President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump shared a “cordial” phone call after a second apparent assassination attempt against the former president was stopped over the weekend.
“President Biden just spoke with former President Trump and conveyed his relief that he is safe,” the White House told reporters Monday evening. “The two shared a cordial conversation, and former President Trump expressed his thanks for the call.”
In a separate statement also provided to the Washington Examiner, Trump said the two “had a very nice call.”
“It was about Secret Service protection,” Trump said.
Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris earlier Monday, alleging their rhetoric regarding him had encouraged Sunday’s attack, in addition to the previous attempt on his life in Pennsylvania in July.
“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump told Fox News of the would-be shooter. “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out.”
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, appeared in federal court in Florida on Monday and was charged with federal gun crimes, including possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Prosecutors allege the Secret Service opened fire at Routh on Sunday after seeing a person with a weapon near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club in Florida while the former president was golfing.
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Biden told reporters earlier Monday when he was departing and returning to the White House for an appearance at the National HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia that he tried to call Trump but that the former president was not available. Biden also stated that the Secret Service “needs help,” such as possibly more personnel.
“As the subject is in custody, an acting head of the Secret Service is in Florida today assessing what happened and determining whether any further adjustments need to be made to ensure the safety of our former president,” Biden also told the conference.
