World leaders condemn shooting at Trump rally, denounce political violence

By Kanishka Singh, WASHINGTON, July 14: Various world leaders on Saturday condemned the shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania in which the former president was shot in the right ear, while one rally attendee and the shooter were left dead.

Leaders from multiple nations expressed shock at the incident, denounced political violence and wished Trump a quick recovery.

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the shooting and called it an "act of political violence."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, opened a new tab said: "We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy."

Two other spectators were also injured in the shooting at the rally, the Secret Service said. The FBI said the incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt.

Trump, 78, posted on social media that he had been shot in the upper part of his right ear and that there was "much bleeding." His campaign said he was "doing well." He was released from the hospital late on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, opens new tab said he was "appalled by the shocking scenes" at the rally. "Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the shooting was "concerning and confronting,", opens new tab while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it left him "sickened." Trudeau added, opens new tab: "Political violence is never acceptable." Similar comments were also made by the leaders of Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand and the Philippines.

Americans fear rising political violence, recent Reuters/Ipsos polling shows, with two out of three respondents to a May survey saying they feared violence could follow the elections in November in which Republican Trump will face President Joe Biden, a Democrat who also denounced the shooting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the shooting left him shocked, opens new tab. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met Trump this week while visiting the U.S. for a NATO summit, said his prayers were with the former president "in these dark hours, opens new tab."

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the shooting unacceptable while also urging, opens new tab others to condemn it.

"The attack against former President Donald Trump must be vehemently repudiated by all defenders of democracy and dialogue in politics. What we saw today is unacceptable," the Brazilian leader said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opens new tab called Trump a friend and wished him a speedy recovery while saying: "Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies."