Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday addressed the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, her first public address on camera about the shooting since it took place Saturday.
Harris addressed the attempted assassination of Trump before a roundtable discussion on abortion rights in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“As we all know, this was a heinous, horrible and cowardly act,” she said. “My husband Doug and I are thankful that he was not seriously injured.”
Harris said her thoughts turned to Trump’s wife, Melania, and said she was worried about her.
“That day, as soon as we saw what was happening, we prayed for her well-being,” he said. “And our thoughts immediately turned to Melania, who we knew, and her family.”
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke publicly about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
First Lady Melania Trump attends a campaign event for her husband Donald Trump
Harris and Melania Trump, both attended The funeral of former first lady Rosalynn Carter in November.
The vice president shared her common concern for family members who hold public office.
“The bottom line is that no one should have to fear for the safety of a loved one because they hold public office,” he said.
Harris reminded Americans of the traditions of a peaceful democracy, but said it was important to continue campaigning on these issues.
“Violence is never acceptable… at the same time, the hallmark of American democracy is a vigorous competition of ideas,” he said.
Harris’ comments appeared to be a reset of her campaign narrative, after she had disappeared from the campaign trail for three days following Trump’s shooting.
Harris accused Trump of misleading voters by claiming he only wanted abortion rights to be handled by individual states, evoking the history of the Civil War cause.
“First of all, any of the historians here will know what that means when we start pushing for states’ rights, but let’s put that aside,” he said.
The vice president’s public profile has risen as more Democrats express concerns about Biden’s re-election bid, following his disastrous debate performance and concerns about his age.
Harris would be first in line to replace Biden if he were to step down, and Democrats already appear open to the idea.
A YouGov/Economist poll released On Tuesday, it emerged that 79 percent of Democrats support Harris as the Democratic nominee if Biden steps aside.
President Joe Biden arrives at the White House to deliver remarks alongside Vice President Kamala Harris
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) urged Joe Biden to drop his presidential campaign
On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for Senate in California, called on Biden to step aside from his reelection bid.
“A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said in a statement.