World leaders condemn shooting at Trump rally

Leaders from across the world condemned the shooting at former President Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, which injured Trump and killed one attendee.

Shots were fired Saturday night at Trump’s rally in Butler, Penn. during which the former president said a bullet pierced his ear. The shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks by the FBI, and one spectator at the rally were killed. Two other attendees were critically injured, the U.S. Secret Service said.

Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky said he was “appalled” to learn of the shooting, writing on X, “Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail.”

“I am relieved to learn that Donald Trump is now safe and wish him a speedy recovery. My condolences go out to the close ones of this attack’s victim, a rally attendee,” he wrote.

Calling Trump a friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he strongly condemned the incident, which is being investigated as an assassination attempt.

“Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him speedy recovery,” Modi wrote on X. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured and the American people.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said the shooting was a “tragedy for our democracies.”

“France shares the shock and indignation of the American people,” Macron wrote on X.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer similarly condemned political violence and sent his best wishes to Trump and his family. Canadian Prime Minister Justice Trudeau also said that “political violence is never acceptable.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was praying for Trump’s speedy recovery and called for a firm stance against “any form of violence that challenges democracy.”

In the hours that followed the shooting, Trump thanked the Secret Service and other law enforcement authorities “for their rapid response on the shooting.” He also expressed his condolences to the families of the individuals who were killed or injured in the incident.

Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Pittsburgh, said authorities have not yet identified a motive in the incident.

“We do not currently have an identified motive, although our investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was,” Rojek said in a press conference late Saturday night.