Key Points
- Australian leaders have condemned the shooting at a Donald Trump rally.
- Anthony Albanese says he is relieved to hear Trump is safe.
- Former prime minister Scott Morrison has described it as “attempted assassination”.
Trump survived what is being described as an attempted assassination after shots were fired during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania where he was speaking. He has since been released from hospital after issuing a statement saying he was doing “fine”.
Albanese described the incident as “concerning and confronting”, adding there was no place for violence in the democratic process.
He said the incident underscored the importance of “lowering the temperature of debate” at home.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (local time), 13 July, 2024. Source: AAP / Gene J Puskar/AP
“There is nothing to be served by some of the escalation of rhetoric that we see in some of our political debate, political discourse, in the democratic world,” he said, adding it was a phenomenon not unique to the United States.
“I’ve been talking for a long period of time about people having conflict fatigue in this country, about being able to have a political discourse which is respectful. I think that that’s the
essence of democracy. There’s a lot of shouting going on.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said violence had “no place in society” and wished Trump a speedy recovery.
“It is a relief to see President Trump is safe,” he said.
“It’s heartening to see his arm was up and he was mobile.”
“Prayers also for America and its people, a great democracy and our great friend at this difficult time”.