Biden's speech shows solidarity with Trump but insists on mentioning Jan. 6 episode

In a speech broadcast from the Oval Office Sunday night, President Joe Biden addressed the recent shooting at former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pa., and used the occasion to connect the shooting to the Jan. 6 protests on Capitol Hill in 2021.

At a time when the United States and the world are still processing the shooting, Biden called for reflection on the growing violence in the country's politics. "I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics."

During his speech, however, Biden took the opportunity to draw a strange parallel between the Trump rally shooting,  the attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband in 2022, the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and the Jan. 6 demonstrations.

From the Resolute desk, Biden urged Americans to resolve their political differences peacefully and democratically, and emphasized that despite disagreements, "we are not enemies."

"The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin," he added.

The attack

The shooting occurred this past Saturday during an outdoor rally. Trump was hit by a shot from an elevated position near the stage. A bullet pierced the top of his right ear before Secret Service agents quickly removed him from the scene. The assailant, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot by a Secret Service sniper shortly after opening fire.

Crooks also killed Corey Comperatore, a bystander and former fire chief in Buffalo Township, Pa., who died while protecting his wife and daughters. Two other people were seriously injured in the attack. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an attempted murder.