Trudeau Speaks With Trump After Assassination Attempt

Then-President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend the NATO summit in Watford, England, on Dec. 4, 2019. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with former president Donald Trump in a call July 14,  just one day after the Republican candidate survived an assassination attempt that claimed the life of one person and injured two others.

During the call, the prime minister condemned the “appalling” attempted shooting of Mr. Trump and “reiterated there’s no place for political violence,” Mr. Trudeau’s office said in a statement.

Mr. Trudeau also wished the former president well and offered condolences to all shooting victims and to the family of Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief who was killed while shielding his family from the sniper’s bullets at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally on July 13.

Mr. Trump was hustled off the stage with a bloodied face after a bullet pierced his ear during the campaign rally, marking the first shooting of a U.S. president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.

The U.S. Secret Service released a statement saying the shooter had fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside the rally venue wounding Mr. Trump, killing Mr. Comperatore, and critically wounding two other rally attendees.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by the Secret Service seconds after he allegedly fired shots toward the stage where the former president was speaking.

Canadian Leaders Condemn Shooting

Following the assassination attempt against Mr. Trump, world leaders and Canadian party leaders issued statements condemning the attack and wishing the former president well.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre condemned “the attempted murder” of former President Trump in a post on social media.

“I am relieved he is safe. My prayers are with other innocent people harmed or killed by this heinous act,” Mr. Poilievre said on platform X on July 13. “I am also happy that the suspected shooter is dead. Democracy must prevail.”

Yves-F. Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, said he “unequivocally” denounces the attack on Mr. Trump.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said there is “no room for violence at any political event,” in a July 13 X post.

“We must all stand united against political violence wherever it happens,” he said.  “My thoughts are with former President Trump and his family, as well as with the other victims of this shooting.”

Mr. Trudeau also released a statement on social media, saying he was “sickened” by the shooting.

“It cannot be overstated—political violence is never acceptable,” he said.

The UK’s new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, posted on X that he was shocked by the attack, and that “political violence in any form has no place in our societies.”  French President Emmanuel Macron said in his own statement that his thoughts are with former President Trump, and that “France shares the shock and indignation of the American people.”

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, in a series of posts on social media on July 14, said top security officials in Canada have assured him that while the shooting “shows no link to Canada,” they are “exercising increased vigilance and are in close contact with their American partners.”

Mr. LeBlanc said he met with RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director David Vigneault, and Public Safety Canada officials.

“I have every confidence that they will continue to keep Canadians safe,” Mr. LeBlanc said. “However, our security agencies and law enforcement organizations stand ready to assist our U.S. counterparts in any way.”

He described political violence as “corrosive for democracy” and said Canada would always stand against such acts.

“No matter our political disagreements, violence is never the answer. Such actions are an assault on us all,” he said. “My thoughts are with the former President and all those affected by this heinous act.”

Former President Trump, in a July 14 statement, thanked his supporters, saying it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” during the shooting.

The Canadian Press, The Associated Press, Jack Phillips, and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.