One has to consider the entirety of the AP News livestream for Biden’s remarks “to the nation” to appreciate their surreal quality.
The Associated Press maintained a livestream for this address for one hour and eleven minutes. Joe Biden only appeared during the last five minutes.
I might be getting a wee bit paranoid about news bits “disappearing” from YouTube, but I’ve extracted and uploaded the full video here to maintain some sort of archive of this material
To his credit, Joe Biden was clear and coherent. He did have a few stumbles, but were it not for the constant drumbeat of news about his advancing dementia they would not be remarkable.
Also to his credit the remarks were gracious and conciliatory towards Donald Trump. He refrained from indulging in any “blame the victim” rhetoric, which automatically elevated his remarks over what we’ve been getting from the corporate media.
Yet I have to wonder why Biden even bothered to give these remarks at all? He spoke for only a few minutes, took no questions, did not even acknowledge reporters as he shuffled out of the room (one reason for not giving these sort of addresses would be to avoid calling further attention to his stiff and awkward gait, which is highly indicative of parkinsonism and will only sustain the media narratives about his mental and neurological state).
Biden’s condolences to the family of the attendee who died were in line with what has been reported in the media. The victim, Corey Comperatore, apparently put himself between the shooter and his family, and paid the ultimate price.
Not discussed by Biden during his remarks but still relevant is that the weapon recovered is being described as an “AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle”. What has not been reported as of yet is whether any special scope was used on the weapon, or how the rifle was chambered. These are significant bits of technical information as they impact the effective range of the rifle and would be indicative of the shooter’s actual level of marksmanship.
How Accurate is an AR 15?
The precision of an AR-15 rifle isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, as it hinges on numerous variables. Drawing from the factors previously mentioned and for the sake of uniformity, we can delineate the effective ranges of various rounds when all other conditions remain consistent:
.223 (5.56 NATO): 400-600 METERS
.308: 800 METERS
.338 Lapua: 1500 METERS
.50 BMG: 1600 METERS (Approximately 1 MILE)
9mm: 100 METERS
.450 Bushmaster: 250 METERS
Beyond the usual generic reflexive statements calling for unity and to refrain from unwarranted speculation, there was not much that Biden had to say.
He did state that Trump would receive adequate security, and that the Republican National Convention security measures are being reviewed to ensure that they are adequate.
However, what Joe Biden did not provide were any meaningful answers. We do not know the shooter’s motive. We do not know if he was working alone. We do not know the significance, if any, of the “bomb-making materials” that were reported to have been found in his vehicle and home.
Law enforcement officials tell The Associated Press bomb-making materials were found inside the vehicle of the man suspected in the Trump rally shooting. There were also bomb-making materials found at his home.
The two officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
This is significant because assembling explosives is a considerably more technical exercise than firing a rifle. A bomber vis-a-vis the Unabomber has a different psychological profile than a sniper. It seems rather remarkable for someone potentially seeking to assemble an explosive device would then change patterns and opt for a moderately long-range (for a civilian, and there is no indication Thomas Crooks has a military background) sniper attack.
Assembling explosives also raises the possibility the shooter was not acting alone.
Were actual bomb materials recovered by the police? As of this writing we appear to still be waiting for confirmation.
These are relevant questions for which we still have no answer and which Biden did not even think to address. Perhaps he will in his address this evening—although I will not be holding my breath.
Ultimately, I do not see what the point of this address was. There was nothing in Biden’s remarks that could not have been delivered effectively by the White House Press Secretary. Having done crisis communications myself in the past, I can honestly say that I would have detailed that sort of update on things to the Press Secretary. That’s her job, after all.
If Joe Biden sought to ease the concerns of Trump supporters about Donald Trump’s security, he probably was as successful as Trump’s supporters are willing to let him be.
If Joe Biden sought to provide yet more reassurance that he is capable of sounding coherent, he probably succeeded where his press conference the other night failed.
If Joe Biden sought to calm a nation concerned over this descent into political violence and madness, my take is that he failed miserably. Biden failed to address key questions or even to summarize important details. He failed to establish what investigative steps the FBI had taken thus far. He failed to mention the role the ATF is playing in investigating the weapon.
This was not a satisfactory press briefing by the President. Not at all.
The ruling class and the shooter had the same goal: ending DJT’s life. Biden and his ilk are trying to put DJT in jail for the rest of his life. In other words, their plan is to use “legitimate” government machinery (which they completely control) to end DJT’s life in disgrace. The shooter, however, confounded that plan. Had he been successful and ended DJT’s life, DJT would have been a martyr. But now it’s even worse: DJT survived and is a martyr. This state of affairs is what the ruling class truly regrets. And, it is the only reason they are now denouncing “political violence” (a phrase that certainly does not encompass their sinister plan to imprison DJT for life).
That said, I hope all pray for the innocents who were killed and maimed in this brutal event.
He waited 2 hours to deliver THAT!
The press secretary, and he doesn't have a winner there either, could have delivered a better report!