'This Week' Transcript 7-14-24: Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick & former Secret Service Agent Paul Eckloff

A rush transcript of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" airing on Sunday, July 14, 2024 on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors. For previous show transcripts, visit the "This Week" transcript archive.

ANNOUNCER: THIS WEEK with George Stephanopoulos starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC "THIS WEEK" CO-ANCHOR: Horrific attack.

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look at what happened –

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Get down. Get down. Get down.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A gunman fires multiple rounds of former President Donald Trump. One pierces his right ear.

Federal officials investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt. One spectator dead, two critically injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was a firecracker.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then somebody yelled, get down. We go down. We go down and we huddled, and we started praying.

STEPHANOPOULOS: President Biden condemns the attack.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick.

STEPHANOPOULOS: This morning, all the fallout and fear in this dangerous climate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: From ABC News, this is a special edition of THIS WEEK. Here now, George Stephanopoulos.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Good morning and welcome to THIS WEEK.

It’s been four decades since an assassination attempt on an American president. Last night that terrifying scene played out at a Donald Trump rally in western Pennsylvania. The former president hit with a bullet in the ear before surrounded and taken away by Secret Service. The former president is safe. The suspect was killed. An innocent rally attendee was also killed. And this attack has shocked the nation, drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum and completely upended what was already the most unusual presidential campaign of our lifetime in a deeply divided country.

We are covering all of the fallout this morning. We begin with Rachel Scott, who was at the rally last night.

Good morning, Rachel.

RACHEL SCOTT, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: George, good morning to you.

We were, in fact, at the rally on the press riser just about 100 feet away from where the former president was standing as that gunfire erupted. Trump had just taken the stage. He was less than ten minutes into his speech when those shots were fired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Proud to be an American.

SCOTT (voice over): It should have been a normal campaign rally by former President Donald Trump. Instead –

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you want to really see something that’s sad, take a look at what happened –

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Get down. Get down. Get down.

SCOTT (voice over): An assassination attempt. The gunfire coming just minutes into Trump's speech. The former president grabbing his ear, ducking behind the podium. Secret Service members quickly rushing onto the stage to shield him.

The crowd, just feet away, running for cover, as agents lift the former president to his feet.

TRUMP: Let me get my shoes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold that on your head, it’s bloody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, we’ve got to move to (INAUDIBLE).

SCOTT (voice over): The blood on Trump's face, visible as he’s hurried away, the former president pumping his fist in the air.

CROWD (chanting): USA. USA.

SCOTT (voice over): An armored SUV rushing him to a local medical center. Trump saying he was shot, “with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” but was safe, returning to New Jersey last night. Authorities say the attack killed one attendee and critically injured two others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I saw the man that was hit in the head. And he – there was a lot of blood. And I knew there was no way that he was going to survive that.

SCOTT (voice over): Law enforcement sources telling ABC News as many as eight rounds were fired from an AR-style rifle, from a gunman perched on an adjacent rooftop outside the perimeter of the event.

SCOTT: You see law enforcement officials right now, they’re putting up this caution tape around this area. This is very much an active scene at this moment.

SCOTT (voice over): The FBI identifying the suspected gunman, they say is dead, as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump posting on Truth Social this morning, “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded and hold in our hearts of the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed. In this moment, it's more important than ever that we stand united and show our true character as Americans.”

President Biden addressing the nation, calling for unity.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.

SCOTT (voice over): The White House later confirming that Biden and Trump spoke by phone, though not releasing details of the conversation.

Last night's rally was slated the last before Trump heads to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he’s set to accept his third Republican nomination for president and announce his pick for vice president. All three potentials, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum reacting to last night’s attack, as well as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot and wounded in an attack at a congressional baseball practice back in 2017.

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R-LA): It's alarming to think we came this close to – to not having him with us. Thank God that he’s OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT (on camera): In a post on social media, Trump also thanking the Secret Service for their quick actions responding to what happened just last night. In an internal memo obtained by ABC News, the Trump campaign is telling its staff to avoid its offices in Washington, D.C. and West Palm Beach, and also telling them to avoid commenting on what occurred publicly, saying they will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Rachel, you were there on the scene last night. It must have been a surreal and quite scary experience.

SCOTT: Yes, George. And to be honest with you, it’s something that we are all still processing. You know, I have been to almost every single campaign rally that the former president has had this election cycle, and these are events that are typically filled with excitement of Trump supporters waiting in line for hours, waiting to see the former president. That rally, once it started, was then over within minutes. We were on the press riser just about 100 feet away from Donald Trump as that gunfire erupted. We, ourselves, ducked for cover. We watched as people started shouting and yelling and screaming just in fear, in terror, confused by – by what happened.

And, typically, these events are extremely safe, George. You go through metal detectors. Your bags are screened. It is almost unthinkable that something like this would happen at an event with the former president, but it certainly did just last night.

And I will just say, George, there was a sense of grief and sadness from everyone just leaving that rally last night. Most people just could not even believe that this occurred just hours ago, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Yes, of course, everyone thinking of the attendee who was killed and the others who were seriously injured.

Rachel Scott, thanks very much.

Let’s get more on the investigation now from our chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas.

Pierre, FBI, Secret Service, ATF, all involved. Where do things stand?

PIERRE THOMAS, CHIEF JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the FBI is taking the lead on what they’re calling an attempted assassination. A detailed investigation is underway into the suspect’s background, looking for any information about the suspect and whether he had any support.

They also want to know if anyone knew about this before it happened. And, George, given the highly volatile threat environment, they can't take any chances. The early evidence is pointing to this being a lone-wolf situation. A trace is being done on the assault rifle to determine when it was purchased and who bought it.

And as far as the Secret Service, they will be doing a postmortem on exactly what went wrong here. I'm told they will be looking into whether or not there’s a need to push out further the security perimeter for events like this.

And, George, we should point out, that the state police in Pennsylvania will take the lead on investigating the murder of the spectator and the two other men who were wounded in the crowd.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, so far they think this was a lone wolf. What more do we know about the shooter?

THOMAS: Well, so far no ties to international terrorism have been uncovered. But authorities continue to look to see if there are any connections to domestic extremists. And they’re searching to see if the shooter had any social media presence. And, if so, whether there were any indications of violence or extremism.

We’re told he’s a registered Republican. And as of yet, there’s no signs of an extensive criminal background. But the question is why. Why did he do this, George?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Anything popped up on social media yet?

THOMAS: Not so far that we’re seeing. Law enforcement, we expect that we’ll get another briefing today. I'm told by FBI officials to look for some additional guidance about what they know about this suspect.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Pierre, you've been doing this an awful long time. And, you know, we all are familiar with presidential security. Usually when it – during any kind of a presidential event, you have all of the rooftops scoured within – for anything within range. How could this have possibly happened?

THOMAS: George, that’s precisely the key issue. I'm told initially nothing was seen on the roof. But clearly, a location that close should have been secured. We’re told after the shots were fired, Secret Service snipers were immediately able to pinpoint the location of the shooter and kill him. But the question is, why. Why was he able to get on that roof, Gorge?

STEPHANOPOULOS: OK, Pierre Thomas, thanks very much.

Let’s go to the White House now. Our chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce.

And, Mary, we saw President Biden upend his weekend plans as well, going from Rehoboth, Delaware, back to the White House.

MARY BRUCE, ABC NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, George, the president racing back here late last night. Shortly after, he came before those cameras and forcefully condemned this attack. The president saying that there is simply no place in this country for this kind of political violence. He says it’s sick, and he is calling for the country to unite in this moment. He’s trying to dial down the political temperature during what we know is already an incredibly divisive time in this country.

He did reach out to Donald Trump directly. The two of them speaking by phone late last night. It is, of course, incredibly rare for the two of them to speak. The White House is not, though, offering any details of their conversation. But, of course, the president, earlier in the night, did say he is grateful that Donald Trump is doing well and said he was praying for him and the other victims.

George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: The campaign was already in turmoil. What do we know about how the campaign is reacting right now?

BRUCE: Well, right now they are hitting the pause button. For now, they are trying to put politics aside. They are stopping their political communication, pulling their ads off of the airwaves. It is unclear right now, though, George, if the president will change or cancel any of his upcoming campaign travel plans.

Also right now, of course, this does come as the future of the president's candidacy is still very much being called into question. The Democratic Party still in turmoil. It remains to be seen how this incident, this assassination attempt will impact any of that.

For now, the president is continuing to respond as the president, first, and not a candidate. He’s back here at the White House this morning. He’s again being briefed by his homeland security team and law enforcement official, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Mary Bruce, thanks.

Let's go to our chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl in Milwaukee for the Republican Convention.

We heard from President Biden last night. He spoke with Donald Trump. We've also heard from the former presidents.

JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Right. The foreign presidents, all of them, President Obama, President Clinton, President George W. Bush all put out statements strikingly similar, condemning what happened, saying there is no place in our politics for violence and calling for the rhetoric to be turned down.

And George, that is a message that we are hearing not just from the former president but from the congressional leaders in both parties. We saw statement from Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, from the Speaker of the House Johnson, from -- from Mitch McConnell and quite notably from a former speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who has experience in the -- the impact on violence. Obviously, her husband Paul less than two years ago was attacked inside their home in San Francisco by a crazed individual wielding a hammer and suffered serious injuries.

So she was also saying this has no place in our politics. We must condemn it, and make it clear no violence and turn down the rhetoric.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How did this all play out of the convention site last night?

KARL: Well, I have to tell you, I was on the floor of the convention when I heard what had happened. I was actually speaking with the RNC chairman Michael Whatley right steps away from here. I went up to him and told him what I had just learned. And as I was doing that, an aide came to him with a phone and rushed him right off the floor.

There was a sense that everything had changed almost immediately. I mean, there is an intense security posture here obviously already. My sense, it's even further intensified.

And Reince Priebus, who we'll be talking to later in the show, is the chair of the host committee here. He's actually spoken to President Trump this morning. President Trump reaching out to -- to say that this convention has to go forward and absolutely not be scaled back.

We'll be talking to Reince about what else the former president had to say about what happened yesterday in Pennsylvania.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And it's going forward with the Republican Party now galvanized.

KARL: Oh, George, galvanized, absolutely. That image -- that image of the former president's blood dripping down his face, his arm raised -- that image is now the symbol of this campaign, of this convention, perhaps a defining image for Trump's supporters, of Trump himself.

This convention will go forward in a highly energized fashion. As one person involved in it said, we are going forward with a vengeance.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay. Jon Karl, thanks.

Let's bring our chief global affairs anchor Martha Raddatz.

And, Martha, I know you've traveled around the country talking to voters in our deeply divided nation right now. In some ways, this is horrific symptom of the underlying division in this country.

MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC NEWS CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANCHOR: It certainly is, George, and I’m sure that will probably continue. We saw President Trump raise his right hand as Jon just described and we've seen those pictures. But we could all also see him say what I believe was fight, fight. That was his first instinct.

And this is a country divided, this is a country, we saw the violence yesterday, the horrific violence yesterday, and we've seen it in places.

And we've also seen this morning, we -- we've heard President Trump say he wants the country to come together to be united. But others are directly pointing the finger at President Biden, with, of course, no evidence that he incited this or -- or had anything to do with this assassination attempt.

We heard JD Vance, Senator JD Vance, who is one of the leading picks for vice president in a tweet say: This is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.

Again, there is no evidence of that. We do not know the motive of that shooter at this point.

And others also, Ramaswamy, Vivek Ramaswamy saying President Biden's ritual condemnation of political violence are insufficient. No amount of verbiage today changes the toxic national climate that led to this tragedy.” Saying that, “Trump’s safety is nothing short of an act of God.” And I think you'll see a lot of supporters thinking the same thing.

We also, George, we have to point out, no matter who the shooter – what the shooter's motives were, no matter who the shooter is, you are going to hear conspiracy theories going forward.

STEPHANOPOULOS: No, no question about that. But as you point out those statements from J.D. Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy, of course, President Trump and his supporters have – have contributed to this violent rhetoric as well.

RADDATZ: Well, absolutely, George. We were just looking back this morning at some of the things that former President Trump has said. He warned last March of potential death and destruction if he were charged by the Manhattan district attorney. “Our country is being destroyed as they tell us to be peaceful.” Trump, in January, warned of bedlam in the country if the criminal charges against him succeeded.

And, of course, in March, he said, now, if I don't get elected, it's going to be a blood bath for the whole (ph). That’s going to be the least of it. It's going to be a blood bath for the country. That will be the least of it.” He said he was partly joking and that that was taken out of context. But those are, indeed, his words.

And you have heard it from supporters as well, and supporters are certainly, in some parts, angry. And let's remember January 6th. In so many ways for the campaign, January 6th will probably be in the background after yesterday's event. This is a very difficult time for this campaign. I'm sure this week in Milwaukee that President Trump will highlight this and President Biden is going to have to figure out how to go forward with his campaign and what exactly they say.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Martha Raddatz, thanks very much.

Let’s bring in John Cohen now, former counterterrorism official in the government, worked at the Department of Homeland Security.

And, John, thank you for joining us this morning.

We’ve talked so much over the recent years about this threat environment. You've been sounding the alarm bell.

JOHN COHEN, FORMER ACTING DHS UNDERSECRETARY FOR INTELLIGENCE & CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, George, I mean, I have been working for the last year with law enforcement and election officials across the country so we can be better prepared as a nation to deal with the current threat environment. And, quite frankly, what I – I will tell you what I've been saying to them, this is the most complex, dynamic, and dangerous threat environment that I've experienced in the 40 years that I've been working in law enforcement and homeland security.

The reason I make that assessment is, in part, because of what we’ve been hearing so far on this show. We are an angry, divided nation. And that anger and division has become intertwined in our political discourse. There are a growing number of people in this country who believe that violence is an appropriate way to express their ideological or political views or to express their disagreement with others. And we are experiencing sustained levels of violence in this country fueled by a media and online ecosystem that’s saturated with, as Martha said, conspiracy theories and other content that’s purposely placed there by groups and individuals here and abroad seeking to inspire illegal and even violent activity.

STEPHANOPOULOS: What kind of threats are you seeing course through the system ever day?

COHEN: We are seeing calls for acts of violence directed at elected officials, at elected officials, at government officials, at law enforcement and at political candidates. We are seeing people in government being doxed. We’re seeing government offices being swatted, which means, you know, false 911 calls are being placed so that police will respond in an emergency crisis mode. We’re seeing cyberattacks directed at government and non-government officials. We’re seeing targeted acts of violence and destructive activity being directed at parts of our community who are targeted because of their faith, their political beliefs, their immigration status, their gender identity. These are the facts – these are what law enforcement – these are the issues that law enforcement is having to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And, in your view, what’s the most important thing that can be done right now to combat it?

COHEN: Well, I think, unfortunately, two things we’re going to need to do. One, we are going to have to dramatically expand the intelligence sharing and the reaction to intelligence by law enforcement. There are going to be a lot of questions about whether there was, as Pierre pointed out, whether there was any type of forewarning of this attack. We need to look at intelligence differently.

Secondly, we need to lower the temperature of our political rhetoric. Part of the danger here is that the voices of extremism have become intermingled with mainstream, political and media figures who often mimic – they both mimic the same language. And that adds to the volatility of a threat environment.

STEPHANOPOULOS: John Cohen, thanks very much.

Up next, the senate candidate who was in the front row of Donald Trump’s rally, we’re going to speak with him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCCORMICK, (R) PENNSYLVANIA SENATE NOMINEE: I was in the front row. And -- and President Trump had just announced me and said he was going to have me come up on the stage and said, "Well -- well, wait a minute." And then there were a number of shots, I think probably seven or eight shots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: That was Pennsylvania Republican Senate nominee David McCormick, who was sitting behind Donald Trump at the rally yesterday. He joins us now.

Thank you for joining us this morning, Mr. McCormick.

Just expand on what you were just saying...

MCCORMICK: Good morning.

STEPHANOPOULOS: ... from last night's special.

What did you see happen? What did you hear? When did you realize what was going on?

MCCORMICK: Well, as -- as I said, I was sitting right in the front row, and the shots went off, and it -- it was pretty clear, quickly. There was, you know, a huge rally. It was very -- lots of upbeat energy. It was pretty clear, quickly, this was a series of shots.

And -- and the president went down immediately, and the Secret Service jumped on top of him, and -- and then he got up. And you saw the pictures you're now seeing on TV where his fist came out in, sort of, a measure of, I think, defiance and reassurance and, you know, leadership. He really reassured people that he was OK.

But, at the same time, over my shoulder, it became clear that someone else had been hit. And, sadly, an innocent bystander was knocked over, and it was clear that he was very, very injured and bleeding very badly.

And so there were, sort of, two things going on at the same time, one to my left and one to my right. And the president was -- was, you know, taken off the stage, and -- and there was a real confusion of what was going on, whether there were multiple shooters, whether the shooting was done, and really a -- a sad day.

The -- the president -- you know, an inch difference, and the president would have been dead. It was a very scary moment.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You've been out campaigning for months. How have you experienced this toxic environment that we were just talking about with John Cohen, the counterterrorism specialist?

MCCORMICK: You know, I mostly haven't, to be honest with you. I mean, obviously, we have two very conflicting visions of -- of where to take the country, the Democratic Party versus the Republican Party and President Biden versus President Trump. And -- and so there's a real conflict of ideas.

But, for the most part, I -- I don't hear extreme rhetoric, and, obviously, extreme rhetoric has no place in politics. And, you know, as the father of six daughters, it's -- it's scary. I spent my night talking to my daughters and reassuring them that their dad's going to be OK, even though he's decided to try to run for public office and serve his country.

So this is -- you know, this is something that's unacceptable in -- in political life, and it's unacceptable wherever it comes from. And -- and so we have to push back on it. And, certainly, it's not hard to imagine that some of the extreme rhetoric we see contributed to the attempt on President Trump and, you know, Steve Scalise and some of these other horrible tragedies that happened, Paul Pelosi. This is unacceptable in American political life, and we -- we need to come together and agree on that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, and -- and that -- your message is being echoed. It was echoed by Speaker Johnson this morning. It’s echoed by President Biden. Former President Trump said we have to come together as well.

But we've also seen that several top Republicans are also seeking to blame Democrats for this.

How do we take the temperature down right now?

MCCORMICK: Well, I think we, first of all, have to recognize that we do have a real conflict of ideas. That's okay, you know? Our country is faced with very significant choices and, you know, running for office, I believe that we're going in the wrong direction.

And so, I’m making the case as aggressively as I can that -- that we need to go in a different direction. That's different than attacking people. That's different than breaking down people. That's different than threatening violence.

And so, we need to embrace conflict -- conflict of ideas, conflict in the direction of our country that needs to be addressed at the ballot box.

But we -- we didn't -- we don't need to resort and can't resort to violence as a way of promoting political agendas. And -- and I think that, certainly, the environment contributed I think to these acts of violence that we're seeing not just last night but others, and it needs to be dialed back across the board.

STEPHANOPOULOS: David McCormick, thanks for your time this morning.

Up next, we speak with the retired Secret Service agent who served three presidents.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM CHEATLE, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: There's nothing specific and nothing credible out there right now. But we are tracking all threat streams and we certainly work with our partners at the FBI and other intelligence agencies that supply that information to us. I think that the environment that we're dealing with today is certainly different than it was four years ago. I’m sure we'll see an evolution in the next four years as well, but it is definitely something that we take into consideration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle last Sunday.

Joined -- joined now by former Secret Service special agent Paul Eckloff, who serves on the protective detail for three presidents.

Paul, thank you for joining us this morning.

I want to ask you the question I asked Pierre Thomas earlier in the program. Hard to believe that someone could get on a rooftop that close to a presidential rally.

PAUL ECKLOFF, FORMER U.S. SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL AGENT: Well, sir, when you look at the campaign events, they are designed far differently than presidential protection. Many people are saying this was an attempt on President Trump, realizing that it is former President Trump. They are afforded less protection than sitting presidents by authorization, and campaign events are designed for access and viewing of Mr. Trump rather than the security.

The Secret Service does a job in advancing these sites. The unfortunate reality is they exist as we know them today because of a history of political violence in America. And their response is going to be primarily reactionary. And what we saw yesterday, if you dissect the tape, was a textbook response.

I think it's important for people to understand when you see that counter-sniper technician take out the threat, that until he identified it as a threat, it was an individual from 200 yards moving on a rooftop. If he had neutralized that threat or shot an innocent civilian that just happened to be trying to get a view of former President Trump, we would be having a very different conversation.

He had a very difficult job, identified the threat and neutralized it within a second. And the agents willingly moved on to the stage, shielding former President Trump with their own bodies. I think that people need to realize that Americans don't realize, it's a very unique situation for the Secret Service as I experienced as well.

Secret Service agents wear body armor, but not to protect their own lives. It is to shield the protectee with their own bodies, their own flesh, and to ensure that any further attempts do not go through them and hit the protectee.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And as a reminder, there is just no such thing as perfect security.

ECKLOFF: Absolutely. It is a matter of risk assessment, risk tolerance. It is a constant back and forth between the Secret Service and the campaign detail, who decides where and when these events occur and how they are secured. Until that individual identified himself as a threat, nothing could be done. Now, there will be a time to dissect and look at the security plan, but with the Republican Convention as a national special security event, far more security will be in place.

And when I watched those friends of mine and my former colleagues storm the stage going toward gunfire, shielding, covering and evacuating the former president, it gave me a realization that their mettle was tested and they passed that. Secret Service does advances in the White House, throughout the world, on the streets of war zones. And yesterday, it happened to be on a field in Pennsylvania, when they shielded, covered and evacuated. And today, President Trump is alive because of the brave men and women of the Secret Service.

STEPHANOPOULOS: There is just no question that they were absolutely heroic in the immediate aftermath of that shooting. And you hit on something else important there that I think you should explain to people. Because I remember from my time in campaigns in the White House as well, there is actually an ongoing dialogue between the Secret Service and the candidates, and there is always a back and forth over how approachable the candidate wants to be and what the Secret Service needs to do for protection.

ECKLOFF: That's absolutely true. There are constant conversations. It reminds me, I was the lead advance agent for President Obama's train stop in Baltimore on the way for his inauguration in Washington, D.C. It was a historic time for America. I remember, very early, talking to the campaign staff and they were very relieved that he was going to Memorial Park in front of 40,000 people in the center of Baltimore.

And when we were doing the advances, they said it will be great because, in the campaign, we put the magnetometer 75 yards away. And I looked at them and I said, well, welcome to the White House. I will have the magnetometers three blocks away and I will be shutting down the entire city center.

There is an entirely different stance, protective advance and assets put in place for sitting presidents versus campaign stops, and that is a constant give and take. The Secret Service would love nothing more than if the president stayed in the White House and stayed behind a security perimeter, that's simply not the reality of politics or the American democracy. The people demand and should expect access to the people that represent them.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Paul Eckloff, thanks for your insight and your time. Thanks very much.

Roundtable is up next. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEPHANOPOULOS: Welcome back.

Want to go to Jon Karl in Milwaukee with the roundtable.

Hello, Jon.

KARL: George, the assassination attempt has upended the campaign and really sent a jolt through the convention here in Milwaukee. The Secret Service is reassessing what is already a massive security presence here in Milwaukee. Among the people that we will be talking to is Reince Priebus, the chairman of the host committee. Just a short while ago, Reince spoke to the former president. We’ll hear what Trump had to say about what happened in Pennsylvania and how he wants this convention to go forward. We’ll have that in just a moment.

We’ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Look, there's no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick. It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this. The idea that there's political violence, or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It's just not appropriate. And we -- everybody, everybody must condemn it, everybody. I'll keep you informed, and if I am able to speak to the -- to Donald, I'll -- I'll let you know that as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: That was President Biden last night. He eventually did speak with former President Trump, although neither the White House nor the Trump campaign have said anything about what was said in that conversation.

I'm joined here on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee by former RNC chair and current chair of the host committee here, Reince Priebus; former DNC chair Donna Brazile; and Politico Playbook co-author Rachael Bade.

So, Reince, I want to get right to your conversation. You just spoke with former President Trump. What did he have to say?

REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER RNC CHAIR, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF & POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I mean, he was grateful. I think that he was grateful for the miracle of what happened, at least in his case, but he was also sad...

KARL: Grateful, you mean a miracle that he -- that he...

PRIEBUS: I mean, one-quarter inch turned the other direction, and we're obviously talking about something very different this morning, and...

KARL: And that's the way he saw it? He -- he...

PRIEBUS: Totally. And he also expressed -- he was sad about, obviously, the person who had died, who'd just -- he said, you know, he was just sitting there, and -- and now he's gone. And, you know -- and I just think that all of those emotions, all coming together at once. He talked about, you know, it felt like a knife went through his ear, and then realized very quickly what was happening.

But I think...

KARL: What did he say how he's -- how he is now? Is he...

PRIEBUS: Well, I would say he's unwavering.

KARL: But his -- his condition...

PRIEBUS: Oh, strong -- I mean, very strong this morning. I mean, he sounds like a person who is ready to go, very strong, unwavering. One of the reasons I was talking to him is because I'm the chair of the host committee in Milwaukee. I wouldn't, you know -- I would leave things alone, but he wants to move forward. He was very clear to me, at least for the host committee events, that, no, we -- we need to keep moving forward. So...

KARL: This convention goes forward; it's not going to be scaled back?

PRIEBUS: No, in fact...

(CROSSTALK)

PRIEBUS: ... if you had to ask me, I would this convention is going to be epic. And we have a president, obviously, through tragedy yesterday, and we had loss of life, and hopefully no more. But he is ready to go. And I think the -- you know, the unwavering attitude that he is bringing now to Milwaukee is going to even further energize this crowd, certainly, reflective, you know, in tragedy, God is our refuge. And I think most people feel that way today.

But we also, as Americans, have to come out of this and move forward. And there will be time to reflect; there will be time to investigate; there will be time for politics. But today wasn't a day for that. And that certainly wasn't anything the president was talking about. It was just, sort of, just grateful, unwavering, move forward.

PRIEBUS: OK, we have the -- the two of you here, both former party chairmen, know what it's like to run a convention under extraordinary circumstances.

Donna, what was your reaction when you first heard of what happened, you saw those shots, you saw the president go down?

DONNA BRAZILE, FORMER DNC CHAIR & CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, this is my fifth Republican convention. I know that sounds strange as a Democrat, but I am always grateful that I'm able to participate in these moments, to learn from the party, to learn how they're putting together their operation.

And I was talking with Anne Hathaway, your colleague, also Mr. Whatley, the chairman of the campaign.

KARL: Of the...

BRAZILE: ... of the party -- the party. I was meeting the interns, you know, getting in the spirit. And so, when I heard, it was just sombering. I mean, sombering. I'm an American. I mean, acts of violence is unacceptable. It's unacceptable. And -- and so my first reaction was one of prayer, because I'm a Christian. It was one of thinking about the people at the rally, thinking about the former president, thinking about his family, thinking about the secret service men.

I mean I've been a part of the American political process for more than half of my life, indeed, most of my life. And so, it's a sobering moment. It's a moment of reflection. It's a moment of reflecting on what we say, how we say it, and what we do. And I'm thinking about the delegates who will be occupying this space over the next four days.

They are the people that I want to say, come, enjoy yourself, enjoy this moment, enjoy the great barbecue I had. But more importantly, to come celebrate what we do as American citizens. And yes, the political culture is toxic. There is more rhetoric that meets the mind from both sides, but cooler minds will prevail.

I'm grateful that President Biden went out last night; he reached out to former President Trump and the statements from former Presidents Clinton, Obama and the Carter Center. This is a moment --

KARL: George W. Bush.

Brazile: And George W. Bush. This is a moment -- this is a moment for our country to take a deep breath about who we are, the reflection, the words that have come from all over this planet. We are Americans and the culture of violence, the political rhetoric, we have to end it.

KARL: Reince, and this is really to both of you, but have you heard anything about that phone call on (inaudible)?

PRIEBUS: No, I have not. But one of the things I want to say is, people should know, there is a lot of mutual respect among party leaders.

Brazile: Yeah.

PRIEBUS: This is -- there is a lot of things that we have in common, the things that we do, the delegates, the idea that members of our party actual choose our nominee --

Brazile: That's right.

PRIEBUS: -- and there is a process, and that is what this is. You know, but it's just sad that when people don't care about their own life and they don't care about someone else's life, we got to -- you know, we've obviously got a problem, that somehow or another, we have got to address.

KARL: And I want to play the reaction that we heard this morning from the speaker of the house, from Mike Johnson, talking about the need to turn down the rhetoric. Take a listen. This is Mike Johnson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: We can have heated political discourse and debates but it shouldn't be personal and we shouldn't be targeting people. I mean, look, President Biden himself said in recent days, it's time to put a bull's-eye on Trump. I mean, I know that he didn't mean what is being implied there, but that kind of language on either side should be called out and we have to make clear that this is part of our system, we can have vigorous debate, but it needs to end there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: That was Speaker Johnson on the "Today" show. Rachel, what are you -- you've been monitoring all of the reaction from across the political spectrum, other Congressional leaders. What are you hearing?

RACHAEL BADE, POLITICO PLAYBOOK CO-AUTHOR & CONTRIBUTING POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It seems like there is an attempt this morning to very much bring the temperature down. I mean, yesterday, you know, all across Twitter and a lot of public comments from Republicans, you know, they were accusing Democrats of trying to basically demonize Donald Trump and triggering this violence.

And you know, you heard things from like Tim Scott who was, you know, a potential VP candidate saying the assassination attempt was an ardent and was abated by the radical left and media. You had people like J.D. Vance say things like, some things that were similar.

People like Matt Gaetz, an ally of Donald Trump, saying they tried to impeach him, they tried to imprison him, now they are trying to kill him. And so, I think, clearly, Republican leaders are looking at that rhetoric and saying this is not what we want to do. I mean, Donald Trump had a post on Truth Social this morning. He didn't have any of that kind of language, right?

He talked about unifying, he talked about reaching out to the families of the victims and showing sympathy. And so, I think that there is a sense amongst Republican leaders that what we heard last night from a lot of very high ranking Republicans is probably not the tack that they want to take.

KARL: Yes. This wasn't like backbenchers.

BADE: No.

KARL: I mean, (inaudible) potential Trump running mates coming out and somehow saying that this is Biden's fault.

BRAZILE: Yes.

KARL: So, I mean, are we -- are we going to hear more of that at this convention? It's notable we have not heard that from Donald Trump.

PRIEBUS: Yeah, well, obviously, that's -- the RNC is going to do -- they make the call on programming. Chairman Whatley is, obviously, a well-experienced chairman. I'd -- but as a former chairman, I don't expect that. I think that what you're going to see at this convention is a unified spirited convention, but with the idea that as Americans and something that we witnessed yesterday, we need to come together.

I certainly think that the rhetoric does need to cool off, but I also believe that the president understands and he is feeling it in his heart that we need leadership and that is going to be the focus. What does a strong leader do? What does a brave leader do? And taking that spirit and moving forward at this convention.

KARL: You know, what -- what struck me in the reaction, and it came from all corners, but -- but to listen to Gabby Giffords come out, who of course sustained life-threatening injuries when, you know, she was targeted during one of her campaign events. We saw Steve Scalise, who was gravely wounded when he was shot practicing for a congressional baseball game, and Speaker Pelosi, who, you know, a deranged, crazed person came into -- into her home and -- and gravely wounded her husband Paul.

BRAZILE: But, Jon, let me...

KARL: I mean, this is...

BRAZILE: ... say this. I mean, so many of my friends, Republican and Democrat, they're getting death threats. People -- we get death threats.

KARL: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

BRAZILE: We get death threats.

When I arrived in Milwaukee, a man looked at me. He said, "You know, we're -- we're not on the same side, but I like you."

And I looked at him, and I said, "Baby, but we're on the same team."

KARL: Yeah.

BRAZILE: The death threats and this -- this political discourse has to change. It has gotten too volatile. In a country that is heavily armed, these conversations need to lead us to a greater place, more tolerance, so that teachers can teach, so that preachers can preach, so that people in their community can gather without fear, without trepidation.

So this is that moment. You know, I reached out to Steve Scalise, because he's my brother. We -- we...

KARL: Louisiana.

BRAZILE: Yeah, we -- we grew -- we're LSU Tigers.

KARL: Yeah.

BRAZILE: Mike Johnson, LSU -- these are my brothers. Now, we disagree on politics. We don't share no opinions. But I guarantee you, we eat gumbo. We love red beans and rice, and we love etouffee...

KARL: Um-hmm.

BRAZILE: ... because that's who we are. We are Americans, values of freedom, of justice, equality. We bring that to our political discourse. That's why I talked to this man about his rules and his -- and how he's able to get all his delegates on the floor, because the chairman knows how to do this.

We have to lower the rhetoric and lead one another. And I'm glad that the former president is lowering his volume, the current president lowering his volume. Lower it.

KARL: Is it going to last?

BADE: Yeah, I was just going to...

KARL: Rachel? Is it going to last?

BADE: Yeah, I was just going to...

(CROSSTALK)

BADE: I was just going to, because I've been on that.

I mean, I -- practically, I wonder what that looks like, right?

Because the critical, sort of, theme of the campaign for the Democrats, right now, is that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, and if you re-elect him, say good-bye to the republic. And this is the sort of language that Republicans are now saying could incite violence.

And on the other side of things...

BRAZILE: It's policies that we disagree with.

PRIEBUS: But I also think that...

KARL: No, no, no, but -- but I think Rachel's making a very important point here.

BRAZILE: I understand...

KARL: ... when you're talking about somebody as, you know, a threat to the republic, on one hand, or on the Republican side, all this talk, "This is our 1776 moment."

BADE: Yep. Yeah.

KARL: "This is" -- I mean, the stuff Steve Bannon has been saying, the stuff that, far beyond Bannon...

BRAZILE: Project '25.

KARL: ... but -- but this notion that we -- this is a -- a revolution, the country cannot survive if Biden wins, and basically Democrats saying the country cannot survive if Trump wins.

BADE: Or that it's not a legitimate election if -- if Biden wins re-election.

PRIEBUS: Today is the day of reflection, calm, unity, the American spirit. We're going to have so much time to -- to dive into this at a later time. I mean, thank God the former president is safe. It's sad that someone had died, sad that we have this situation in our country. But we -- we've got to just spend the day, pray, and remain calm.

BRAZILE: I agree.

KARL: Now, Mary Bruce, our -- our chief White House correspondent, is reporting that the phone conversation between the former president and the current president was "short but respectful."

We -- we -- I saw a proposal put forward, something that won't happen, but was -- what was quite interesting, from Bobby Kennedy, Jr., who is, of course, running as -- as an independent, and knows something about political violence. Bobby Kennedy, Jr. suggested the two of them should stand together and make a statement together before the cameras.

That's not going to happen, but it's the kind of thing that probably should happen.

BRAZILE: Well, we need leadership. That's the missing ingredient in American politics today. We need leaders who understand that we are Americans, those values that we celebrate, why we come together. And I -- I just hope we can do that.

KARL: So it was in Milwaukee in 1912, during the heat of the -- of the fall campaign, when Teddy Roosevelt was shot while giving a speech.

PRIEBUS: One block away.

KARL: Yes, one block away, survived in part because of the papers of his speech and he continued to finish that speech, and that became a rallying cry for Teddy Roosevelt. That image that we saw of the former president raising his fist, blood dripping down his face, that's going to be the symbol of this convention.

BADE: Yeah.

PRIEBUS: It will be -- it will be a symbol 300 years from now.

KARL: Yeah.

PRIEBUS: -- when we are all gone. It will still be there.

KARL: It will be the defining image of Donald Trump.

BRAZILE: But it will be -- but also the fact that we can hold rallies in America. The 12,000 or 15,000 people who gathered to be there, that's the other symbol. It's the people that matters, not just the politicians, it's the people. They came to that rally and, this morning, I hope their spirit is not shaken. I hope their resolve is not broken. The people -- this is who we are. We are the people, not just the politicians. And by the way, I love all political leaders even those I disagree with.

KARL: In terms of the mechanics of this convention.

PRIEBUS: Yeah.

KARL: How does it change?

PRIEBUS: I don't think it is going to change much, if anything. I mean, we've got 50,000 people here in Milwaukee coming in today. I've heard numbers that they may have gotten over 30,000 members of the press that are here. It is going to an enormous lift, I think the RNC has done an incredible job. The Trump campaign has done well here, too. You can look around and see this magnificent arena.

KARL: What does it mean for the timing and mechanics of President Trump announcing his running mate?

PRIEBUS: I think -- I don't -- I'm not-- it's not my call. But, obviously, we will leave that up to them, but they got a few more days to roll that out and maybe they will take their time even more.

BRAZILE Yeah. And also say, it's the role of the media that also matters. You guys have big voices. I know I'm just a little small voice in the ocean, but you guys have big voices and to make sure that you are playing your role, not in stage and the volatility and putting more of that out, but the media has a role to play this week as well.

KARL: Yeah.

PRIEBUS: And that's because -- unfortunately, division is very profitable in America and we need unity to be profitable.

KARL: Right. All right. On that note, we will be right back. Thank you. A quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KARL: That's all for us today. We will have continuing coverage on ABC News Live and tonight, on ABC at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, we will have an ABC News Special, the latest on the assassination attempt on former President Trump. And tune in all week here on ABC for coverage of the Republican National Convention live from Milwaukee. Have a good day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)