World leaders were quick to show their solidarity and condemn the apparent assassination attempt against U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening.
President Trump was set to make his first appearance while in office at the annual gala at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, when the glitzy D.C. insiders event was shut down as multiple gunshots rang out from the hall. The Secret Service safely escorted the President, First Lady Milania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance from the stage. One Secret Service officer was shot during the incident; however, he is reportedly in stable condition, with the shot having been stopped by a bulletproof vest, according to President Trump.
A suspect has reportedly been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. According to the AP, law enforcement officials said that he was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
The apparent third assassination attempt on the President’s life was roundly condemned by international leaders as the news made its way throughout capitals across the world.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “I am shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington overnight. Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is a huge relief that [the President], the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that she was “relieved to hear that President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and everyone attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner are safe.”
“Violence has no place in politics, ever. With thanks to the swift action of the police and responders for ensuring the safety of the guests,” she said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “I am shocked by the attack on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Relieved that President Trump, the First Lady and all the guests are safe and sound. This was an attack on our free and open societies. We stand for democracy and in solidarity with the United States.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that the attack was a “stark reminder that violence has no place in democracy” and said that it was a “relief that [the President] and the First Lady and all attendees are safe, but such incidents can never be tolerated. Protecting democratic institutions is non-negotiable.”
Italian Prime Minsiter Giorgia Meloni expressed her “full solidarity and most sincere closeness to President Trump, to First Lady Melania, to Vice President Vance, and to all those present for what happened at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.”
“No political hatred can find space in our democracies. We will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information. The defense of the culture of confrontation must remain the insurmountable bulwark against every intolerant drift, to safeguard the values that found our nations,” Meloni wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the attack targeting President Trump was “unacceptable” and that “violence has no place in a democracy.” He added, “I extend my full support to Donald Trump”.
The leaders of America’s neighbours to the north and south also condemned the attack, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressing his relief that the President, First Lady, and other attendees were safe while saying: “Political violence has no place in any democracy and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event.”
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “It’s great that President Trump and his wife are doing well after the recent events. We send our respect. Violence should never be the way.”
Further afield, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked: “Sara and I were shocked by the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump last night in Washington, DC. We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong. We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action.”
The leader of NATO ally Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, added: “I condemn the attempted armed attack that took place last night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington. It is gratifying for us that no one was injured, especially President Trump and his esteemed wife Melania.
“In democracies, struggles are waged with ideas; there is no place for any form of violence. I extend my wishes for a speedy recovery to President Trump, his wife, the US administration, and the American people.”
Staunch South American ally of the President, Argentina’s Javier Millei, said that Buenos Aires expresses its “strongest condemnation of the latest assassination attempt” of President Trump.
“We are pleased that President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and all those present escaped unharmed, and that the terrorist was apprehended before he could carry out his attack and kill anyone. President Javier G. Milei vehemently condemns the violent rhetoric of the left around the world that promotes these types of attacks,” the statement said.
Elsewhere, the acting President of Venezeula Delcy Rodriguez, who took control in Caracas earlier this year after the United States arrested her former boss and ex-socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, said in a statement: “We strongly condemn the attempted attack against President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. We extend our best wishes to them and to all attendees of the Correspondent’s Dinner. Violence is never an option for those who uphold the values of peace.”
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