Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is led off stage at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024.
Rebecca Droke | Afp | Getty Images
World leaders have united to condemn the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump over the weekend.
Trump was punched in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The suspected killer, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was quickly killed by Secret Service agents at the scene.
A bystander was also killed, while two other spectators were seriously injured.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau he said he was “sickened by the shooting” and sent his thoughts to Trump and his fellow Americans.
European leaders from G-20 countries such as Germany, France, Italy expressed their concern and best wishes to Trump. The newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer he said he was “shocked by the shocking scenes” at the rally, adding that “political violence in any form has no place in our societies.”
French President Emmanuel Macron told X that the assassination attempt was “a tragedy for our democracies” and that his country “shares the outrage of the American people.”
In Asia, China’s foreign ministry told a statement that President Xi Jinping had expressed his sympathy for Trump, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the importance of stability against the violence that challenges democracy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — who referred to Trump as “my friend— said he “strongly” condemned the incident and that “violence has no place in politics and democracies.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the same, saying the campaign event in Pennsylvania was “disturbing and confrontational.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “Russia has always condemned all acts of violence.” according to Reutersreportedly blaming the US government for creating an environment caused the attack.
In the US, both Republicans and Democrats came together to condemn the attack and congratulated the former president.
In a speech in the Oval Office on Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden emphasized the importance of warming in US politics and urged Americans to remember: “We are not enemies. We are neighbors, we are friends, colleagues, citizens and most importantly , we are fellow Americans.”
“The political history in this country has gotten too heated. It’s time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that,” Biden said in his speech.
“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy. It’s part of human nature. Politics should never be a battlefield and, God forbid, a killing field,” he said, adding that he had a call with Trump, who is recovering well.
Vice president Kamala Harris Posted on X on Sunday, to say that violence like this “has no place in our nation” and this “heinous act” must be condemned to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Her words echoed those of the former President Barack Obama who expressed that there is “absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy” as he wished Trump a speedy recovery.
