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President Joe Biden has condemned the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, calling on all Americans to denounce such "sick" violence.

The US president was quick to call for unity in the hours after a gunman shot Trump in the ear, killed one member of the crowd and injured two others at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was shot dead by Secret Service agents.

In a statement issued within an hour of the attack, Mr Biden said there was "no place in America for this. We must unite as one nation to condemn it. It's sick, it's sick".

The attack came amid a febrile election race between the pair, laden with personal insults and barbs over their records in office.

Seeking to present a united front, Mr Biden said in televised comments from his home in Delaware that "everybody must condemn" the violent scenes in Butler.

"We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this," he added.

He said he was "grateful to hear that he's safe and doing well. I'm praying for him and his family and for all those at the rally. Jill [Biden] and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety."

The White House later said Mr Biden spoke to his Republican election rival by telephone after he had left hospital, while Biden campaign managers said they were pulling television adverts as quickly as possible in the wake of the attempt on Trump's life.

President Biden's comments were echoed by his vice-president, Kamala Harris. Senior Democrats, including former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also spoke out.

Ms Harris said in a statement that she was "relieved" Trump was not seriously injured in what she described as a "senseless shooting".

"Violence such as this has no place in our nation," she added. "We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence."

Ms Pelosi, the former House Speaker who helped impeach Trump twice, said she was praying for him.

"As one whose family has been the victim of political violence, I know first-hand that political violence of any kind has no place in our society. I thank God that former President Trump is safe," Ms Pelosi wrote on X/Twitter.

Ms Pelosi's husband suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after a man broke into her California home with a hammer trying to find her.

Both Mr Clinton and Mr Obama echoed the comments, saying violence had no place in politics and wishing Trump their prayers.