World leaders react to Trump rally taking pictures: ‘Tragedy for our democracies’

“I’m sickened by the taking pictures at former president Trump,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X. “It can’t be overstated — political violence isn’t acceptable.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned “political violence in any type has no place in our societies.”

Expressions of concern additionally got here from leaders of nations which might be at battle — or have skilled political violence in recent times.

“We should stand agency towards any type of violence that challenges democracy. I pray for former President Trump’s speedy restoration,” mentioned Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who needed to be evacuated from a marketing campaign occasion final yr after what gave the impression to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him. (In 2022, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was killed after he was shot throughout a marketing campaign occasion.)

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva referred to as the taking pictures “unacceptable” and mentioned it must be strongly condemned “by all defenders of democracy and dialogue in politics.” In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed was throughout a marketing campaign rally earlier than he turned the nation’s president.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned “such violence has no justification and no place anyplace on the planet.” Zelensky, whose nation is at battle with Russia, was the goal of foiled assassination plots in 2022, 2023 and 2024, based on Ukrainian authorities.

A number of leaders despatched their sympathy to Trump. “China is following the taking pictures incident that ex-President Trump encountered, and President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathy to ex-President Trump,” a spokesperson for the International Ministry mentioned Sunday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned he was “deeply involved” for Trump, whom he referred to as his “buddy.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned he was “shocked” and is praying for Trump’s “security and speedy restoration.”

Some denunciations of the violence got here from those that had been beforehand at odds with Trump. Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, who as soon as referred to as Trump a “racist cowboy,” wrote on X that “we reject and firmly repudiate the assault.”

Nonetheless, some international locations used the incident to dig at the USA and its authorities.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted that “the arms enterprise and the rise in political violence within the U.S. result in incidents just like the one which befell Saturday.”

The Kremlin, amid ever deteriorating relations with Washington, blamed the Biden administration for fostering a political “environment” that “provoked” the obvious assassination try.

Talking in a convention name with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned the U.S. administration “prefers to resolve all points from a place of power,” together with “use of power” in worldwide affairs, and “now this violence has spilled contained in the nation.”

The Kremlin condemned the assault and wished speedy restoration to the injured. Peskov mentioned Putin has no plans to name Trump after the incident.

Mary Ilyushina, Kelly Kasulis Cho and Mary Beth Sheridan contributed to this report.