Global leaders expressed concern on Sunday over an apparent assassination attempt targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, which left one attendee dead and two others critically injured.
Trump’s campaign reported that the presumptive Republican nominee was “fine” after being whisked off the stage, though the shooting grazed the upper part of his right ear.
The Secret Service stated that they killed the suspected shooter, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue.
U.S. authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei called Trump the “victim of a cowardly assassination attempt that put his life and that of hundreds of people at risk.” In a post on X, Milei also remarked that the apparent assassination attempt highlighted the “desperation of the international left” and its “willingness to destabilize democracies and promote violence to secure power.”
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.
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, called the incident unacceptable on X, stating the attack must be “strongly repudiated” by all democracy defenders. His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally who was stabbed during his 2018 presidential campaign, relayed his solidarity with “the world’s greatest leader of the moment.” Bolsonaro added that Trump was saved by a matter of a few centimeters, calling the incident “something that comes from above.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was sickened by the shooting, offering his thoughts to Trump, those at the event, and all Americans. “It cannot be overstated—political violence is never acceptable,” he wrote on X.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the attack, with President Xi Jinping extending his sympathies to Trump. Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sissi condemned the attack in a statement and wished for the U.S. election campaigns to resume peacefully.
French President Emmanuel Macron sent his wishes for a prompt recovery to Trump. “It is a drama for our democracies. France shares the indignation of the American people,” he posted on X. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also condemned the “despicable” attack, stating that such violent acts threaten democracy. “My compassionate thoughts are also with the other people who were hurt in the attack,” he said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his thoughts and prayers for Trump “in these dark hours” on X. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply concerned by “the attack on my friend,” condemning the incident and emphasizing that violence has no place in politics and democracies.
Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, condemned the attack “in the strongest terms,” stating on X that his thoughts are with the victims of “this senseless act of terrorism.” At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described watching the event “in horror” and called the attack an “assassination attempt on American democracy.” He extended wishes for Trump’s quick recovery and return to full strength.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed serious alarm over the attack, describing it as a disconcerting symptom of the deterioration of the civil fabric and the dangerous refusal of confrontation, dialogue, and respect for democratic life. Premier Giorgia Meloni also wished Trump a quick recovery. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed the need to stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy on X.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denounced the attack on X, calling violence irrational and inhumane. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the shooting as a “shocking development” and condemned all violence in politics, wishing Trump a swift recovery and good health. Imprisoned Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan, who was shot and injured at a rally in November 2022, wished Trump a full recovery, emphasizing that political violence has no place in a democracy.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to call Trump. “We do not believe that the attempt to eliminate presidential candidate Trump was organized by the current government, but the atmosphere created by this administration during the political struggle provoked what America is faced with today,” he added. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Telegram that American lawmakers should use the funds allocated for supplying weapons to Ukraine to finance law enforcement within the United States.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the attempted assassination a stark reminder of the dangers of political extremism and intolerance. He expressed hope that the citizens and leaders of America will have the fortitude and wisdom to reject violence and seek peaceful solutions.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May, condemned the shooting in a Facebook post, drawing parallels between the two incidents and suggesting the attack on Trump resulted from a campaign by his political opponents.
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, said on X that his thoughts and prayers are with Trump, condemning political violence in any form as unacceptable in democracies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the shooting on X, offering his good wishes to Trump, his family, and supporters. He expressed confidence that the investigation into the attack will be conducted effectively to ensure the US elections are not undermined.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed shock over the shooting on X, stating that political violence has no place in democracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was appalled by the shooting, noting that such violence has no justification and expressing relief that Trump is safe. He extended his wishes for strength to everyone affected by the event.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on Trump, describing it as “a criminal and extremist act.” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that he was appalled by the “shocking scenes” and sent his best wishes to Trump and his family, emphasizing that political violence in any form has no place in society. British lawmaker Nigel Farage, a friend of Trump’s, blamed the “mainstream media” for opposing the former president, calling the incident horrendous but unsurprising.
In a statement, the Vatican expressed concern over “last night’s episode of violence, which hurts people and democracy, causing suffering and death.” Pope Francis did not mention the apparent assassination attempt in his weekly prayers.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the attack during a campaign event in Guacara. “We have been adversaries, but I wish President Trump health and long life, and I repudiate the attack,” Maduro added.