JUST IN: White House Holds Press Briefing In The Wake Of The Attempted Assassination Of Donald Trump
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held a press briefing in the wake of Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, everyone.
00:05Okay.
00:07So last night, President Biden spoke directly to the American people about the urgent need to come together and lower the temperature in our politics.
00:18We must remember that while we may disagree, we are not enemies.
00:22We are fellow Americans, and we must stand together.
00:27We must stand together in the wake of an attempted assassination on the former president of the United States.
00:34Over the past several days, the president has been briefed regularly by key members of his homeland security team and senior law enforcement officials, and he has spoken directly to the American people.
00:47As President Biden has said, we are thankful the former president is not seriously injured, and President Biden, the First Lady, and the entire White House are keeping him and his family in our prayers.
00:59We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed.
01:06Corey was a husband, a father, a volunteer firefighter, and a hero who lost his life shielding his family.
01:15Our prayers are with Corey's family during this unimaginable time.
01:21The president spoke about an ongoing investigation, and as he said, we do not know the motive of the shooter yet.
01:30We don't know his opinions or affiliations.
01:33We don't know whether he had help or support or if he communicated with anyone else.
01:40Law enforcement professionals are investigating those questions, and we urge that everyone avoid jumping to conclusions.
01:49Let the law enforcement professionals do their job.
01:52But as President Biden made clear, what we do know is that a former president was shot in a senseless act of violence and a fellow American was killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing.
02:09We must not go down this road in America.
02:13There is no place in America for this kind of violence ever.
02:18We cannot normalize this.
02:20Right now, the most important thing we can do is unite against this type of political violence and reject it.
02:28That's what the president is going to focus on.
02:31As he said last night, while unity is the most elusive of goals right now, nothing is more important than standing together.
02:41Now, joining me today to answer your questions is Secretary Mayorkas.
02:46We normally would have done a gaggle because the president would have been on the road, but we wanted to make sure that we did this briefing, get an on-camera briefing, and also have the secretary here to take any of your questions.
02:58So he has been alongside the president and the president's entire team as they work to get the answers for the American people.
03:08Secretary Mayorkas, thank you so much for joining us today.
03:12Thank you very much, Corinne.
03:14Good afternoon.
03:16At the very outset, I want to echo what President Biden said last night.
03:22Our entire administration is grateful that former President Trump is okay.
03:27Our hearts and prayers are with the family of Corey Compratore.
03:32We pray for the full and swift recovery of those who were injured on Saturday.
03:39We are thankful for the heroic agents of the United States Secret Service who so quickly and bravely responded to the threat at Saturday's campaign event.
03:49We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence our nation witnessed that day.
03:57Such acts are unacceptable in our country and in our democracy.
04:02Both President Biden and former President Trump are constantly the subject of threats.
04:08We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment.
04:13The United States Secret Service, we, including the FBI and our other partners across the federal government,
04:21take the threats very seriously and adjust security measures as warranted.
04:26Maintaining the safety and security of the president, the former president, and their campaign events is one of our most vital priorities.
04:37In light of this weekend's events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy Jr.
04:48Both prior to and after the events of this past weekend, the Secret Service enhanced former President Trump's protection
04:56based on the evolving nature of threats to the former president and his imminent shift from presumptive nominee to nominee.
05:05This includes enhancements related to securing the former president during the Republican National Convention this week.
05:14I cannot discuss specifics of the protection or the enhancements made as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures.
05:23I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.
05:32At the RNC, we have steadily increased implementation of significant physical and technical enhancements
05:39at every protective venue in support of protectees, including miles of anti-scale fencing, screening technology, and tactical support.
05:50We are also leveraging strong relationships across the law enforcement community,
05:56including agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations,
06:00the Transportation Security Administration, and state and local law enforcement agencies,
06:05all of whom have been deployed at the convention.
06:08Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump,
06:13we across the government are focused with urgency to understand how it happened.
06:18At President Biden's direction, an independent review of the incident will be conducted,
06:24one that will examine the Secret Service's and other law enforcement actions before, during, and after the shooting
06:32to identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions required
06:37to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.
06:44The men and women of the Secret Service have one of the most solemn and difficult jobs in government.
06:51Their work involves tremendous sacrifice, risk, and bravery.
06:56We saw those qualities in action on the stage at this past Saturday's event.
07:03With respect to the tragic event of Saturday, the FBI is leading the criminal investigation, which is ongoing.
07:11An independent review will be conducted to understand the facts regarding protection of the event
07:18and make findings and recommendations accordingly.
07:22I will, therefore, not be able to comment on the facts subject to investigation and review at this time.
07:29With that, I will take your questions.
07:32On that independent review, who will lead that independent review?
07:36What is the timeline for how long it will take to understand the failings that happened on Saturday?
07:42And will those findings be made public, or at least a summary of those findings be made public?
07:47We are, indeed, in the process of selecting who will lead the independent review.
07:53The findings, indeed, will be made public.
07:56It is very important that we achieve transparency so that the American people have confidence
08:02in the work of the review and in its findings and recommendations.
08:07And we need to move with swiftness and urgency because this is a security imperative.
08:12I'm sorry, Mr. Secretary, on that.
08:14Does the President have confidence in the Secret Service Director after Saturday's failures?
08:20I have 100 percent confidence in the Director of the United States Secret Service.
08:24I have 100 percent confidence in the United States Secret Service.
08:28And what you saw on stage on Saturday with respect to individuals putting their own lives at risk
08:35for the protection of another is exactly what the American public should see every single day.
08:41It is what I, indeed, do.
08:45Secretary, is the Secret Service stretch too thick?
08:49The Secret Service, in times like this, calls upon other resources
08:55and capabilities to handle a campaign of this magnitude.
09:00This has been the case each and every presidential campaign.
09:04We draw upon resources not only across the federal government but with state and local law enforcement.
09:10And I do intend to speak with members of the Hill with respect to the resources that we need.
09:17And a few House Republicans have suggested that this was an inside job,
09:21that this administration or the Secret Service wanted Donald Trump to get shot.
09:26There are conspiracy theories proliferating online.
09:29How do you feel? How does the rank and file feel when they hear that?
09:33So let me just say this.
09:35First of all, that is preposterous.
09:37And it is also dangerous to propagate rumors that are so unequivocally false and provocative.
09:45And as the President so powerfully said to the entire nation,
09:50we have to tamp down the rhetoric in this country.
09:54The rhetoric itself creates a threat environment that really is quite dynamic and evolving.
10:03Mr. Secretary, what concerns you about the fact there were witnesses
10:07who had identified a gunman on the building,
10:10there was local law enforcement assigned to that building,
10:13and of course the Secret Service having the overall responsibility?
10:16Where do you think a breakdown may have occurred?
10:19Is it because you had to rely on local law enforcement,
10:23maybe not having the kind of synergy you might need?
10:27Where do you see the breakdown with witnesses saying there's a gunman
10:31and action not happening fast enough?
10:33So there have been statements by many people with respect to what did and did not occur.
10:41We're going to let the investigation and the review deliver the factual findings
10:47and we'll act upon those.
10:49We rely upon local law enforcement and other assets, resources, and capabilities every day.
10:56And we are incredibly proud to do so,
10:58and we're incredibly proud of the courageous law enforcement officers upon whom we rely.
11:03In the time that you've been here, the former President has selected J.D. Vance.
11:07What can you tell us about the security for the running mate?
11:10So the United States Secret Service, when a selection is made,
11:15will provide the appropriate level of security.
11:19When you say we're in a heightened threat environment, what's the underlying reason for that?
11:24What can you tell us more about that?
11:26So this is something that both Director Wray of the FBI and I have communicated publicly,
11:34both in hearings and outside the hearing context.
11:39The threat landscape is very dynamic, both domestically, with the rise of domestic violent extremism.
11:47The rhetoric to which one reporter referred only contributes to that.
11:53And, of course, we have seen the foreign threat environment increase as well.
12:02You just said that you have 100 percent confidence in the Secret Service.
12:05Does the President share that confidence?
12:08I will not speak for the President, but I know as a protectee he's incredibly confident.
12:14I'll speak to that when it's my turn. Go ahead.
12:17Hi, Secretary. Thank you.
12:19Can you speak to any enhancements to the President's security for his trip to Las Vegas this week and other locations?
12:27I mean, how has that changed, if it's changed at all?
12:30And I have a second question as well.
12:32So I'm not in a position to share particulars because we do not disclose tactics, techniques, and procedures.
12:39But let me say that adjustments have been made to the former President's detail,
12:45to the current President's detail, as well as to the Vice President's detail.
12:48And with social media companies, I mean, terms like deep state have been one of the most viral terms
12:54over the weekend on platforms like X, on Meta.
12:57Has there been any outreach to these companies from administration officials to try and stop the disinformation or kind of quell it in any way?
13:05Well, the rhetoric that we hear, you know, we are very mindful of the First Amendment right
13:13that is one of the underpinnings of this country.
13:16And so the balance between respecting the First Amendment and actually rhetoric that is –
13:23that can be addressed by these social media companies is something that we deal with on an ongoing basis.
13:31Thanks so much.
13:32Law enforcement officials tell ABC News that the building where the shooter was on the roof
13:36was actually the staging area for the local police tactical team who was watching over the crowd.
13:41I understand you can't comment.
13:42You have an independent review.
13:43But why would the Secret Service not be tasked with overseeing that building with a direct line of sight at the former President?
13:49So once again, I will not comment on specific facts or asserted facts with respect to the subject of the independent investigation,
14:00both the review and the FBI's criminal investigation.
14:04But remember something, that local law enforcement with whom we work all across the country,
14:10including, for example, at national security special events such as the NATO summit that concluded successfully,
14:18that is something that we do all the time.
14:21It's a very well-defined protocol and regime.
14:25Was the local law enforcement in direct communication in real time with the Secret Service
14:29or was there some sort of breakdown there?
14:31Again, I'm not in a position to speak of particular facts of what did and did not occur on Saturday.
14:39Mr. Secretary, would the President dismiss his Secret Service director
14:44if this investigation returns findings of failures by that agency that could have been prevented?
14:50I am not in a position to speculate, nor should I.
14:54How is it that we are now about 48 hours out from this, just shy of that,
14:59and we still don't have any information on a motive?
15:02Is it that the investigators are withholding any information out of sensitivity to this heightened threat environment that you mentioned
15:11or the political events that are happening right now?
15:13Remember something, that the assailant is deceased.
15:19He was shot and killed by the United States Secret Service.
15:23The ability to identify a motive is something that, in this situation,
15:30is a result of extensive and intensive investigation.
15:35And so it is, in fact, only 48 hours after the tragic events of Saturday.
15:43And you will recall, I think, in the very, very tragic shooting in Las Vegas quite a number of years ago,
15:50because of the fact that the assailant then was shot and killed, a motive was not identified at all.
15:57We still don't have a motive there, Mr. Secretary.
15:58Are you suggesting that we might never find one?
16:00I'm not suggesting anything.
16:02I just cited that as an example of the difficulty in identifying a motive.
16:06And one more, sir.
16:07At least eight Republican lawmakers have blamed President Biden for this.
16:13An additional 21 blame Democrats, the left, and the media critical of Trump for driving the rhetoric that led to this outcome.
16:20How does the White House respond to that blame coming from some Republican lawmakers?
16:26I will let Corinne answer that.
16:28But I think the President's comments with respect to the rhetoric that we need to tamp down in this country is responsive.
16:37Mr. Secretary, you said that there was a failure here.
16:42There's a criminal investigation up and running.
16:44What is taking time for the independent investigation to be up and running?
16:48And it didn't sound like you were giving a timeline of when that will occur.
16:54We're going to commence the independent review as quickly as possible.
16:59We are going to be reaching out very, very shortly to individuals who will hopefully lead that independent review.
17:07And I will communicate to those leaders the need for swiftness of action in light of the fact that we are dealing with a security protocol.
17:14But if that's the case, is this like days, weeks?
17:17What is your sense of timing of when this review will be up and running, given the security?
17:23Days.
17:26To follow up on Matt's question, you say an independent review.
17:28You're reaching out to people who will lead that.
17:30Are you talking about people outside of government?
17:31Are you committed to somebody who does not work for you or for President Biden to lead this review?
17:37I am committed to going externally of the department and externally of the government so that no question of its independence can be raised.
17:53It's very important that this independent review have the confidence of the people.
18:00Secretary, can you give us any details at all about what areas this review will be looking at in terms of the failures that happened on Saturday?
18:08I would rather not until this review is underway.
18:16Just quickly, if I may.
18:17Secretary, can you fill out any more of the timeline of what local law enforcement knew or didn't know before the shooting?
18:26This is in reference to this interview with an individual who said that he saw somebody crawling up the building.
18:32We're still a little unclear on the timeline of how that information was communicated.
18:36I hate to end this session on a question that I cannot answer, so perhaps Corinne will reach out for another question.
18:44As I mentioned before, I cannot speak to what did and did not occur.
18:50The facts are the subject of an independent review, or will be, and also a criminal investigation is underway.
18:58Is there any progress on cracking into the suspects' cell phones?
19:04Same answer.
19:09Thank you for coming to this briefing.
19:11You said that you have 100% confidence in the Secret Service.
19:14Do you have 100% confidence in Director Cheadle specifically?
19:17Yes.
19:19Mr. Secretary, since Saturday, has anyone been reassigned or removed from Donald Trump's security detail?
19:25I don't have knowledge of that. I do not believe so.
19:31Mr. Secretary, is the U.S. Secret Service responsible for protecting a wide variety of events?
19:36Are they considering changes to the type of outdoor events that will be coming up in the next four months of campaigning for candidates on both sides?
19:46We are constantly – the Secret Service and the entire community is constantly assessing the threat environment, the threat landscape, and making adjustments accordingly.
19:59And so that is a factor in our assessment of the landscape.
20:04Thank you, sir.
20:05Thank you, sir.
20:07Sir, what do you tell Americans who may feel nervous about going to political rallies?
20:10Sir?
20:11Amy?
20:12Okay, thank you so much, Secretary.
20:14Appreciate it.
20:15I just have one more thing and then we'll continue.
20:18So I want to take a minute to thank Kelly O'Donnell, your outgoing president of the White House Correspondents Association.
20:26Kelly, the past year has presented no shortage of news, opportunities, and challenges.
20:32You've been a great partner day to day here at the White House.
20:37And we've closely worked together on major events, minor logistics and travel, both domestic and foreign.
20:45I want this room and the many members of the WHCA to know that you have had a trusted ally, friend, and leader in Kelly O.
20:56And you have always, always advocated heartfully on behalf of your fellow journalists.
21:04And we are grateful for your service and we are relieved you will still be on the beat here at the White House and in the briefing room.
21:12It has been a joy.
21:14And I have had the opportunity to know you for some time, even before being at the White House.
21:20And I really appreciated more personally your guidance, your mentorship in tough times.
21:28And so thank you so much, Kelly.
21:30And we are also looking forward to working closely with Eugene Daniels, the new president of WHCA.
21:37And we congratulate him as well.
21:39It has been a joy.
21:41And thank you so much.
21:42Thank you so much.
21:49All right.
21:50Zeke, let's go.
21:52Following up on Jenny's question there, does the president have confidence in the director of the Secret Service?
21:57So a couple of things.
21:58Yes.
21:59So the answer is yes.
22:00But I do want to say the director is working hard to examine what happened and to ensure protectees have needed security.
22:07And she is committed to cooperate fully with the independent review that the president obviously announced
22:12and directed to move forward with just a day or so ago.
22:17Everything is moving so quickly.
22:19The men and women at the Secret Service have a hard job, as you heard the secretary mention.
22:24They work tirelessly every day to protect the president, former presidents, and other people.
22:29Their mission is critical, and we need all hands on deck in this moment.
22:32Right now we are focused on getting all the facts so we can get to the bottom of this, of what happened.
22:38It is important for the American people to know what happened.
22:41That's why the president directed an independent review.
22:44And, you know, direct the independent review, if that's what the president asked for,
22:50direct the Secret Service to provide Donald Trump and all other protectees the resources needed to ensure safety,
22:56and order the Secret Service to review all security measures for the Republic Convention,
23:02which is what you've heard directly from the Secret Service speak to in the past 24 hours or so.
23:07But, yes, he has confidence.
23:09And does he have confidence in Secretary Mayorkas?
23:12Yes.
23:13And does the president have plans, or has he spoken with the family of the man who was killed at the rally?
23:19So you heard me at the top, and you heard the president speak in his Oval Address,
23:24and one time before that, obviously, and he gave a heartfelt condolences to Corey's family
23:32and the families, obviously, who were affected by the horrific shooting on Saturday.
23:38And so the president understands loss, obviously, as you all know.
23:42He understands what it means to lose someone that you love.
23:45Our condolences, our prayers go out to Corey's family.
23:50I don't have anything else to add.
23:52We want to be really, really mindful for their privacy, protect and respect their privacy.
23:58I just don't have anything else to add to that.
24:00And then lastly, the president last night said it's time for everyone in the political space to tone it down,
24:05to cool the political rhetoric.
24:07Does the president regret anything that he has said in the course of this campaign
24:11about his Republican rival or anybody else in the political space?
24:14Does he plan to adjust his rhetoric, or is it just a call for other people to make changes?
24:18So I want to just be very clear, and you know this.
24:20I've been asked about anytime there's violence, sadly, that comes up across the country,
24:26we have, the president has always, always spoken out forcefully against violence, always.
24:33Political violence has no place in America.
24:36You've heard the president say this.
24:37He repeated his thoughts in the Oval Address last night.
24:41He repeated his thoughts multiple times before then and obviously throughout his presidency,
24:46throughout his entire career.
24:49We want to make sure that we are not politicizing this at this moment.
24:53It is not a time to do that.
24:55We want to make sure that we bring Americans together.
24:58When you think about why the president ran in 2020,
25:01the cornerstone of his presidency is uniting this country, is uniting this country.
25:06And he also said that it is okay to have disagreements on agendas.
25:12It is okay to have disagreements on character or record.
25:15But we cannot, cannot have violence in this country,
25:19and that is something that he's going to continue to be very, very clear about.
25:23Does he or does he not regret anything that he has said about former President Trump
25:27or any of the other political activists?
25:28What I will say is the president has forcefully spoken out against violence.
25:32That is something that he has done over and over again,
25:35and he believes that he feels strongly about the stakes of this campaign.
25:40He feels very, very strongly about that.
25:42He wants to bring the temperature down.
25:44He wants to lower the temperature.
25:46It is important that we do that, and it is a moment that we come together.
25:50And that is what this president is all about,
25:53and he wants to continue to work on uniting this country.
25:57That's what he wants to focus on.
25:59To follow up on that, just last week in Michigan,
26:01President Biden called Trump a threat to this nation.
26:04Should we expect that he will not be calling out Trump with that kind of rhetoric going forward?
26:08So what I will say is that it is important, right?
26:13We believe it is important to continue to forcefully speak against any type of political violence.
26:18That is what the president believes.
26:20And we do not want to politicize this moment.
26:22Politicizing this moment is unacceptable.
26:24We believe, and the president believes, you heard from him in a very clear statement last night
26:31about the importance of uniting this country, the importance of continuing to do so,
26:35and that we cannot tear America apart to score political points.
26:39We cannot do that.
26:40And so we don't want to politicize this moment.
26:42We want to unite.
26:43We want to continue to focus on that.
26:45And that's what the president is going to focus on right now.
26:47So will his messaging change this week?
26:49His messaging is going to be really clear.
26:50He's going to continue to engage with the American people.
26:52That's what you're going to see in the next upcoming days, upcoming weeks.
26:56Nothing different than what he's done in the last almost four years.
26:59And lay out his agenda.
27:01Highlight his agenda.
27:02There are differences.
27:03There are differences in our agenda and what Republicans believe.
27:08There are differences.
27:10And that is okay.
27:11And it is okay to speak to someone's record and someone's character.
27:15But we cannot accept violence.
27:17We cannot accept that.
27:19And so the president is going to continue to do that, highlight his agenda.
27:22It's important for the American people to hear directly from him what he has done
27:26the last three and a half years and how he sees the future of this country.
27:29That will not change.
27:31Speaking of that agenda, the president told a group of Democratic lawmakers
27:34on the phone this weekend that he has been working with experts
27:38on some Supreme Court reforms that he will be unveiling at some point in the future.
27:44Can you tell us anything about those reforms, when he might unveil them,
27:48and what he is seeking to achieve?
27:50I appreciate the question.
27:51I'm not going to get ahead of the president,
27:53so I don't have anything to share at this time.
27:55He also said in his press conference last week that he is looking at rent caps.
28:00What can you tell us about his policy when it comes to rent caps?
28:03Again, I'm going to let the president speak to that when the time comes.
28:08To follow up again on the Oval Office's address on lowering the temperature,
28:13does the president want to see any concrete actions from former President Donald Trump
28:17to show that he, too, is working to lower the temperature?
28:21I'm going to let the former president speak for himself
28:25and move forward with how he wants to move forward with his campaign,
28:28with how he sees the country, the future of this country.
28:32He has to speak to that.
28:33I'm not going to get into that from here.
28:35Is there anything else you can tell us about the call between the president and the former president?
28:40What the tone was?
28:41Did the race come up at all?
28:43Did the former president mention anything about politics, or was it just well wishes?
28:47Look, I'm going to stick to what we have been able to confirm for all of you.
28:52Obviously, the president and the president said this as well,
28:55that they spoke on – the president said this on Sunday.
28:58Yesterday, he spoke with Donald Trump on Saturday.
29:01He is sincerely grateful that he is doing well and recovering.
29:04He had a good and respectful conversation with him
29:07and that the president and the first lady will continue to keep them –
29:11keep Mr. Trump and his family in their prayers.
29:15I just don't have anything else to add.
29:16It was a private conversation, but we were able to confirm to all of you
29:20what was put out by the campaign.
29:23Was it a matter of minutes, this phone call?
29:26How long was it?
29:27So, it happened on Saturday.
29:29I don't have a timeline for you.
29:32It was a respectful call.
29:34It was a good conversation, and the president is going to continue
29:38and the first lady is going to continue to send well wishes.
29:41Does the president feel like this effort to get him to step aside is now fizzled out?
29:45We're not going to politicize this moment.
29:47We're just not.
29:48The president is going to continue doing what he's been doing
29:50for the past couple weeks, for the past three and a half years,
29:53which is going out there, engaging, talking directly to the American people
29:56about his record, what he's been able to do on behalf of the American people
30:00in the past three and a half years, the economy, health care,
30:04continue to expand health care, continue to make sure that the wealthy,
30:08corporate and billionaires are paying their fair share,
30:12and make sure that we're building an economy from the bottom up, middle out.
30:15That is what the president is going to focus on.
30:17We are not going to politicize this moment.
30:19And lastly, we saw reports that he had met with Chuck Schumer over the weekend.
30:22Is that true?
30:23Anything you can say about that?
30:25So, what I can say about that is that I think Chuck Schumer put out a note on that.
30:29It was a good meeting, like the senator said, and I'm not going to read out beyond that.
30:35And the president is looking forward to continuing to work with Leader Schumer,
30:39continuing to work with Leader Jeffries in how we can focus on the American people,
30:46do the work that we've been able to do, that historic work,
30:48building on unprecedented record.
30:50That's what the president wants to focus on, focus on the American family,
30:53the middle class, and that's what I can say about that.
30:57Again, Michael.
30:58Michael.
30:59Oh, I'm sorry.
31:00Senator J.D. Vance, whom Donald Trump has suspected is running,
31:04put out a message on social media Saturday, about two hours after the shooting,
31:08blaming President Biden's rhetoric for the shooting.
31:12In fact, he said that rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.
31:18What's your response?
31:19I mean, I've kind of gotten this question in many different ways.
31:23I'm not going to politicize this moment.
31:25We are not going to politicize this moment.
31:27It is wrong to politicize this moment.
31:30We have been very clear in how sick, the president said this word,
31:37Saturday's events were sick.
31:40It's not acceptable.
31:41Political violence is not acceptable.
31:43And we have said that over and over and over again,
31:46and we will continue to be very clear about this.
31:48We need to lower the temperature.
31:50That's what we need to do, lower the temperature.
31:54And unite the country.
31:56That's what this president, that's the cornerstone of his presidency,
31:59is uniting the country.
32:00That's what he wants to do.
32:04This assassination attempt happened right after the NATO summit,
32:07where the president wants to show the world about American leadership.
32:12Are you concerned this incident may damage America's international image?
32:17Look, it's really, repeating what the president said,
32:22now is the time to focus on uniting the country.
32:25You heard directly from NATO leaders just last week
32:30on how they appreciated and respected the president's leadership,
32:34especially over the last two years, more than two years,
32:37as we think about the war in Ukraine because of Russia's aggression,
32:42as we see what's happening in the Middle East,
32:44and in particular NATO.
32:46This is a president that has strengthened NATO and helped to expand NATO.
32:50So that's what you saw from the leaders,
32:52that's what you heard from the leaders,
32:53and that's what you saw from this president, obviously,
32:55in his term here at the White House.
32:58We're going to continue to hear directly from the president.
33:01We've got to lower the temperature.
33:03We've got to unite the country.
33:04That's what the president's going to continue to focus on.
33:08Thank you so much.
33:10Have the tragic events of this weekend shifted the president's sense of urgency
33:14or position on gun control legislation?
33:18And then secondly, there's been a lot of right-wing chatter
33:20about the female agents guarding the former president,
33:23specifically whether women are up to the job.
33:27People are noting that they're smaller,
33:29that they weren't able to cover the president.
33:31But, I mean, this is a talking point that is circulating.
33:34So what's your response?
33:35That's ridiculous.
33:36To your second question, obviously, it's ridiculous.
33:39No, no, wait.
33:40No, no, no, no, no, no, not to your question.
33:43I understand why you're asking the question.
33:45The sentiments coming from that about women and not being able to do the job,
33:50that's ridiculous, just to be really clear about that.
33:54And, look, you heard from the secretary.
33:58These men and women put their lives on the line.
34:01What they're doing is brave.
34:03And we should not discount that.
34:06We should not discount that if it's a man or if it's a woman.
34:09And to have that sentiment out there is unfair and it's ridiculous.
34:14Now, to step back, there's going to be an independent review here.
34:18This is something that the president directed and asked for.
34:21We've got to get to the bottom of this, of what happened,
34:26and the American people deserve an answer,
34:28and that's what the president wants to see.
34:30And so getting into these types of speculation is just ridiculous.
34:33It's just ridiculous.
34:36Oh, yes.
34:37Look, the president has been obviously a strong advocate on gun control.
34:44He has been throughout his career as a senator, as vice president, and now as president.
34:48As you know, we were able to get a bipartisan legislation done,
34:52the first bipartisan legislation to deal with gun control that we hadn't seen in about 30 years.
34:59And the president led on that effort and was able to get that done.
35:02There's a lot more work that we need to do.
35:04That is on Congress.
35:05We have to continue to get Congress to ban assault weapons, for example, and to do a lot more.
35:11The president has signed more than two dozen executive actions
35:17because we understand and he knows that guns are an epidemic, sadly, in our country.
35:24It is an epidemic.
35:25The number one killer of our children is guns, and that should not be.
35:30That should not be.
35:32So the president is going to continue to be steadfast on this.
35:35We have the White House Office for Gun Prevention, which the vice president leads on.
35:39That is something that was created here in this White House, never existed before,
35:43and that shows the president's commitment on dealing with this epidemic.
35:48Go ahead.
35:49Speaking of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention,
35:51in the past when there's been mass shootings or casualty incidents with gun violence,
35:56they've sent resources and had folks on the ground.
35:59Are there any plans to do that for the folks on the ground?
36:02Right now, as you know, it's an FBI investigation,
36:04so they've got to get to the bottom of it and see what occurred
36:07and see what happened and get answers to that.
36:10I don't have any information at this time on how the White House Office of Gun Prevention
36:16is assisting in the families and obviously the folks who attended.
36:22I would have to speak to them directly about that, but we need to get to the bottom of this.
36:26That's why there's an independent investigation.
36:28That's why we brought the secretary here to answer your questions,
36:32to be as transparent as we can be at this time.
36:40We've got to let the investigation move forward, but it's important to do that,
36:44and hopefully we'll have more to share with you on your question.
36:49Isn't the White House counsel's view that the attorney general has the legal authority
36:53to appoint special counsels?
36:56Look, if you're speaking to the announcement that came out,
36:59I have to refer you to the Department of Justice.
37:01I don't want to have an opinion from here.
37:03The Department of Justice is independent.
37:05As the president has said, even during his 2020 election,
37:08he said that he would want to restore the independence of the Department of Justice.
37:12He's done just that.
37:13They make the decision on their cases independently,
37:16so that's a question that I would have to refer all of that to the Department of Justice.
37:21After the president paused his campaign events over the weekend,
37:25obviously he didn't go to Texas.
37:27Now he's heading to Las Vegas this afternoon.
37:29Can you give us a preview of what to expect?
37:31Are we anticipating a different tone out on the road than we're used to,
37:36seeing with the president when he's out on the trail?
37:38As I mentioned a couple times before, and as the president has said,
37:41we have differences in our agenda.
37:43We do.
37:44What we believe is very different than what Republicans believe
37:49in how we see the future of this country,
37:51and that is important to have differences.
37:54It is important.
37:55It is okay to have differences.
37:57He will talk about each of those differences.
38:00It is crucial, though.
38:02It is important that we bring the temperature down.
38:04That's what the president has said.
38:06That's what he wants to see.
38:08He's going to live through those values, and that's what you're going to see.
38:12Talk about his agenda.
38:13Highlight his agenda.
38:14That's what you'll see in the next couple days.
38:16Go ahead, Jackie.
38:17Taking another stab at the question you've answered several different ways,
38:20but I guess more simply, are we going to continue to hear the president
38:24in official events around the campaign trail use the phrase
38:27threat to democracy specifically?
38:30I want to be very clear.
38:32The president's always going to denounce violence, forcefully denounce it.
38:38He's always been against this throughout his career,
38:41throughout the last four years.
38:43We do not want to politicize this.
38:44It's unacceptable to do that.
38:46That's what the president has said.
38:48It is time to bring this country together, to bring American people together.
38:52That's what he wants to see, and so that's where I'm going to leave it.
38:55He wants to unite this country, and that is something that he's been saying
38:58since 2019.
39:00That can be really hard to do, though, if you're trying to make a shift away
39:03from what has been the platform of this administration, of his campaign,
39:08in that the view is that Trump and the mega-republican agenda
39:13is a threat to democracy.
39:15How do you get that message across while bringing the temperature down?
39:20How is that phrasing going to be replaced?
39:22Is it going to be replaced?
39:23Look, what I can say is this.
39:26We have our differences, and it's okay to have our differences.
39:30It is okay to speak to someone's record, to speak to someone's character.
39:36That is the difference.
39:40That is important to be able to do to show the American people
39:44what you're all about.
39:45We're just going to continue to denounce violence.
39:51It is important to do that, forcefully be against violence.
39:54Political violence has no place in America.
39:57It should not be.
39:58It does not have a place here.
40:00The President is going to continue to be very, very forceful about that.
40:03But we have a difference of agenda.
40:05That is the truth.
40:07That is the truth.
40:08And we're going to continue to speak to that difference,
40:10and the President is going to highlight his agenda.
40:12Does the President view Trump's agenda as a threat to democracy?
40:16Look, what I will say is right now we're not going to politicize
40:19what happened on Saturday.
40:20What happened on Saturday was horrific.
40:22It was.
40:24It was sick, as the President said.
40:27And we've got to move forward in the way that we respect each other,
40:33that we don't have this type of discourse.
40:38Can you bring us inside the room, though,
40:40in a way that you're asking to bring down the temperature
40:43and have people consider the language that they use
40:46in order to dial back where we're at?
40:49So how are those discussions going on inside?
40:52Is there reflecting on language that's been used?
40:54What example is the President setting for others?
40:58Well, I think the President has set an example on Saturday.
41:02No, but we can't also discount what's happened in the past three days.
41:06We can't discount what the President did on Saturday.
41:09We can't.
41:11He spoke to the former President.
41:15He was briefed by his team.
41:18He addressed the American people the same night, came back to D.C.
41:23Yesterday he had another briefing with his team.
41:28Right after that briefing, he went into the Roosevelt Room,
41:31spoke to the American people, and then used the Oval Office,
41:35which is one of the most important tools to use,
41:38important places to give an important address to the American people
41:46in prime time on a Sunday.
41:48I think that's important.
41:49He wanted to make sure that the American people heard directly from him,
41:55from the President of the United States,
41:57and also wanted to lay out that we should be able to have differences.
42:02Violence shouldn't be part of that.
42:04He wanted to lay that out and say we have to bring the temperature down.
42:09I feel like those three moments that we've seen in the last three days
42:14shows how the President is moving forward.
42:17It does, and it is lowering the temperature,
42:20saying violence has no part in our democracy in America,
42:26and saying it is okay to have differences.
42:29He also said that.
42:30He also said it's okay to have differences.
42:34If we just take Jackie's timeline, the timeline that you just referenced,
42:37and move it back to four days before today,
42:42when the President was in Michigan, he said,
42:46over my dead body it will happen, referring to Trump becoming President.
42:51He also said another four years of Trump is deadly serious, deadly serious.
42:56I think that's the type of language that we're referencing here,
43:00and it would be possible to get some sort of indication
43:03about whether that kind of language is what we'd expect
43:06to continue to hear from the President.
43:08Look, what I would refer you to is basically what I told Jackie
43:11the last three days and what the President has said.
43:13You heard directly from him what he's laid out, how he sees the future,
43:19how it's important to be able to speak to different agendas.
43:22It is.
43:23It is important to speak to someone's record, someone's character.
43:27Violence has no place in America.
43:30Political violence is not okay.
43:32It is not.
43:33It is just not.
43:35The President said what we saw on Saturday was sick.
43:37I've said this about three times.
43:38Use that word three times in this press briefing.
43:42It is not something that we should condone.
43:45We have to condemn violence, and that is something that this President
43:48has done throughout his career.
43:51I think we're clear on that.
43:52It's just will the language shift from the President,
43:55What I will say is you'll hear the President highlight his agenda
43:57over the next couple days.
43:59He will continue to do that.
44:00He will speak to the importance of the American people
44:04understanding the differences of where he stands
44:08and where Republicans stand.
44:11I've got to be mindful here because it is a campaign
44:14that we're speaking about.
44:16I think, though, if you look at what the President said,
44:20if you heard what the President said the last three days
44:24and how he's led this country in this horrific time that we saw
44:28coming out of Saturday, I think that's important.
44:31I think that's what the American people want to see,
44:34toning down the rhetoric and condemning violence.
44:40I've got to wrap it up.
44:41Go ahead.
44:43Thanks, Green.
44:44Given the language from the leader of the free world,
44:48does the President or the administration bear any responsibility
44:51for the environment that we're in?
44:53What I will say is, and this is just repetitive of what I'm saying here,
44:57we have to lower the temperature.
44:59You heard that from the President.
45:00There's no place in America for violence.
45:03It is important that we are really clear about that.
45:05We do not know.
45:07We do not have the answers to what happened on Saturday.
45:10What we know is a former President was shot.
45:14That is not something that should be accepted here.
45:17That is something that we have to condemn.
45:18That's what we know.
45:19There are a lot of questions that are still out there.
45:22There are a lot of questions that are still out there.
45:25But we have to lower the temperature.
45:27But the President from the Oval Office said we have to lower the temperature,
45:31but he never said it starts with me.
45:34When it comes to political rhetoric out there,
45:39when it comes to being mindful of how we are moving forward with our politics here,
45:46it takes all of us to lower that temperature.
45:49And I think that's important.
45:51That's important to note.
45:53And I think that's what the American people want to see.
45:55They wanted to hear what the President said in the Oval yesterday.
45:59They wanted to hear what the President said on Saturday.
46:02It is important to speak to the moment that we're in
46:07and say we've got to condemn this type of violence.
46:10We do.
46:11Now, there are a lot of open questions here.
46:13We don't have answers to those open questions.
46:15The independent investigation will be thorough.
46:18That's what the President wants to see.
46:19We want to get to the bottom of it
46:21because there are questions that the American people should know
46:24as to what happened, what led to that awful, awful night on Saturday.
46:29I have to actually—the President is waiting for me, so I have to actually go.
46:33I'll see you guys on the road.
46:34Thanks, everybody.