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In prime-time address, Biden warns of election-year rhetoric, saying 'it's time to cool it down'

In prime-time address, Biden warns of election-year rhetoric, saying 'it's time to cool it down'
My fellow Americans. I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember or we may disagree. We are not enemies, we're neighbors, we're friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we're our fellow Americans. We must stand together yesterday's shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania. Calls on all of us to take *** step back, take stock of where we are, how we go forward from here. Thankfully, former Trump is not seriously injured. I spoke to him last night and I'm grateful he's doing well and Jill and I keep him and his family in our prayers. We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victims who was killed. Corey was *** husband, *** father, *** voluntary firefighter, *** hero, sheltering his family from those bullets. We should all hold his family and all those injured in our prayers. Earlier today, I spoke about an ongoing investigation. We do not know the motive of the shooter yet we don't know his opinions or affiliations. We don't know whether he had help or support or if he communicated with anyone else. Law enforcement professionals as I speak, are investigating those questions tonight. I want to speak to what we do know *** former president was shot, an American citizen killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing. We cannot, we must not go down this road in America. You've traveled before throughout our history. Violence has never been the answer whether it's with members of Congress and both parties being targeted and shot or *** violent mob attacking the Capitol on January 6th or brutal attack on the spouse of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi or information and intimidation on election officials or the kidnapping plot against the sitting governor or an attempted assassination on Donald Trump. There's no place in America for this kind of violence for any violence ever, period. No exceptions. We can't allow this violence to be normalized. You know, the political record in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have *** responsibility to do that. Yes, we have deeply felt strong disagreements. The stakes in this election are enormously high. I've said it many times that the choice in the selection we make in this election is gonna shape the future of America and the world for decades to come. I believe that with all my soul, I know that millions of my fellow Americans believe it as well and some have *** different view as to the direction our country should take. Disagreement. Is inevitable in American democracy. It's part of human nature, but politics must never be *** literal battlefield of God forbid *** killing field. I believe politics ought to be an arena for peaceful debate, to pursue justice, to make decisions, guided by the Declaration of Independence. In our constitution, we stand for an America, not of extremism and fury, but of decency and grace. All of us now face *** time of testing as the election approaches and the higher the stakes, the more fervent, the passions become this places an added burden on each of us to ensure that no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence. The Republican convention will start tomorrow. I have no doubt they'll criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country. I'll be traveling this week making the case for our record and the vision, my vision of the country, our vision, I'll continue to speak out strongly for our democracy, stand up for our constitution and the rule of law to call for action at the ballot box. No violence on our streets. That's how democracy should work. We debate and disagree. We compare and contrast the character of the candidates, the records, the issues, the agenda, the vision for America. But in America, we resolve our difference at the battle box. You know, that's how we do it at the battle block, not with bullets, the power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of would be assassin. You know, the path forward through *** competing visions of the campaign should always be resolved peacefully, not through acts of violence. You know, we're blessed to live in the greatest country on earth and I believe that with every soul, every power might be. So tonight, I'm asking every American to recommit to make America. So make America. What think about what's made America so special here in America, everyone has to be treated with dignity and respect and hate must have no safe harbor here in America. We need to get out of our silos where we only listen to those with whom we agree where misinformation is rampant, where foreign actors fan the flames of our division to shape the outcomes consistent with their interests, not ours. Let's remember here in America, our unity is the most elusive of goal goals right now. Nothing is more, more important for us now than standing together. We can do this. You know, from the beginning, our founders understood the power of passion. So they created democracy that gave reason and balance *** chance to prevail over brute force. That's the American. We must be an American democracy or arguments are made in good faith in American democracy where the rule of law is respected, American democracy, decency, dignity, fair play aren't just quaint notions but living breathing realities. We owe that to those who come before us to those who gave their lives in this country that we owe that to ourselves. We owe it to our Children and our grandchildren. No, let's never lose sight of who we are. Let's remember, we are the United States of America. There is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. God bless you all and may God protect our troops.
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In prime-time address, Biden warns of election-year rhetoric, saying 'it's time to cool it down'
President Joe Biden warned Sunday of the risks of political violence in the U.S. after Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, saying, "It's time to cool it down."In a prime-time national address from the Oval Office, Biden said political passions can run high but "we must never descend into violence.""There is no place in America for this kind of violence – for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception. We can't allow this violence to be normalized," Biden said.Watch the full video of Biden's remarks in the player above.Biden spoke for about five minutes from the Oval Office. He noted that the Republican National Convention was opening in Milwaukee on Monday, while he himself would be traveling the country to campaign for reelection.He said passions would run high on both sides, and the stakes of the election were enormous."We can do this," Biden implored, saying the nation was founded on a democracy that gave reason and balance a chance to prevail over brute force. "American democracy — where arguments are made in good faith. American democracy -- where the rule of law is respected. Where decency, dignity, fair play aren't just quaint notions, they're living, breathing realities."Earlier Sunday, Biden condemned the attempted assassination of his predecessor, Trump, as "contrary to everything we stand for as a nation" and said he was ordering an independent security review of how such an attack could have happened.He called for the country to "unite as one nation," promised a "thorough and swift" review and asked the public not to "make assumptions" about the shooter's motives or affiliations.The president said he has also directed the U.S. Secret Service to review all security measures for the RNC. Hours later, Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the Secret Service's coordinator for the convention, said the weekend attack against Trump did not prompt any changes to the agency's security plan for the event and officials "are fully prepared."In his remarks, Biden called the attack on Trump "not who we are as a nation.""It's not American. And we cannot allow this to happen," he said. "Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now."The president said he and first lady Jill Biden were praying for the family of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shot and killed during the Trump rally Saturday night in Butler, Pennsylvania."He was protecting his family from the bullets," Biden said. "God love him."The president also said he'd had a "short but good conversation" with Trump in the hours after the shootings and said he was "sincerely grateful" that the former president is "doing well and recovering."

President Joe Biden warned Sunday of the risks of political violence in the U.S. after Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, saying, "It's time to cool it down."

In a prime-time national address from the Oval Office, Biden said political passions can run high but "we must never descend into violence."

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"There is no place in America for this kind of violence – for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception. We can't allow this violence to be normalized," Biden said.

Watch the full video of Biden's remarks in the player above.

Biden spoke for about five minutes from the Oval Office. He noted that the Republican National Convention was opening in Milwaukee on Monday, while he himself would be traveling the country to campaign for reelection.

He said passions would run high on both sides, and the stakes of the election were enormous.

"We can do this," Biden implored, saying the nation was founded on a democracy that gave reason and balance a chance to prevail over brute force. "American democracy — where arguments are made in good faith. American democracy -- where the rule of law is respected. Where decency, dignity, fair play aren't just quaint notions, they're living, breathing realities."

Earlier Sunday, Biden condemned the attempted assassination of his predecessor, Trump, as "contrary to everything we stand for as a nation" and said he was ordering an independent security review of how such an attack could have happened.

He called for the country to "unite as one nation," promised a "thorough and swift" review and asked the public not to "make assumptions" about the shooter's motives or affiliations.

The president said he has also directed the U.S. Secret Service to review all security measures for the RNC. Hours later, Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the Secret Service's coordinator for the convention, said the weekend attack against Trump did not prompt any changes to the agency's security plan for the event and officials "are fully prepared."

In his remarks, Biden called the attack on Trump "not who we are as a nation."

"It's not American. And we cannot allow this to happen," he said. "Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now."

The president said he and first lady Jill Biden were praying for the family of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shot and killed during the Trump rally Saturday night in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"He was protecting his family from the bullets," Biden said. "God love him."

The president also said he'd had a "short but good conversation" with Trump in the hours after the shootings and said he was "sincerely grateful" that the former president is "doing well and recovering."