Joe Biden’s calls for unity in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on his political rival seemed to ring hollow after Donald Trump announced his running mate this week.

The Biden administration wasted no time churning out attacks on U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), and the Trump campaign responded with its assertion that such rhetoric is inappropriate, if not dangerous, given the current political environment.

Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance. He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.

Well, I don’t intend to let them. And if you’re with me, pitch in: https://t.co/ALkc9uHFh9

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 15, 2024

According to Fox News:

Trump 2024 Deputy Communications Director Caroline Sunshine took issue with that attack in an interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

“I think that response, given the events that have transpired in this country where President Trump had an assassination attempt on his life, for the sitting U.S. president to be calling for anything other than unity, but instead using this opportunity to attack President Trump’s new vice presidential nominee, go after him on policy, it seems really out of touch, really in poor taste,” Sunshine said.

It might have been foolish to believe that the White House would call off its heated partisan criticism of the Trump campaign simply because an assassin attempted to kill the presumptive Republican nominee.

Nevertheless, Biden’s rhetoric has been scrutinized particularly closely in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania.

In an interview with usurper Joe Biden just two days after an assassination on President Trump he tells the host after he was questioned about his dangerous and dishonest rhetoric if he should tone it down instead he lies out his teeth and states he has never spoke about Trump in… pic.twitter.com/QPCGd6owVM

— AZ 🇺🇸 PATRIOT • Steve Emery (@SteveEmery0003) July 16, 2024

This is wild.

NBC News asks Biden about his violent rhetoric around putting a “bullseye” on Trump.

Biden’s brain malfunctions, and he can’t even defend the question properly.

These people are dangerous and incompetent. Their years of divisive propaganda caused this. pic.twitter.com/AL1XI4A3ML

— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) July 15, 2024

Meanwhile within the Republican Party, Trump’s decision to pick Vance was received with widespread enthusiasm.

BBC spoke to a number of GOP voters, including Rom Solene of Arizona:

Rom praises Vance’s debating skills, and believes he’s the future of his party.

I’m really thrilled about the pick, because I think JD Vance is a very smart guy: a Yale graduate who wrote a best-selling book.

Trump is a great speaker; he’s great for rallying the crowds. I think JD Vance is very articulate, and he hits the intellectual aspect of any type of debate.

So whoever he’s going to go up against when it’s time for any potential vice presidential debates – and we have to assume that’s going to be Kamala Harris – I think he’ll run circles around that person.

I absolutely think JD Vance is the future of the Republican Party.

He’s just started on his political trajectory, and barring anything that derails him, I think he can only go up from here.

Trump can only go one more term, so JD Vance would be his natural successor in four years.

Here’s some additional coverage of Trump’s VP pick: