World leaders condemn 'political violence' after Donald Trump shooting

World leaders have joined together to condemn “political violence” after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

The former president was shot and injured during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an attack that saw a spectator and the gunman killed.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “appalled by the shocking scenes”, as he sent the Republican challenger, his family, and the families of the victims his best wishes.

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And he was among several senior politicians to denounce “political violence” arguing it had “no place in our societies”.

US President Joe Biden said “everybody must condemn” the shooting, adding: “We cannot allow this to be happening. The idea that there’s violence in America like this is just unheard of.”

France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the incident was “a tragedy for our democracies” and that his country shared “the shock and indignation of the American people”.

He added: “The attack on US presidential candidate Donald Trump is despicable… such acts of violence threaten democracy.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “appalled” by the attack, adding: “Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail… I wish America emerges stronger from this.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “sickened” by the attempt on Mr Trump’s life, adding: “It cannot be overstated – political violence is never acceptable.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumino Kishida, whose predecessor was assassinated in 2022, said: “We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy. I pray for former President Trump’s speedy recovery.”

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply concerned by the attack on my friend”, and that “violence has no place in politics and democracies”.

Sending her “solidarity and best wishes” to Mr Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she hoped “the next few months of the electoral campaign will see dialogue and responsibility prevail over hatred and violence”.

This was echoed by Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sissi, who said he also hoped the US election campaign would be “resumed in a peaceful and healthy atmosphere, free of any aspects of terrorism, violence, or hatred”.

Meanwhile, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova posted on social media to say the US government should use the money they spend on supplying weapons to Ukraine “to finance the American police and other services which should ensure law and order within the United States.”

Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell said the attack was “appalling” and “horrific”, and made a wider warning about the “rise in intimidation and attacks on serving politicians or people who want to to be politicians in this country, too”.

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Two British MPs have been killed in the past decade – Labour’s Jo Cox, who was murdered by a far right attacker in 2016, and Conservative Sir David Amess, who was murdered by an Islamic State fanatic in 2021.

She added: “I mean, we have seen some of the great things about our democracy in recent weeks… that people at the ballot box have been able to deliver change that they want and get the change in the country that they want to see.

“But we have to remember that underneath that, there has been this growing sense of insecurity and hate and attacks, especially at certain individuals, not to everybody, but certain individuals.

“And it’s something that we need to take action on.”

Source Agencies