From Africa, Europe to South America and Asia, world leaders spoke out against political violence following the shooting that wounded the former US president at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
TRUMP’S ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The shooting on Saturday pierced Donald Trump’s right ear and killed one bystander, while two other spectators were critically wounded.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ASSAILANT?
The US Secret Service said it shot the suspected assailant dead.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he was ‘appalled’ by the shooting, which saw Mr Trump sustain an injury to his ear and resulted in the death of one audience member and left two others ‘critically injured’, according to the Secret Service.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who recently returned from Washington DC for the 75th anniversary of NATO, said he hopes the US ’emerges stronger’ from the shooting.
‘Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world,’ he continued in a post to X.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, described the attack on the Republican candidate in the US November 2024 presidential poll as distasteful and beyond democratic norms.
‘The attack on former President Donald Trump is distasteful and goes beyond the pale of democratic norms. Violence has no place in democracy….I extend my sympathies to the former president and wish him relief.
‘I also condole with the family of the deceased and those wounded and wish them a quick recovery. Nigeria stands in solidarity with the United States of America at this time.’
GREETINGS FROM EUROPE
European Council president Charles Michel also ‘strongly condemned’ the attack, adding in his post to X: ‘Political violence is absolutely unacceptable in a democracy.’
French president Emmanuel Macron struck a similar tone, describing the attempt on Mr Trump’s life as ‘a tragedy for our democracies.’
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, described Mr Trump as his ‘friend’ as he condemned the act of violence.
Emerging from NATO’s 75th anniversary celebrations, which concluded earlier this week, general secretary Jens Stoltenberg said the bloc will ‘stand together’ in the wake of the attack.
Canada, prime minister Justin Trudeau said he was ‘sicked’ by the shooting.
‘It cannot be overstated — political violence is never acceptable,’ he said in a statement on X.
‘My thoughts are with former President Trump, those at the event, and all Americans.’
