US President Joe Biden is giving a televised statement from his home in Delaware.

He says he has tried to get hold of former president Donald Trump, who is “with his doctors”.

“Apparently he’s doing well – I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope, when I get back to the telephone.”

Mr Biden continues: “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence – it’s sick, it’s sick.

“That’s one of the reasons we have to unite this country – we cannot allow for this to be happening, we cannot be like this, we cannot condone this.”

He thanks the Secret Service and law enforcement authorities.

“We have more detail to come relative to other people who may be injured in the audience.

“I don’t have all that detail – we’ll make that available to you.”

He adds he may speak again later this evening, or will issue a statement with more details.

Mr Biden adds: “The rally should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea, the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of – it’s just not appropriate.

“Everybody must condemn it, everybody.”

On his political rival, Mr Biden says: “If I’m able to speak to Donald, I’ll let you know that as well.”

He says Mr Trump is “doing well”, they are “thoroughly investigating what happened to anyone else in the audience”, although they do not yet have “final reports”, and he will be speaking to law enforcement more now.

Asked if this was an assassination attempt, Mr Biden said: “I have an opinion, but I don’t have any facts. I want to make sure we have all the facts before I make any more comments.”