Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, calls for replacing current President Joe Biden have seemingly come to a standstill. Before this incident, there had been growing pressure on President Biden from both Democrats and donors regarding his performance at the presidential debate on June 27th.
In response to the assassination attempt, several House Democrats have told Axios that they are now focusing solely on expressing their condolences and ensuring the safety of their teams. One House Democrat stated, “We’re all just focused on expressing condolences … and keeping our teams safe.” When questioned about any discussions surrounding Biden’s candidacy, another Democrat reportedly said it was not “the focus right now.
Following the shooting, which left former Pennsylvania fire chief Corey Comperatore dead and two others critically injured, several Democrats issued statements condemning “political violence.” Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) were among those who condemned the violence.
President Joe Biden also released a statement expressing gratitude that Trump is “safe and doing well,” adding that there is “no place for this kind of violence in America.” Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), a former 2024 Democrat presidential candidate, stated, “An American is dead, a former President and others are wounded, and a shell-shocked country is left wondering how to restore reason and respect.
Phillips reportedly emphasized that it would be unpatriotic and unprincipled for anyone to focus on anything other than the national tragedy caused by this incident. Instead, he suggested that the only conversation about President Biden should revolve around how he can console the country, address the anger, and meet the moment.
The Biden campaign announced shortly after the shooting that they would be “pausing all outbound communications” and were in the process of attempting to remove their television advertisements, according to Fox News.