Within minutes of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, social media was flooded with a wave of conjecture and unsubstantiated claims by groups from both sides of the political spectrum.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, urged caution Monday and said Americans should refrain from spreading rumors about the shooting.
“We should not jump to conclusions," she said. "Let's investigate. Let's find out what happened. Let's correct it so that this kind of thing does not happen again."
After the shooting, some Republicans blamed Biden for the shooting, arguing sustained criticisms of Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong pushed back against that idea Monday.
“Saying that we're in a fight for our democracy is not wrong. It's true, OK? And we're going to continue to do that," Tong said. "We can do that in a respectful, productive, thoughtful way but we're going to continue to do our jobs.”
Eastern Connecticut U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said the weekend attack was horrific. He says Americans should settle their differences at the ballot box, not with a bullet.
"To see people who are coming to an event, to exercise their First Amendment rights, to participate in a democracy, and whatever disagreements people may have on issues, to see an attack and this kind of violence really goes to the heart of challenging what we are as a nation," he said.