Joe Biden has doubled down on his demand for a congressional ban on assault weapons, including the type used in the botched attempt to assassinate Donald Trump. During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a gunman fired shots at Trump from a nearby rooftop, grazing his ear. In a subsequent address at a convention in Las Vegas, Biden declared, “An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump. This was the assault weapon that killed so many others, including children. It’s time to outlaw them.”
Biden’s call for action came as he returned to the campaign trail following a brief hiatus after the attack. The Biden campaign had been placed on hold for a few days, with television commercials suspended, verbal attacks halted, and some prominent Democrats promoting unity. While acknowledging the heightened political temperature, Biden continued to sharply criticize Trump in his speech at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention on Tuesday.
Gun rights have been a central plank of Biden’s campaign platform. He played a key role in the passage of the 1994 assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004. Recalling his prior efforts, Biden asserted, “I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again” in his address. During his first term, Biden signed into law the most significant gun safety legislation in over 20 years, which included enhanced background checks and safety measures for gun buyers. However, Republicans have consistently opposed his attempts to ban assault rifles.
Biden’s renewed call for action came as the Republican National Convention (RNC) concluded its second day. Speakers, including former presidential contenders Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, overwhelmingly voiced their support for Trump. A senior campaign advisor for Trump stated that, if re-elected in November, Trump would protect gun rights by appointing pro-gun judges. This commitment was echoed at a side event organized by the gun rights organization US Concealed Carry Association.
Despite the attempted assassination, Trump has asserted that, if elected in November, he would repeal all the new gun laws. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to fire shots at Trump after scaling a structure to a height of 130 meters (426 feet), although authorities are still investigating his motive. In addition to a congressional probe announced by Republican leaders, an independent investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of the incident is underway.
