Joe Biden has renewed his call for Congress to ban assault rifles, including the model used in the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump. During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on
Saturday, a gunman shot at Trump from a nearby rooftop, grazing his ear.
“An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump. This is the same assault weapon that has killed so many others, including children. It’s time to outlaw them,” Biden said to the audience at a convention in Las Vegas. His demand came as he returned to the campaign trail for the first time since the attack.
Biden Urges America to 'Lower Temperature' After Trump Shooting
For several days following the shooting, the Biden campaign had been on pause. Verbal attacks were halted, television ads were pulled, and a message of unity was promoted by many prominent Democrats.
Speaking on Tuesday, Biden continued this theme, lamenting the heated nature of current politics. However, he also criticized Trump throughout his speech at the NAACP convention, a prominent civil rights group.
“Just because our politics are very divided doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth. Who you are, what you’ve done, what you will do - that’s fair game,” he said. "Let me say it again because Trump is lying like hell about it,” Biden told the conference hall filled with primarily Black voters. “Black unemployment hit a record low under the Biden-Harris administration," he added, noting that his government achieved a record low unemployment rate for Black or African Americans in 2023, at 4.8%.
Gun rights are an issue Biden has frequently campaigned on. In 1994, he played a key role in passing an assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004. He referenced that legislation during his speech, saying, "I've done it before, I'll do it again." In 2022, during his first term as president, Biden signed into law the most significant gun safety legislation in more than two decades, which included enhanced background checks for gun buyers and other protections. However, he has repeatedly faced strong opposition from Republicans on an assault weapons ban.
The president's return to the campaign trail coincided with the Republican National Convention (RNC) closing out its second day on Tuesday, with speakers, including former presidential rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, uniting behind Trump. At a side event hosted by the gun rights group, US Concealed Carry Association, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign said Trump would safeguard gun rights by appointing pro-gun judges if elected in November. "We'll see a continuation of supporting and defending the Second Amendment, and really where that comes into play is the judiciary," Chris LaCivita told attendees, according to Reuters news agency.
Trump has already stated that he would dismantle all of Biden’s new gun rules if elected in November, showing no sign of changing this stance even after the attempt on his life. Authorities have yet to determine the motive of gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was able to shoot at Trump after climbing onto the roof of a building 130m (426ft) from where Trump was speaking. An independent review of the Secret Service’s handling of the shooting is underway, and Republican leaders in Congress have also announced an investigation. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.