PM Shehbaz, world leaders ‘relieved’ after Trump safe in Washington shooting
- President Zardari terms incident “heinous act of terrorism”.
- PM Shehbaz said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident.
- Japanese PM says violence can never be tolerated anywhere.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other world leaders have expressed relief after President Donald Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees were reported safe following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
Gunshots were fired near the venue at the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual political media event, prompting the security officials to evacuate Trump, his wife, US Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials. The shooter has been arrested.
The man fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel before being tackled and arrested.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was the target of the attack, though he told reporters he believed that he was. The president has survived two previous attempts on his life since 2024, a period of deepening political polarisation in the United States.
In a post on X, President Zardari’s office condemned the shooting, calling it a “heinous act of terrorism,” while expressing relief that President Trump and the First Lady were unharmed.
“President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, expressed relief that President Trump & the First Lady are safe, and termed the incident a heinous act of terrorism.”
PM Shehbaz said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident and expressed relief over the safety of all attendees, adding prayers for continued safety and well-being.
“Deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., a short while ago,” he posted on X.
“Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with him, and I wish him continued safety and well-being.”
India PM Narendra Modi also expressed relief, stating that violence has no place in a 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,” Modi wrote on social media.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the incident terrifying and stressed that violence can 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.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum echoed similar sentiments, welcoming the news that President Trump and his wife are safe, and emphasizing that violence should never be the answer.
“It’s great that President Trump and his wife are doing well after the recent events. We send our respect. Violence should never be the way.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed relief upon learning that all attendees were safe. “We applaud the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies for their swift action,” he stated.
