President Bola Tinubu condemns the recent assault on former US President Donald Trump. Tinubu expressed his thoughts on his X social media handle on Sunday, hours after the shooting incident which took place during Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The incident resulted in the death of one individual and left two other spectators criticaly injured.
Trump, who is the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, was a target in an assassination attempt which left him with a bleeding ear, prompting the Secret Service to rush him off the stage and into his armored SUV. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has since identified the suspect as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
Tinubu in his statement on Sunday, described the attack as “unacceptable and a violation of democratic norms”. He emphasized that “violence has no place in a democracy” and extended his sympathies to the former President, wishing him a swift recovery. President Tinubu also conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased and equally wished a speedy recovery for those wounded in the incident. President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s solidarity with the United States of America during this challenging times.
The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has sparked condemnation globally as various leaders spoke out against political violence now being experienced in America which is the world’s largest democracy. They also expressed their support/condolences to the victims of the Saturday’s shooting.
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen while expressing her condemnation, stated that she was “deeply shocked” by the attack. And that “Political violence has no place in a democracy,” she said. Other European leaders have also expressed their deep concern and condemnation of the tragic shooting incident that occurred on Saturday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced the act as “despicable”, stating that such “violent events pose a threat to democratic values”.
The French President Emmanuel Macron called the assassination attempt a “tragedy for democracies” and affirmed France’s solidarity with the American people.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, strongly condemned any political violence, while acknowledging that the current administration was not behind the attack. He said “After numerous attempts to eliminate candidate Trump from the political arena using, first, all legal tools. It is obvious to all outside observers that his life is in danger,” Peskov said. He added, however, that “we do not at all believe that the attempt was organised by the Biden Lead administration.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his outrage and wished the victim a recovery, underscoring that such violence is unjustifiable and has no place anywhere in the world. The perpetrators of the recent disturbance will be held accountable without delay, to prevent any disruption to the US electoral process and worldwide stability.
President Erdogan of Turkey expressed confidence that “the investigation into the attack will be carried out in the most effective way and that the perpetrators and their instigators will be brought to justice as soon as possible in order not to cast a shadow on the US elections and global stability.”
The Vatican voiced its concern following the violent episode, which has harmed people and democracy, causing suffering and loss of life.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva stated that “the shooting must be strongly condemned by all who believe in democracy and political dialogue”.
China’s President Xi Jinping conveyed his compassion and sympathy for Trump, with a foreign ministry spokesperson saying Beijing is closely monitoring the situation.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep concern over the attack on his friend.
The FBI in a statement confirmed that the incident is an active and ongoing investigation, and they encourage anyone with relevant information to submit photos or videos online.
