Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Donald Trump’s attempted assassination is a concern

Katina Curtis and Dan Jervis-Bardy
The Nightly
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit: MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed concern after US presidential candidate Donald Trump was targeted in another assassination attempt.

Multiple gun shots were fired while Mr Trump was playing golf on Sunday (US) at his course in West Palm Beach in Florida

The person fled in an SUV and was later apprehended in a nearby county by local law enforcement, local officials said.

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Speaking from Parliament House in Canberra, Mr Albanese said the incident was concerning.

“Everyone wants the democratic process to be peaceful and to be orderly,” Mr Albanese said.

“This incident in the United States is of concern.

“Again, it is good that President Trump has said that he is safe. It’s not quite clear all of those details (on the incident) but what is clear is that President Trump is safe.”

The attempted assassination comes after Mr Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.

Cabinet minister Clare O’Neil said it was a terrible thing, and such incidents always made her reflect on Australia’s political culture as well.

“It worries me, because America is such an important and powerful democracy and it does affect us here in Australia,” she said.

But she said Australians should neve lose sight of how lucky they were.

“Firstly, having really good powerful gun laws is an important part of this,” she said.

“But the second is a political culture where we resolve our differences at the ballot box and not through violence.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump (C) walks with Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank (R) before a press conference at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles on September 13, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Trump delivered remarks and answered questions from reporters at the event a day after announcing he will not take part in a second debate with Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

“This is not the case in many, many countries in the world and it is something precious and it is something we have got to value because it is fragile at times and we need to support it and protect it.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the incident was “another dreadful demonstration of the potential of political violence” and she was relieved Mr Trump and others were not injured.

“Political violence has no place in any society; (it) certainly has no place in a democracy,” she said.

Mr Albanese will this week travel to the US for a Quad leaders’ summit, which will include talks with US president Joe Biden.

At this stage, a meeting with either Mr Trump or Vice President or Democrat candidate Kamala Harris appears unlikely.

The talks in Delaware are expected to include individual meetings with Mr Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and India’s leader Narendra Modi, as well as the four-way discussion about Indo-Pacific security.

Mr Albanese flagged there would also be discussions about the AUKUS arrangements with the United States.

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