World leaders expressed shock and relief after a suspected attacker was taken into custody for firing shots at a press gala dinner attended by US President Donald Trump in Washington.
WASHINGTON: Shots rang out while the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was taking place at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening, leading security forces to swiftly evacuate Trump, his wife and other senior officials from the ballroom.
World leaders reacted to the news that no officials or journalists had been harmed, with a Secret Service officer who was hit by a shot apparently saved by their bullet-proof vest, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “a huge relief” that the president, the first lady and all those in attendance were “safe”.
“I am shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington overnight,” he wrote on X.
“Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as “unacceptable”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “violence has no place in politics, ever.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the sharpest critics in Europe of the US-Israeli war against Iran, also condemned the attack.
“Violence is never the answer. Humanity will only move forward through democracy, coexistence and peace,” he wrote.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also condemned the shooting at the Washington press dinner.
“Violence has no place in a democracy. We decide by majorities, not by the gun,” Merz wrote on X on Sunday.
“I condemn the attempted attack in Washington and am relieved that President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and all those present are safe.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of Trump, also said he and his wife were “shocked by the attempted assassination” of Trump.
“We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong,” he wrote on X, commending the US Secret Service for the “swift and decisive” response.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was among the first to react to the dramatic events in the US capital, also expressed relief that everyone was safe.
“Political violence has no place in any democracy and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event,” he wrote on X.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also took to X to send her respects.
“Violence must never be the answer,” she wrote.
