World leaders on Sunday expressed concern over the attempted assassination this weekend of former President Donald Trump at a reelection campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
A bullet from the gunman pierced Trump's upper right earlobe, but he said after the incident Saturday afternoon in Butler Pennsylvania, that he was "fine." However, one attendee was killed and two others were seriously wounded. The gunman was also killed by the Secret Service.
The Associated Press as of early Sunday morning had compiled responses from at least two dozen leaders. Below are some of them:
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “inexcusable attack” on the United States and Australia’s shared democratic values.
“In Australia, as in the United States, the essence and the purpose of our democracies is that we can express our views, debate our disagreements and resolve our differences peacefully,” Albanese told reporters in the Australian Parliament House.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on X that he was appalled by the attempt.
“Political violence has no place in our society!” he said.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the incident unacceptable on X and said the attack must be “strongly repudiated” by all democracy defenders.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his thoughts and prayers were with Trump “in these dark hours” on X.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans at present to call Trump, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the wire service also reports.
“We do not at all think or believe that the attempt to eliminate presidential candidate Trump was organized by the current government, but the atmosphere that this administration created during the political struggle, the atmosphere around candidate Trump provoked what America is faced with today,” he also said.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said on her Telegram channel that American lawmakers should employ the money they use to supply weapons to Ukraine “to finance the American police and other services which should ensure law and order within the United States.”
