Washington, Apr 27: World leaders expressed relief on Sunday that US President Donald Trump and his top officials were unharmed following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, asserting that political violence has no place in a democracy.
Trump and other top US officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday evening.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was relieved that President Trump, First Lady Melania and Vice President J D Vance were safe and unharmed after the shooting at the hotel.
Modi said violence has no place in democracy and must be unequivocally condemned.
“Relieved to learn that President Trump, the First Lady and Vice President are safe and unharmed following the recent security incident at a Washington DC hotel. I extend my best wishes for their continued safety and well-being. Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned,” Modi said in a post on X.
Expressing shock at the incident, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that any attack on democratic institutions must be condemned. “I am shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington overnight. Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he posted on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron extended his full support to Trump, calling the attack unacceptable. “The armed attack targeting the President of the United States last night is unacceptable. Violence has no place in a democracy. I extend my full support to Donald Trump,” he said on social media.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed “full solidarity and most sincere closeness to President Trump, to First Lady Melania, to Vice President Vance” following the incident. “No political hatred can find space in our democracies. We will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information. The defence of the culture of confrontation must remain the insurmountable bulwark against every intolerant drift, to safeguard the values that found our Nations,” she posted on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has had frequent run-ins with Trump, described the shooting incident as a “disturbing event”.
“I am relieved that the President, the First Lady, and all guests are safe following reports of gunfire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington tonight. Political violence has no place in any democracy, and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event,” Carney said in a post on X.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took to social media to condemn the incident, stating he was “deeply shocked” to hear the news.
“Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe,” Sharif said.
President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung asserted that political violence “can never be justified under any circumstances.”
“The Government of the Republic of Korea firmly opposes all forms of violence and extremism that erode the values of democracy and the rule of law,” he said in a social media post.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, “Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world”
“I am relieved to hear that President Trump is safe following the terrifying gunfire. Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world,” she posted on social media.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident “an attack on all the democracies.” “This wasn’t just an attack on Donald Trump. This was an attack on a candidate for the presidency of the United States. This was an attack on America. It was an attack on democracy, it was an attack on all the democracies,” he posted on social media
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said it was “good that President Trump and his wife are safe following the recent events”.