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WATCH: Biden calls for ban on assault-style weapons at Gun Sense University conference

Correction: This headline has been updated to remove an incorrect location for Biden’s speech — he is speaking in Washington, D.C. We regret the error.

ATLANTA (AP) — Groups pushing tighter gun laws have been building political muscle through multiple elections, boosted by the outcry following mass shootings at schools and other public places, in addition to the nation’s daily gun violence.

Watch in the player above.

Now, gun control advocates and many Democrats see additional openings created by hard-line positions of the gun lobby and their most influential champion, former President Donald Trump. They also point to controversies surrounding the National Rifle Association, which has undergone leadership shuffles and membership declines after a key former executive was found to have expensed private jet flights and accepted vacations from group vendors.

At a Washington conference hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund on Tuesday, President Joe Biden rattled off a list of gun-related accomplishments during his administration, prompting huge cheers from the hundreds in the audience. He also called for a ban on assault-style weapons and universal background checks for firearms purchases.

READ MORE: A domestic violence survivor wants the Supreme Court to uphold a gun control law

Biden’s speech came as his son Hunter was convicted Tuesday of three charges for lying on a federal gun-purchase form in 2018 when he said he was not a drug user. The president, who has said he loves his son and also would respect the verdict, was leaving from the event to head to Delaware to be with his son and family. He did not mention his son during his address.

“We need you,” Biden told the enthusiastic crowd members, whom he repeatedly praised for their advocacy. “We need you to overcome the unrelenting opposition of the gun lobby.”

Biden’s campaign says gun control could be a motivating issue for suburban college-educated women who may be decisive in several key battlegrounds this fall. The Democratic campaign and its allies have already circulated clips of Trump, a Republican, saying, “We have to get over it,” after an Iowa school shooting in January and then telling NRA members in May that he “did nothing” on guns during his presidency.

There have been 15 mass killings so far in 2024, according to data tracked by The Associated Press. A mass killing is defined as an attack in which four or more people have died, not including the perpetrator, within a 24-hour period.

Asked for comment, the Trump campaign pointed to the former president’s previous statements promising no new gun regulations if he returns to the White House.

Trump has spoken twice this year at NRA events and was endorsed by the group in May. He alleged that Biden “has a 40-year record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.” His campaign and the Republican National Committee also announced the creation of a “Gun Owners for Trump” coalition that includes gun-rights activists and those who work in the firearms industry.

About 7 in 10 suburban college-educated women who voted in the 2022 midterm elections supported stricter gun control laws, although less than 1 in 10 named it as the top problem facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a wide-ranging survey of voters.

An AP-NORC poll conducted in August 2023 found that about 6 in 10 independent voters said they wanted stricter gun laws. Only about one-third of Republicans wanted more expansive gun legislation while about 9 in 10 Democrats were in support.

Biden White House gets high marks from gun-control advocates

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris highlight their action on gun policy, notably the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, a compromise brokered after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The law expanded background checks for the youngest gun buyers, tried to make it harder for domestic abusers to obtain weapons and allocated billions of dollars to programs intended to curb gun violence.

It is the most sweeping federal gun legislation since a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons was signed in 1994; that ban expired a decade later.

Tougher gun laws are also a key pillar of Biden’s anti-crime message. In his speech Tuesday, the president pointed to the more than 500 defendants who have now been charged under the 2022 law for federal gun trafficking and straw purchasing crimes.

Biden also reenergized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and he’s the first president to establish a White House office devoted to preventing gun violence.

Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action, called the Biden White House “the strongest administration we’ve ever seen on this issue.”

The idea of going beyond the 2022 law to enforce background checks on all potential gun buyers has bipartisan support, according to an August 2023 AP-NORC poll, with about 9 in 10 Democrats and about 7 in 10 Republicans in favor. A majority of U.S. adults wanted a nationwide ban on the sale of AR-15-style rifles, which can rapidly fire many rounds and are often used in mass shootings.

Last Thursday, Vice President Harris helped lead a gathering of health care leaders that West Wing aides highlighted as the first such White House summit to discuss guns as a public health crisis. On Friday, she discussed guns with Students for Biden, continuing a theme of her recent speeches on college campuses around the country.

“It is a false choice to suggest that you have to be in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away,” Harris said Friday in Maryland, where she spoke as part of a series of White House and campaign events focused on gun violence.

Gun-control advocates cite a potentially wider reach that extends across several parts of the Democrats’ coalition in recent elections: parents of schoolchildren, younger voters who grew up in an era of school shootings and safety drills, and Black and Hispanic voters. Biden’s approval among some of these groups has fallen during his term in the White House.

“The political calculus has changed so dramatically on this issue in a relatively short period of time,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. Legislating on guns, he said, was “an issue that elected officials once ran away from and now they run toward.”

Feinblatt said Everytown’s political arm plans advertising and voter outreach in presidential battleground states starting this summer.

The effort is modeled after Everytown’s strategy in Virginia’s 2023 legislative races, which yielded Democratic majorities. Everytown’s ads in suburban and exurban districts painted Republicans as threats to “public health and public safety.”

A still-powerful NRA

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment. It remains a force in Republican politics despite a series of headwinds. Wayne LaPierre, once one of the nation’s most powerful lobbyists, was found liable in a New York court for spending NRA funds on himself, ultimately stepping down. NRA membership and income dropped.

Ferrell-Zabala of Moms Demand Action labeled the group as “flailing.” She said the disarray has pushed some of the most conservative activists to burgeoning groups like Gun Owners of America. Self-described as “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington,” the group opposes essentially any restriction on gun ownership and possession.

Matthew Lacombe, a Case Western Reserve University professor who studies gun politics, said the NRA’s advocacy was a factor in Trump’s 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. Lacombe said the NRA remains a force and “represents an established base” for Trump.

“It’s part of a broader cultural identity” that goes beyond guns, he said, though he added that dynamics in the wider electorate have shifted.

“There was a time when the NRA successfully branded gun-control advocates as the extremists in this debate,” Lacombe said. “I don’t think most Americans see that idea of gun control as extreme anymore. They see the other side that way.”

Associated Press writers Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Seung Min Kim in Washington and Will Weissert in Landover, Maryland, contributed to this report.

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Here Are the Most Powerful Speeches From March For Our Lives in Washington

H undreds of March For Our Lives rallies took place across the country and around the world Saturday as people called for action on gun violence.

The rallies included hundreds of thousands of protesters and speeches from activists and survivors of shootings, including survivors of the Parkland, Fla. shooting David Hogg and Emma González.

The speeches, from Parkland students and others around the country, called on law makers to take action on gun control.

Here are some of the best speeches from the March For Our Lives:

Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg spoke at the Washington D.C. March For Our Lives rally.

“We are going to make this the voting issue. We are going to take this to every election, to every state and every city. When politicians send their thoughts and prayers with no action, we say, ‘No more.’ And to those politicians supported by the NRA, that allow the continued slaughter of our children and our future, I say get your resumes ready,” Hogg said.

Naomi Wadler

Naomi Wadler , at just 11, took the stage to address gun violence against African American women and girls that is under-reported.

“I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper. These stories don’t lead on the evening news,” Wadler said at the Washington D.C. March for Our Lives rally .

Emma González

“In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken from us, 15 more were injured, and everyone — absolutely everyone in the Douglas community — was forever altered,” Emma González said during her speech .

González opened her speech by addressing the Parkland shooting before making her most impactful statement of the speech by remaining silent. She then did not speak while she remained on stage for just over four minutes before a timer went off.

“Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds,” she said after remaining silent. “The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest. Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job.”

Yolanda Renee King

“My grandfather had a dream that his four little children will not be judged by the color of the skin, but the content of their character. I have a dream that enough is enough. And that this should be a gun-free world, period,” Yolanda Renee King , 9, standing alongside Parkland shooting survivor Jaclyn Corin, referencing her grandfather Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

King made a surprise appearance at the Washington D.C. March For Our Lives Rally.

Alex King and D’Angelo McDade

Alex King and D’Angelo McDade, both students from North Lawndale College Prep in Chicago and members of the student non-violence group the Peace Warriors, walked out on stage with duct tape over their mouths. King and McDade had met with Parkland students in Florida last month as part of an outreach to groups that have not benefited from the attention of wall-to-wall news coverage that the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas had.

“When will we as a nation understand that nonviolence is the way of a life for a courageous people? When will we as a nation understand that we are not here to fight against one another and we are here to fight for life and peace?” McDade said. “Dr. King once said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.’ Which now leads me to say that violence cannot drive out violence, only peace can do that.”

He added, “As I stand here before you, I stand as D’Angelo McDade, an 18-year-old from the West Side of Chicago. I, too, am a victim, a survivor and a victor of gun violence. I come from a place where minorities are controlled by both violence and poverty… but today we say ‘No more!’ ”

Cameron Kasky

Cameron Kasky, who also attends Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and survived the Parkland shooting, spoke in Washington D.C. Kaksy read aloud the names of victims of the shooting, wishing one of the Nicholas Dworet a happy birthday. Dworet, who would have turned 18 next month, was killed in the shooting.

“My generation — having spent our entire lives seeing mass shooting after mass shooting — has learned that our voices are powerful and our votes matter. We must educate ourselves and start conversations that keep our country moving forward and we will. We hereby promise to fix the broken system we’ve been forced into and create a better world for the generations to come. Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” Kasky said.

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Watch CBS News

"We will find you": Biden signals crackdown on gun dealers who break the law

By Bo Erickson, Caroline Linton and Grace Segers

Updated on: June 23, 2021 / 9:08 PM EDT / CBS News

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/ link copied

President Biden said he is holding out hope for the reinstatement of the Assault Weapons Ban after a speech outlining a strategy on crime and gun prevention. Mr. Biden's speech focused heavily on guns, saying his administration plans to reduce gun violence through revoking licenses to sell guns through loopholes. 

"Today the [Justice] Department is announcing a major crackdown to stem the flow of guns used to commit violent crimes," Mr. Biden said. "It's zero tolerance for gun dealers who willfully violate key existing laws and regulations. And I repeat, zero tolerance. If you willfully sell a gun to someone who is prohibited from possessing it, if you willfully fail to run a background check, if you willfully falsify a record, if you willfully fail to cooperate with inspections, my message to you is this: We will find you." 

Mr. Biden said the Justice Department may be used to reduce gun violence and close the "boyfriend loophole" to keep guns out of the hands of abusers. 

Mr. Biden called gun violence an "epidemic" throughout the country and reiterated the cyclical nature of violence with more crime in the summer annually. The president also warned that after the pandemic this "traditional summer spike may be more pronounced."

Mr.  Biden's speech is centered around the 30% increase in homicides last year during the pandemic across the country, according to a 34-city sample from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, which was  cited  by the White House.

Aggravated assaults and gun assaults also rose by 6% and 8% last year, according to the study.

The White House refused to specify earlier this week when asked why Mr. Biden is speaking now, although Republicans have been focusing on crime as violent crimes have increased this year and ahead of the 2022 elections. In New York City, for example, polls showed crime and public safety as the top issue in Tuesday's primary. 

But the plan is focused on local initiatives that are voluntary, such as suggesting cities use leftover COVID-19 pandemic relief funds for community policing funds or teenage job programs. Mr. Biden has already rolled out several executive action aimed at curbing gun violence, and has called on Congress to ban assault weapons. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who spoke ahead of Mr. Biden, outlined how his office will work with "state, local, Tribal and territorial law enforcement." 

"Every U.S. Attorney's Office is working with its local partners to establish an immediate plan to address the spike in violent crime that typically occurs during the summer," Garland said. 

Watch Biden's full speech

President Biden spoke Wednesday on crime, focusing heavily on guns and saying his administration plans to reduce gun violence through revoking licenses to sell guns through loopholes. Watch his speech.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-42f6ea7f link copied

President advocates to re-install the assault weapons ban

After his remarks, Mr. Biden was asked if he is holding out hope that Congress can pass another ban on assault weapons: "I never give up hope," the president replied.

Passed in 1994, the first federal ban on assault weapons banned the sale of semi-automatic weapons and large capacity magazines to civilians, but the law expired in 2004. One study in 2019 in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery found that homicides from mass-shooting incidents were reduced while the assault weapons ban was in place.  

At least seven states and Washington, D.C., have moved to ban assault weapons. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-4abcfd04 link copied

President warns there may be "summer spike" of violence, announces COVID-19 funds can be used to boost community policing

Mr.  Biden's speech is centered around the 30% increase in homicides last year during the pandemic across the country, according to a 34-city sample from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, which was cited by the White House.

The Biden administration on Wednesday is also issuing new guidance to state and local governments on how they can use the already-passed $350 billion from the latest COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan, to pay for more community policing. The Treasury Department specifically states that some local governments can hire law enforcement officials "even above pre-pandemic levels" or pay over time "in those communities experiencing an increase in gun violence associated with the pandemic." 

Mr. Biden also said local governments could use the COVID-19 appropriate money to buy devices to tackle gun violence like gun-shot detection systems, but also to scale up social services like substance abuse and mental-health services. 

About 74% of the 13,927 murder victims nationwide in 2019 were killed by people using a firearm, according to the latest FBI statistics .  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-b07abf2b link copied

Biden says there will be a "zero tolerance" policy on gun dealers who break the law

In his remarks, Mr. Biden said there would be a "zero tolerance" policy for gun dealers who break the law.

"My message to you is this: we will find you, and we'll seek your license to sell guns," Mr. Biden said. "We will make sure you can't sell death and mayhem on our streets."

Mr. Biden also argued that there is no need for people to own assault weapons.

"No one needs to have a weapon that can fire over 30, 40, 50, even up to 100 rounds — unless you think the deer are wearing kevlar vests or something," he said.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-edcf3579 link copied

Garland announces next steps for preventing violent crime

Garland spoke ahead of Mr. Biden, outlining how the Justice Department will offer "targeted support of the critical work" of state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners. Garland announced $1 billion in grants "to support evidence-based community violence intervention strategies."

Garland also announced new efforts to combat gun violence, with greater enforcement for gun dealers who break the law, and by seeking funding to aid the ATF's dealer inspection capacity and improve its effectiveness.

"Starting today, ATF will make clear to investigators in every field division that, as they prioritize inspections, they must consider the extent to which firearms sold by a dealer are later used in criminal activity," Garland said.

Garland also announced that the Justice Department will "improve information sharing" with state, local, tribal and territorial partners, as well as "a concerted effort to crack down on gun traffickers."

"The Justice Department's violent crime reduction strategy, and our initiatives to stem the rising tide of illegal guns, will save lives," Garland said. "But these steps alone will not solve the problem of violent crime. Success depends on all of us joining together – those of you in this room, the many like you across the country who are working to keep communities safe, and the people of our communities themselves."

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-23ee42a2 link copied

Republicans criticize Biden's plan to address crime

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters on Wednesday that he believed the White House was "misdiagnosing the problem" with the newly announced approach to combat gun violence and violent crime.

"There's nothing in this five-point plan that I think addresses the root cause of the problem, which is lack of prosecution and a sense that the cops are afraid to do their job," said Graham, who is one of the senators involved in bipartisan negotiations on police reform legislation. "You've got to reinforce policing as a noble profession, you've got to tell prosecutors, 'start prosecuting people,' because there's a sense of lawlessness out there that's not being addressed."

The Republican National Committee also released a statement on Wednesday condemning the Biden administration's response to violent crime.

"Actions speak louder than words, and President Biden's failure to hold his own party accountable for defunding police is endangering communities and triggering a spike in crime across the country," said RNC national press secretary Emma Vaughn.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-8e00187c link copied

Biden rolling out gun violence prevention strategy

President Biden is unveiling a new initiative aimed at tackling what he calls the nation's "gun violence epidemic." The administration's initiatives include stemming the flow of illegal guns, supporting local law enforcement and investing in community violence intervention methods. The administration will also expand summer programming and employment opportunities for teenagers and young adults and lay out a strategy to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter their communities. Paul Smith, director of reconciliation at the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, joined CBSN to discuss.  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-2570b7dd link copied

How to watch Biden and attorney general deliver remarks

• What: President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland deliver remarks on the administration's gun crime prevention strategy
• Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 
• Time: 3:30 pm. ET
• Location: State Dining Room, The White House, Washington, D.C.
• Online stream:  Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-43821a44 link copied

Psaki says Biden has been "consistent" on his views on guns

White House press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated to reporters on Wednesday that President Biden has been "consistent" on gun violence.

"He has also been a longtime advocate for decades and leader on addressing gun violence," Psaki said. "So this is actually a continuity of his leadership on these issues over the course of decades."

Psaki also insisted Wednesday that Mr. Biden had never been a supporter of "defunding the police. He has always been a supporter of ensuring that local community policing is funding and adequately supported by the federal government."

As for why Mr. Biden is discussing crime and gun violence now, Psaki did not offer a specific reason when asked on Tuesday. But she argued this focus is a "continuation" of actions already taken by the administration to address gun violence. However, the crime study cited by the White House from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice may offer context for this week's presidential speech as the commission underscores that violence is "cyclical" with more crime happening in the summer months.

— Bo Erickson and Caroline Linton  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-873cf3c4 link copied

Harris to visit border Friday

 Vice President Kamala Harris is going to the U.S.-Mexico border with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday for her first trip to the border since being tapped to stem the flow of migration from Central America, the White House said Wednesday.

President Biden  has tasked Harris  with addressing the root causes of increased migration at the southern border, but Republicans have criticized Harris for failing to go to the border until now. Harris visited Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month, and when she was asked why she wasn't visiting the border during a television interview, she compared not visiting the border to not visiting Europe.

Harris will travel to El Paso, Texas, senior adviser Symone Sanders said in a statement.

— Tim Perry and Kathryn Watson  

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-264e8018 link copied

Biden speaks at Senator John Warner's funeral ahead of speech

President Biden spoke at the funeral of former Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia on Wednesday, praising the late lawmaker's legacy of bipartisanship at a time when there is very little of it. The funeral for Warner, a moderate Republican, evoked an arguably bygone era of bipartisan camaraderie and cooperation. 

"Even when we disagreed, from John's perspective, especially when we disagreed, that's how John forged consensus. And made sure our system worked, and delivered for the people," Mr. Biden said. "I saw it time and again, on issues of war and peace, John opposing torture, and ending gun violence. On protecting the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. John's decisions were always guided by his values, by his convictions, and never by personal political consequences." 

Warner and Biden served decades together in the Senate. Warner was a senator from 1979 to 2009, while Mr. Biden served in the upper chamber from 1973 to 2009. 

Mr. Biden is expected to speak this afternoon from the White House on crime. 

Read more here . 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-9b2f7f6e link copied

White House plan has 5 major points

According to the White House, the plan will consist of five parts:

"Stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence, including by holding rogue firearms dealers accountable for violating federal laws": Senior administration officials said this will include a new Justice Department "zero tolerance" policy, where ATF will revoke the licenses of gun dealers after the first time they willfully violate gun laws.

"Support local law enforcement with federal tools and resources to help address summer violent crime": The Treasury Department will announce Wednesday that communities that have experienced a rise in gun violence due to the pandemic will be allowed to use funds from the American Rescue Plan to go toward law enforcement hiring and overtime, prevention programs and technology. 

"Invest in evidence-based community violence interventions": Communities will also be able to use American Rescue Plan funding towards community violence intervention programs, senior administration officials said. 

"Expanding summer programming, employment opportunities, and other services and supports for teenagers and young adults."

"Help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter their communities."

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-305be0ae link copied

Democratic leader in NYC mayoral race talks crime in election night speech

Eric Adams, who was  leading the Democratic race in the New York City mayoral primary after the initial results were released, touched on crime during his speech Tuesday. 

"If Black lives really matter, it can't only be against police abuse," Adams said. He added that "let's be honest about ensuring Black Lives Matter" in issues "that affect us everyday" such as crime, guns, food and housing. 

Adams, who is Black, is a former police officer who has made crime prevention a major part of his campaign. "If we can beat the pandemic of a virus, we can beat the pandemic of crime," he said. 

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/biden-crime-gun-violence-speech-watch-live-today-06-23-2021/#post-update-d63ac539 link copied

President Biden Speaks at Gun Violence Prevention Conference

President Biden spoke at Everytown for Gun Safety’s “Gun Sense University,” an annual conference bringing together gun violence survivors, v… read more

President Biden spoke at Everytown for Gun Safety’s “Gun Sense University,” an annual conference bringing together gun violence survivors, volunteers, and advocates for training on organizing efforts, in Washington, D.C. He talked about the impact of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed nearly two years previously in the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The president also called for additional policies to be enacted, including an assault weapons ban and universal background checks. He was introduced by Julvonnia McDowell , an advocate and mother whose son died by gun violence. A pro-Palestinian protester interrupted President Biden during his remarks, and the audience drowned her out, but the president said, “They care. Innocent children have been lost,” referring to civilian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war. close

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• Nation & World

'Lift people up': Tim Walz speaks in Macon, addresses gun violence like at Apalachee High

Georgia got a visit from Tim Walz on Tuesday as the Democratic Party's pick for vice president is campaigning in the battleground state.

He started the morning in Macon at a local hot spot, H&H Soul Food Restaurant, which hosted a small political event. Walz started his speech by addressing an apparent second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, FL .

"We don't solve our differences in this country with violence, we condemn it in all its forms," Walz said. "We solve our differences at the ballot box."

Georgia presidential polling: A day-by-day look at where Kamala Harris, Donald trump stand

But despite expressing gratitude that Trump is safe, Walz was also critical of the former president's policies and general attitude both in and out of office.

"Politics is a joyful endeavor. Politics is about community. Politics is about everyone matters and everyone's welcome," he said. "Leaders aren't the people who beat others down, leaders are the ones who lift people up. Leaders are the ones who put others first."

Walz addressed another violent event closer to home: The Apalachee High School shooting in Winder earlier this month that left four dead.

"Every child should be free to go to school without worrying about being shot dead, which this state experienced the tragedy of," he said. "This violence across the country has got to end. Gun violence has got to end."

The Minnesota governor spoke for about 10 minutes before meeting and greeting some of the supporters who came out. Walz also helped make calls to residents asking them to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

After leaving Macon, Walz will be flying to Atlanta Tuesday afternoon to do some more political events in the area before heading to Asheville for the next stop in his campaign tour.

Parkland Dad Interrupts President Biden at Gun Violence Event

Manuel oliver, who lost his son joaquin in the feb. 14, 2018 shooting at marjory stoneman douglas high school, was in the audience outside the white house, by nbc 6 • published july 11, 2022 • updated on july 11, 2022 at 5:49 pm.

The father of a Parkland school shooting victim interrupted President Joe Biden on the White House lawn Monday during an event meant to celebrate a new law aimed at reducing gun violence.

Manuel Oliver, who lost his son, Joaquin, in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was in the audience outside the White House as Biden spoke from a podium.

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"Today is many things. It's proof that despite the naysayers, we can make meaningful progress on dealing with gun violence. Because make no mistake..." Biden said when he was interrupted by Oliver.

"We have to do more than that," Oliver yelled from the audience.

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Footage shows Oliver standing and shouting to Biden, who told him to "sit down, you'll hear what I have to say," adding "let me finish my comments."

Oliver then appeared to be escorted from his seat.

The new law, passed after recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York , and Uvalde, Texas , incrementally toughens requirements for young people buying guns, denies firearms to more domestic abusers and helps local authorities temporarily take weapons from people judged to be dangerous.

But the White House event, billed as a celebration of the law, came a week after a gunman in Highland Park, Illinois, killed seven people at an Independence Day parade , a stark reminder of the limitations of the new law in addressing the American phenomenon of mass gun violence.

Oliver spoke with NBC 6 from the White House lawn before the event, saying the law doesn't go far enough.

"It's not enough — we need to keep on putting pressure so they do more," Oliver said.

Oliver's spokesperson, J.P. Hervis, told NBC News that Oliver never thought the event should be a celebration and that it would allow Republicans to claim they had taken action to address gun violence and avoid additional change.

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Ahead of the White House event, Oliver  tweeted , "The word CELEBRATION has no space in a society that saw 19 kids massacred just a month ago."

Earlier this year, Oliver climbed a 150-foot crane near the White House to mark four years since the Parkland shooting and to bring awareness to gun violence.

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Analysis: Vance warns calling a candidate a ‘fascist’ can lead to violence but doesn’t mention that’s what Trump calls Harris

In the wake of the apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Sunday, Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, argued in a speech in Georgia on Monday that the two recent attempts to kill Trump are evidence that “the left needs to tone down the rhetoric and needs to cut this crap out; somebody’s going to get hurt by it.”

Moments prior , Vance had criticized a Democratic congressman for saying last year that Trump must be “eliminated.” (The congressman apologized for a “poor choice of words,” saying he had been trying to talk about how Trump must be defeated in the election.) And Vance said: “Look, we can disagree with one another, we can debate one another, but we cannot tell the American people that one candidate is a fascist and if he’s elected it is going to be the end of American democracy.”

What Vance didn’t mention was that Trump has repeatedly told the American people that his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is a fascist whose election would mean the end of the country itself.

In fact, Trump called Harris a fascist at least twice last week alone.

“She’s a Marxist, communist, fascist, socialist,” Trump said at an Arizona rally on Thursday.

“This is a radical-left, Marxist, communist, fascist,” Trump said while attacking Harris at a news conference on Friday.

This wasn’t new rhetoric. “We have a fascist person running who’s incompetent,” Trump told Virginia residents during a campaign stop in August; at an Arizona rally in August, Trump said the true divide in American politics is between patriots with traditional values and “these far-left fascists led by Harris and her group.”

And Trump has gone beyond saying that electing Harris would mean an end to American democracy. He has said this summer that electing Harris would mean “you’re not going to have a country anymore” and that “we’re not going to have a country left.”

A Vance spokesperson did not immediately respond to CNN’s request on Tuesday to explain whether Vance is calling on Trump to tone down his language, and, if not, what Vance sees as the difference between Trump’s words and the words from “the left” he was denouncing.

Vance argued in his Monday speech that there is not a “both-sides problem.” He said that while he acknowledges conservatives do not “always get things exactly right,” he said that the fact that “no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months” demonstrates that the issue of incendiary rhetoric about presidential candidates is a one-side-only concern.

But Harris has faced violent threats for years , including in recent months. In August alone, a Virginia man and a Tennessee man were separately charged with making death threats against her.

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Trump safe after suspect in apparent assassination attempt is arrested; officials say he had semi-automatic rifle, scope and GoPro

A man is in custody after shots were fired Sunday afternoon in what the FBI is calling an apparent “attempted assassination” of Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida — two months after an attempt on the former president’s life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump, who was rushed to safety during the incident, said in a Truth Social post Sunday night that “it was certainly an interesting day!” He also thanked Secret Service and law enforcement, writing in all capital letters that “The job done was absolutely outstanding.”

Nearly 10 hours earlier, shortly before 2 p.m., Trump was playing a round of golf near his Mar-a-Lago home when a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle with a scope in the bushes outside the course, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference.

The Secret Service opened fire on the man, who was able to get away, fleeing in a black Nissan. As shots rang out, it was unclear whether the person "was able to take a shot at our agents," Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, said at the news conference.

A nearby witness took a picture of the car and told authorities, Bradshaw said, helping lead to an arrest. The man taken into custody was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh , 58, according to three senior law enforcement officials. His identity was not released during Sunday's news conference.

An AR-style rifle was recovered from the scene, according to four senior law enforcement officials briefed on the incident. Bradshaw later said the gun was an AK-47 style rifle, and that alongside the fence by the rifle were two backpacks and a GoPro camera.

Authorities' differing descriptions of the weapon involved remained unresolved Monday morning.

Routh has a long criminal and civil court history , including a conviction for possessing a machine gun in 2002. A person named Ryan Routh lived for decades in North Carolina, and a Ryan Routh recently lived in Hawaii, according to property records. NBC News has not confirmed whether it is the same Routh who was taken into custody Sunday.

Routh previously told other news outlets that he had been in Ukraine to help its war effort. He expressed frustration  to Semafor  last year about Ukraine’s caution regarding admitting foreign soldiers, and he told  Newsweek Romania  in June 2022 that he was working to recruit people to the war effort.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was “safe” after the incident.

Trump left the golf course in his motorcade a couple of hours after the incident and headed back to his Mar-a-Lago resort, a source familiar with the matter said. He has arrived at Mar-a-Lago, a separate source said.

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A senior law enforcement official briefed on the incident told NBC News that Trump was on the golf course when what sounded like gunfire was heard in the near distance.

He was between the fifth and sixth holes on the golf course when the incident occurred, the source familiar with the matter said. Trump was golfing with his friend and donor Steve Witkoff, the source said.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in an MSNBC interview that the federal government would take over the case and that the Justice Department will file charges.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primaries before he dropped out and endorsed him, said on X that the state would conduct its own investigation, adding that “the people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”

Sunday’s incident will not affect Trump’s campaign schedule this week, a source said. Trump’s campaign had announced that he would hold a town hall in Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday. He is also scheduled to speak at campaign events in New York on Wednesday, followed by a speech in Washington, D.C., on Thursday and a rally in North Carolina on Saturday.

The second attempt on Trump’s life comes amid heightened partisan rhetoric and fears over political violence just 51 days before Election Day in a presidential race in which polling consistently indicates a tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle condemned political violence Sunday and expressed gratitude that Trump was safe.

Harris said in a statement that she was “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today,” adding that she is “thankful” that Trump is safe.

“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence,” she said. “We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.”

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, voiced a similar sentiment on X, saying that “violence has no place in our country.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he has been briefed on the situation and that he was “relieved that the former President is unharmed.”

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety,” Biden said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on X that he spent “a few hours” with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday and called him “unstoppable.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X that “the perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Trump’s campaign team sent a fundraising email Sunday citing the incident. Trump signed the email, which said his “resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life.”

Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said on X that Trump was "in good spirits."

"Still much we don’t know, but for I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude," Vance said.

About two months have passed since bullets whizzed by Trump’s head, one striking him in the ear, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, when a supporter was killed and two people were critically wounded. The Secret Service shot and killed the gunman. During the chaos, Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents, who escorted him offstage as he pumped his fist and mouthed "fight," which has become a rallying cry among his supporters.

The Trump campaign and his security apparatus altered campaign rallies after the Butler shooting. While Trump’s team initially planned to stop holding outdoor rallies, the Secret Service ultimately approved bulletproof glass to protect him at outdoor campaign events.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is traveling to Florida, according to two Secret Service officials. The previous Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, stepped down after the previous attempt on Trump's life.

Trump campaign co-managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a memo to staff members Sunday that "for the second time in two months, an evil monster attempted to take the life of President Trump."

“President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” they said in the memo, obtained by NBC News.

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York.

Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Kelly O’Donnell is Senior White House correspondent for NBC News.

Chloe Atkins reports for the NBC News Investigative Unit, based in New York. She frequently covers crime and courts, as well as the intersection of reproductive health, politics and policy.

Alexandra Marquez is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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Statement from President Joe   Biden on Gun Violence Across   America

Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America — from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.    Today also marks one year since a shooter armed with an AR-15-style weapon fired upon a crowd of Americans gathered for an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy.    In the year since, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders, and numerous advocates, and gun violence survivors have fought tirelessly to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans. This past January, they succeeded in banning assault weapons – like the one used in Highland Park – as well as high-capacity magazines across Illinois.    Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief. It will not bring back the seven Americans killed in Highland Park or heal the injuries and trauma that scores of others will continue to carry. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.    It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks. I urge other states to follow Illinois’ lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support.   

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Opinion: Trump assassination attempts are just the beginning. Imagine what is coming after the election

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Last week, we gathered with other scholars at Ground Zero for a summit on terrorism and political violence. The mood was somber, not only because of reflections on 9/11 but also because of pained predictions of violence to come. It would have surprised nobody in attendance had they been told another assassination attempt against the former president would occur days later.

This was, of course, not merely the second assassination attempt against Donald Trump. There have been many more plots over the past several years — aimed at politicians of all stripes — that never reached the point of gunfire being exchanged. The plots are indicative of a broader zeitgeist: We are under heightened threat of political violence.

Goldberg: The rhetoric of Harris and Biden isn’t what’s sparking political violence. Here’s why

Trump and his defenders aren’t against allegedly violence-inciting rhetoric, they’re against such rhetoric deployed against Trump. When it targets Biden and Harris it’s just fine.

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For instance, recent Republican rhetoric against a community of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, led to dozens of bomb threats against that community, closing schools and hospitals . In October 2022, a man attacked the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a Democrat, during an attempt to kidnap her. In 2020, authorities foiled a plot to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

There is a distinct and frightening possibility of a violent wave of assassination attempts and domestic terrorism now breaking, not only against the former president but also against Democratic officials and groups, Trump scapegoats and Trump supporters.

During this presidential election, both Democrats and Republicans are framing the other side as an existential threat to the country, and so unstable individuals are being inundated with messages that have exacerbated an already volatile situation. This feeds violence before election day, but that won’t be the end: Imagine what could happen following the election.

Opinion: Too many Americans support political violence. It’s up to the rest of us to dissuade them

After the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, new attention should fall on the research about what leads to political violence and how it might be prevented.

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If Vice President Kamala Harris wins election in November, there is serious concern over violence waged by Trump supporters who may believe that the election was rigged, or “stolen,” as Trump claimed in 2020 after he lost the popular vote and the electoral college, leading to the “Stop the Steal” movement and fueling the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

If Trump is elected, many expect a visceral reaction from segments of the far left, including some who may resort to violence. Trump’s election could also embolden any followers prone to violence, which could fuel more terrorism against immigrants, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people and others. If he continues to praise the Jan. 6 terrorists and even pardons those who were convicted, Trump would be inviting continued vigilantism.

Because we have witnessed two assassination attempts against Trump in the past two months, some Republicans are wondering how to reverse the apparent threat. They are right to call for the lowering of the political temperature, and they should reflect on their own party’s role in promoting violent rhetoric — the creeping normalization of extremely violent political speech, what some have called “mainstreaming extremism.” Trump himself not only dubbed the Jan. 6 defendants “hostages,” “political prisoners,” “martyrs” and “warriors,” but also reacted to the assault on Paul Pelosi with a jest in a campaign appearance : “We’ll stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco — how’s her husband doing, anybody know?” In 2020, he publicly told members of one far-right white supremacist group to “ stand back and stand by .”

In response to the latest assassination attempt, vice presidential candidate JD Vance mused, “The big difference between conservatives and liberals is that no one has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple months.” His analysis, simply put, is outright wrong. For instance, in western Virginia, a 66-year-old man was arrested for threatening Harris. His social media posts included the warning , “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.” This is just one of countless threats and plots; most investigated by the Secret Service are not publicly disclosed.

Politicians have contributed to the violent uptick not only with rhetoric but also with their actions and inaction in recent decades on gun policy, bringing us to this moment when assault weapons are widely available to any single individual with a grievance.

The fact is, the United States remains in the eye of the perfect storm — a highly polarized political climate in which extreme rhetoric is prized over moderation, in a country awash in weaponry and susceptible to disinformation and digital manipulation.

Combating the threat of political violence is the duty of every American, but it is also the responsibility of our elected officials to tamp down the violent rhetoric. It will be difficult to navigate this crisis, and doing so effectively requires bipartisan condemnation of political violence from across the ideological spectrum.

Jacob Ware is a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations where he studies domestic and international terrorism and counter terrorism. Colin P. Clarke is the director of research at the Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consulting firm in New York City.

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