Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the assassination attempt on former United States President Donald Trump that left him with a grazed and bleeding ear.
President Ramaphosa expressed his concerns on Sunday, and said the assassination attempt was a stark reminder of the dangers of political extremism and intolerance.
“Political violence is the antithesis of democracy. I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery,” he said.
He decried the attack and called on the US nation to always strive for non-violent resolution of conflicts.
“We unequivocally denounce this political violence and earnestly hope that the citizens and leaders of America will have the fortitude and sagacity to reject violence and seek peaceful solutions,” Ramaphosa said.
His voice joins messages from world leaders who also condemned the attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the shocking scenes.
“Political violence in any form has no place in our societies,” Starmer said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva similarly denounced the attack and said the shooting must be strongly condemned by all defenders of democracy and political dialogue.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concerns.
“I am deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, violence has no place in politics and democracies,” Modi said.
US President Joe Biden called on the nation to remain calm and said the temperature of political rhetoric should be lowered, asking for more respectful discourse and civility in the wake of the assassination attempt.
Biden said that Americans should remember that politics is an arena for rational debate, and that settling scores through violence is anathema to the country’s democratic traditions.
“In America, we resolve our differences at the ballot box, not with bullets. The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of would-be assassins,” Biden said.
This follows the recent attack on Trump during a speech he delivered at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The 78-year-old former president was rushed off stage with blood streaked across his face with an injury to his ear, while the shooter and a bystander were killed and two spectators were critically injured.
The country’s Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and have not yet confirmed a motive for the attack.
The shooter, identified as 20 year old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed by security snipers at the event, following the shot.
Trump has called for unity within the country following the attack and said it was divine intervention that aided him in surviving the ordeal.
“It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening, I urge fellow Americans to unite in not allowing evil to win,” he said.
He is expected to continue his campaign trail on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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