檚 role as president: he entered the church as a president fighting for his political future and exited in a familiar role - the nation鈥檚 counsellor-in-chief now tasked with bringing the United States together during a serious crisis.

The shooting at Trump鈥檚 rally is a shocking turn in what has been a highly charged political season for both of the major-party candidates. Biden has pitched the race as the decision between the continuation and possible destruction of democracy in the United States. That rhetoric will now be closely examined in the aftermath of the apparent attack, including comments that the president made in a call with donors on July 8, during which he said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to put Trump in the bullseye,鈥 according to a summary of the call provided by his campaign.

Biden said in a statement earlier Saturday that he was praying for Trump: 鈥淛ill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There鈥檚 no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.鈥

Former U.S. president Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is helped off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP / Gene J. Puskar)

Inside Biden campaign鈥檚 response

Moments after the incident, Biden campaign officials huddled and decided to pull down all TV ads and limit their public campaign messaging.

Bidens campaign manager Julie Ch谩vez Rodr铆guez and chair Jen O鈥橫alley Dillon sent a note to campaign staff Saturday evening in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, urging staff to 鈥渞efrain from issuing any comments on social media or in public.鈥

鈥淲e鈥檙e also asking everyone to pause any proactive campaign communication across all platforms and in all circumstances until we know more,鈥 they wrote in a note, which was obtained by CNN.

Ch谩vez Rodr铆guez and O鈥橫alley Dillon began the note by saying that as more information comes in, they are 鈥済rateful to the members of law enforcement who immediately jumped into action and wishing Trump a quick and full recovery.鈥

Mood inside the White House is 鈥榮hock鈥

The mood inside the White House is 鈥渟hock鈥 as officials responded to the shooting, according to a senior administration official, and who added that officials wanted 鈥渢o be responsive and serious.鈥

Biden鈥檚 chief of staff, Jeff Zients, sent a brief note to White House staff Saturday evening, saying that the president was 鈥渃losely鈥 tracking the situation and would continue to provide updates, according to the note obtained by CNN.

Biden told his staff that he wanted to address the nation as soon as he was briefed, according to a source familiar with the matter.

鈥淚t is just really horrible,鈥 the senior administration official said, responding to how the reaction has been within the White House following the incident.

鈥淚t should never happen. It鈥檚 unconscionable,鈥 a senior White House official told CNN.

CNN鈥檚 Evan Perez and Camila DeChalus contributed to this report.

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