World leaders condemned the rally shooting that wounded Donald Trump and killed one attendee, expressing concerns for democracy. Trump, shot in the right ear, offered condolences to the deceased’s family.
Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.
Join us for BizNews’ first investment-focused conference on Thursday, 12 September, in Hermanus, featuring top experts like Frans Cronje, Piet Viljoen, and more. Get insights on electricity and exploiting SA’s gas bounty from new and familiar faces. Register here.
By Daniel Ten Kate and Ishika Mookerjee
World leaders condemned political violence and wished Donald Trump a speedy recovery after a shooting at a rally on Saturday wounded the former president and killed at least one attendee.
Trump said he was shot in the right ear after being rushed off stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased person. The US Secret Service said the shooter was also killed and two spectators were “critically injured.”
The shooting sent shockwaves around the globe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chilean President Gabriel Boric said such acts of violence threaten democracy, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “sickened” by the shooting.
Here are reactions from leaders around the world:
Americas
Justin Trudeau, Canada prime minister
Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, Brazil president
Lula said the attack should be rejected by all those who defend democracy, calling the shooting unacceptable.
Jair Bolsonaro, former Brazil president
In a post on X, Bolsonaro — a staunch Trump supporter — told him “see you on inauguration day.” Bolsonaro also suffered an assassination attempt during a campaign event just weeks before the 2020 election, which he won.
Javier Milei, Argentina president
Milei said Trump had been the target of a “cowardly assassination attempt” and offered his support and solidarity in a post on X.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico president
Lopez Obrador condemned the shooting in a post on X, calling violence irrational and inhumane.
Barack Obama, former US president
Gabriel Boric, Chile president
In a post on X, Boric condemned the shooting, calling violence a threat to democracies.
Europe and Middle East
Keir Starmer, UK prime minister
Emmanuel Macron, France president
Macron wished Trump a speedy recovery in a post on X, calling the incident a tragedy for democracies.
Olaf Scholz, Germany chancellor
Scholz called the attack “despicable” in a post on X and wished Trump a speedy recovery, stating that such acts of violence threaten democracy.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine president
Viktor Orban, Hungary prime minister
Giorgia Meloni, Italy prime minister
Meloni said she’s following the updates from Pennsylvania with apprehension, adding in a post on X that she hopes the next few months of campaigning will see dialogue prevail over violence.
Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia president
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel prime minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey president
Erdogan condemned the assassination attempt in a post on X, extending well wishes to Trump and vowing to stand by the American people.
“I believe that the investigation into the attack will be carried out in the most effective manner and the perpetrators and their instigators will be brought to justice as soon as possible so that the US elections and global stability are not overshadowed,” he wrote.
Asia Pacific:
Xi Jinping, China president
The Chinese leader expressed sympathies to Trump, according to a statement from a spokesperson for the nation’s Foreign Ministry. China is concerned about the shooting incident, the spokesperson said.
Anthony Albanese, Australia prime minister
Fumio Kishida, Japan prime minister
Narendra Modi, India prime minister
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan president
Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea president
Lawrence Wong, Singapore prime minister
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Philippines president
Srettha Thavisin, Thailand prime minister
Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan prime minister
Read also:
- Bitcoin surges above $60,000 following Trump’s response to assassination attempt
- Donald Trump’s shooting follows a history of attacks on US presidents and candidates
- Why do the elites hate Trump? – Andrew Kenny
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.
