President Joe Biden’s campaign has halted its activities following the Donald Trump Assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. The attempt resulted in the deaths of the shooter and a spectator.
In response, the Biden campaign has suspended television ads and all “outbound communications,” according to a campaign official. Media reported that a campaign memo was sent to staff minutes after the incident, instructing them to “refrain from issuing any comments on social media or in public.”
“We understand that there are a lot of questions, and as we gather answers to those questions, we ask that all staff refrain from issuing any comments on social media or in public,” wrote campaign co-chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “We’re also asking everyone to pause any proactive campaign communication across all platforms and in all circumstances until we know more.”
The pause comes at a critical time, as the Republican National Convention is set to begin on Monday, featuring events to support the Republican ticket and the announcement of Trump’s vice presidential pick. The Biden campaign’s decision not to air ads limits their ability to counter-message during the convention.
The campaign had recently intensified its attacks on Trump, particularly targeting Project 2025, a plan for a potential second Trump term. “Project 2025 is the biggest attack on our system of government and our personal freedom that has ever been proposed in the history of this country,” Biden warned at a rally in Detroit.
Biden, who had been in Rehoboth, Delaware for the weekend, returned to the White House early Sunday to be briefed on the situation. His planned trip to Austin, Texas, for the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act has been postponed. Vice President Kamala Harris also canceled her trip to Palm Beach County, Florida, where she planned to discuss abortion rights.
In remarks on Sunday, Biden urged the country to unite and reduce divisive language. “There is no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence, for that matter,” he said. Biden directed the Secret Service to review security measures for the upcoming Republican National Convention and promised an independent review of national security at the rally.
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Despite these actions, Republicans have accused Democrats of inciting the shooting after Biden’s comments about putting Trump “in the bullseye” during a private donor call. “We’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to put Trump in the bullseye,” Biden said.
