- President Zardari calls the incident a “heinous act of terrorism.”
- Chief Minister Shehbaz said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident.
- Japan’s prime minister says violence can never be tolerated anywhere.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other world leaders expressed relief after it was reported that President Donald Trump, the first lady and other aides were safe following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
Shots were fired near the scene at the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual political media event, prompting 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 Washington Hilton hotel checkpoint before being tackled and arrested.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was the target of the attack, although he told reporters he believed he was. The president has survived two previous attempts on his life since 2024, a period of deepening political polarization in the United States.
In a post on
“President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, expressed relief that President Trump and the first lady are safe, and called the incident a heinous act of terrorism.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident and expressed relief for the safety of all attendees, adding prayers for their continued safety and well-being.
“Deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, recently,” he posted on X.
“It is a relief 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.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed relief, stating that violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned.
“Relieved to know that President Trump, First Lady and Vice President are safe and sound 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 know that President Trump is safe after the terrifying shootings. Violence should 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 recent events. We send them our respect. Violence should never be the way.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed relief that everyone in attendance was safe. “We applaud the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement for their quick action,” he said.
