President Joe Biden has been briefed twice on a shooting at a rally of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Biden, who is spending the weekend at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, was in a church service on Saturday when the gunshots rang out at the Trump event six hours away.
Reporters traveling with Biden asked him whether he had been advised of the shooting as he departed the church at 6:19 p.m. and he told them “no.”
Roughly 30 minutes later, the White House released a statement with an update that Biden had “received an initial briefing” on the incident, with a second one provided at 7:10 p.m. by United States Secretary Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Liz Sherwood-Randall, his White House homeland security adviser. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and top aides Steve Ricchetti and Annie Tomasini were also in the room.
Vice President Kamala Harris has similarly been provided information, according to her staff.
The Trump campaign has confirmed that the former president is “fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility.”
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told reporters. “More details will follow.”
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The Secret Service circulated its own statement that it had “implemented protective measures” around Trump and that he is “safe.”
“This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote in a statement.
