Many Republicans have blamed President Joe Biden for the shooting at a Trump rally on Saturday, with some citing Biden’s recent comments to donors saying “it’s time to target Trump.”
According to a Politico article published on Monday, Biden told donors, “I have one job: to defeat Donald Trump, and I believe I’m the best person to do that. So now it’s time to stop talking about debates and put Trump at the center of the target.”
While there has been growing condemnation of the comments, there is currently no evidence linking them to the shooter’s actions or motives. An investigation into the shooting and the shooter is ongoing.
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, shared the quote on X, along with the unsubstantiated claim that “Joe Biden gave the order.”
X accounts for Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee also shared excerpts from X’s quote.
Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio and President Trump’s running mate, also wrote in X that the Biden campaign was responsible for the shooting, saying the campaign’s actions and words “directly led to the attempted assassination of President Trump.”
Biden condemned the shooting on Saturday from an emergency press conference in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, telling reporters, “This kind of violence has no place in America. It’s terrible. It’s terrible.”
“The idea that this kind of political violence, or any kind of violence, is happening in America is unheard of and it’s inappropriate. Everyone, everyone must condemn this. Everyone,” he said.
During his campaign and throughout his presidency, Biden has repeatedly condemned political violence, saying it is wrong and has no place in America.
One unidentified person at the rally was killed in the shooting, two spectators were seriously injured, and Trump was hurriedly removed from the stage with a bloodied face and later found “okay.”
