World leaders have swiftly condemned the attack on former US President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, expressing shock and denouncing political violence while wishing him a speedy recovery. Trump, who is running for the White House in November’s US election, was shot in the ear, but his campaign reported he is “doing well.”
The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the suspect in what they described as an attempted assassination.
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the shooting as an “act of political violence.” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated, “We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his horror at the event, saying, “Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also denounced the violence, stating there was “no justification” for such actions and expressing relief that Trump was safe.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese found the incident “concerning and confronting,” while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it left him “sickened,” emphasizing that “political violence is never acceptable.”
Leaders from the European Union, Egypt, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Philippines echoed these sentiments. French President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting “a tragedy for our democracies,” sharing the shock and indignation felt by the American people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who recently met Trump during a NATO summit, expressed their shock and prayers for the former president. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for widespread condemnation of the attack, stating it must be repudiated by all defenders of democracy and dialogue in politics.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to Trump as a friend, strongly condemned the incident and wished him a speedy recovery, stating, “Violence has no place in politics and democracies.”