6 Standout Moments From Biden's Address to the Nation

"It's time to cool it down," President Biden said Sunday night in a rare Oval Office address after Saturday's attempted assassination of former President Trump. He spoke for about six minutes. Standout lines:

• "We do not know the motive of this shooter yet. We don't know his opinions or affiliations. We don't know whether he had help or support. ... Tonight, I want to speak to what we do know. A former president was shot, an American citizen killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing."
• "Violence has never been the answer," Biden said, going on to give examples of attacks including those on members of Congress and on Nancy Pelosi's husband. "There's no place in America for this kind of violence ... period, no exceptions. We can't allow this violence to be normalized."
• "You know the political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that."
• "Yes, we have deeply felt, strong disagreements. The stakes in this election are enormously high. ... Disagreement is inevitable, it's part of human nature. Politics must never be a literal battlefield or, God forbid, a killing field."
• "In the beginning, our founders understood the power of passion, so they created a democracy, gave reason and balance a chance to prevail over brute force. That's the America we must be. American democracy—where arguments are made in good faith. American democracy—where the rule of law is respected. Where decency, dignity, fair play aren't just quaint notions, they're living, breathing realities."

• The Wall Street Journal notes the address was given "at a time when voters and party leaders are closely watching [Biden's] remarks in the aftermath of his poor debate performance," and he did have one flub that was rapidly picked up on. When talking about how democracy should work, he twice used the word "battle" instead of "ballot." Biden said, "In America, we resolve our difference at the battle box, that's how we do it, at the battle box, not with bullets. The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin."

(More Trump rally shooting stories.)