World leaders, including Modi, react to Trump rally shooting: ‘A tragedy for our democracies’

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The shooting at a campaign rally for Donald Trump – which the FBI is investigating as an assassination attempt – sent shock waves around the world, with leaders expressing deep concerns about violence in the American democratic process.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting “a tragedy for our democracies” and said, “France shares the shock and indignation of the American people.”

“I’m sickened by the shooting at former president Trump,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X. “It cannot be overstated – political violence is never acceptable.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “political violence in any form has no place in our societies.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, “It is a warning to everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to restore dignity and honor to politics, against all forms of hatred and violence, and for the good of our democracies.”

Expressions of concern also came from countries that have experienced political violence in recent years.

“We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy. I pray for former President Trump’s speedy recovery,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who had to be evacuated from a campaign event last year after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him. In 2022, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign event.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called the shooting “unacceptable” and said it should be strongly condemned “by all defenders of democracy and dialogue in politics.” In 2018, Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed was during a campaign rally before he became Brazil’s president.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world.” Zelensky, whose country is at war with Russia, was the target of foiled assassination plots in 2022, 2023 and 2024, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Other leaders sent well wishes to Trump. “China is following the shooting incident that ex-President Trump encountered, and President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathy to ex-President Trump,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply concerned” for Trump, whom he called his “friend.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “shocked” and is praying for Trump’s “safety and speedy recovery.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed “thoughts and prayers” for Trump amid what he called “dark hours.” Orban, Europe’s most prominent far-right leader, has openly endorsed Trump and visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Friday.

Some denunciations of the violence came from those who had previously been at odds with Trump. Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, who once called Trump a “racist cowboy,” wrote on X that “we reject and firmly repudiate the attack.”

However, some countries used the incident to dig at the United States and its government.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted that “the arms business and the increase in political violence in the U.S. lead to incidents like the one that took place Saturday.”

The Kremlin, amid ever-deteriorating relations with Washington, blamed the Biden administration for fostering a political “atmosphere” that “provoked” the apparent assassination attempt.

Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the U.S. administration “prefers to resolve all issues from a position of strength,” including “use of force” in international affairs, and “now this violence has spilled inside the country.”

The Kremlin condemned the attack and wished speedy recoveries to the injured. Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to call Trump after the shooting.

Nigel Farage, a member of Britain’s Parliament and leader of right-wing party Reform UK, blamed the press for the shooting.

“Mainstream media have spread a narrative of hatred against my friend Donald Trump,” Farage wrote on X. “I hope they are proud of themselves. Disgusting people.”

Farage said he would travel to the United States this week to support Trump at the Republican National Convention, which runs Monday through Thursday in Milwaukee. Trump intends to attend the convention as planned, his campaign said Sunday night.