The political debate has become too heated and must be cooled down. This is what US President Joe Biden says in a speech to the nation.
Politics must never become a battleground, or even worse a deadly battleground, he says.
Joe Biden has on several occasions after the assassination attempt on his political opponent Donald Trump called for calm and unity. This is the message again when he in a speech to the nation from the Oval Office in the White House notes that the political debate in the US has become very heated.
Yesterday's shooting at Donald Trump's election rally in Pennsylvania requires that we all take a step back, make an inventory of where we are. How do we move forward from here?
Joe Biden says it's time to "cool down" the tone in the debate – and emphasizes that it's everyone's responsibility to do so.
Remember that when we disagree, we are not enemies. We are neighbors, friends, colleagues, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.
"Former President Shot"
The President emphasizes that there is still much that is unknown about the shooter and their motives for the deed, in which one man was killed and two others seriously injured.
Tonight, I want to talk about what we actually know: A former President was shot, an American citizen was killed while simply exercising his right to support a political candidate, says Biden and adds:
We cannot continue on this path in America. Violence is never the solution.
Biden: The Stakes are High
He says that he wants people to resolve their disagreements at the ballot box – by voting for the candidate they believe in.
The stakes in this election are enormously high. The choices we make will shape the future of the US and the world for several decades to come, says Biden and continues:
We are all now facing a test of time as the election approaches.
A speech to the nation held in the Oval Office in the White House is unusual and indicates great seriousness. Joe Biden has only spoken from there twice during his time as President, and Donald Trump also held only two speeches there during his years in the presidential office.
