‘Political violence has no place in democracy’

hotel FIRING | International community shocked; Modi expresses relief

No political hatred can find space in our democracies. We will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and info­rmation. 

Giorgia Meloni

Italy’s Prime Minister

FPJ World Desk

Mumbai

World leaders expressed reli­ef on Sunday that US Presi­dent Donald Trump and his top officials were unharmed, asserting political violence has no place in a democracy.

PM Narendra Modi said he was relieved President Trump, First Lady Melania and Vice President JD Vance were safe and unharmed. He said violence had no place in democracy and must be unequivocally condemned.

Expressing shock, British PM Keir Starmer said, “I am shocked by the scenes at the WHCD in Washington overnight. Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.” 

French President Emmanuel Macron extended his full support to Trump, calling the attack unacceptable. 

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni expressed “full solidarity and most sincere closeness to President Trump, to First Lady Melania, to Vice President Vance”. 

Canadian PM Mark Carney, who has had frequent run-ins with Trump, described the shooting as a “disturbing event”. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “relied to hear Trump and Melania and everyone attending the WHCD are safe.”

Despite differences with the US over Iran and often considered a rebel in the Nato, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez noted, “Violence is never the way. Humanity will only advance through democracy, coexistence and peace.”

Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif condemn the incident, saying he was “deeply shocked”. South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung asserted political violence “can never be justified under any circumstances.” 

Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu wrote his wife Sara and he were “shocked by the attempted assassination”.

Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi said, “Violence must never be tolerated anywhere in the world”. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said it was “good President Trump and his wife are safe following the recent events”. “We send them our respect. Violence must never be the way,” she said. Australian PM Anthony Albanese said he was pleased to hear all attendees were safe. Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha also condemned the attack.

Just want to go home: Erika Kirk

Chaos and fear gripped the annual WHCD on Saturday night after gunfire disrupted the high-profile gathering attended by US President Donald Trump, other politicians, journalists and celebrities. Among those most visibly affected was Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, who was abruptly escorted out of the venue in tears. Citing an eyewitness account reported by The New York Post, she appeared deeply shaken during the evacuation, repeatedly saying, “I just want to go home.

I just want to go home.” The incident comes after over seven months of the killing of Charlie Kirk, a Trump ally, on Sept 10 at Utah university. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk also condemned the incident as a dangerous trend. “They are willing to die to kill the democratically elected president,” Musk said on X.