The News
The FBI has opened an investigation into an apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested in Florida after being spotted with a rifle near where the former president was playing golf Sunday.
Routh, 58, had previously spoken to Semafor in 2023 about his frustration toward what he saw as burdensome limits on foreigners volunteering as troops to aid Ukraine’s war effort.
As happened in July, when the Republican nominee was shot in the ear by a would-be assassin, the global reaction to the attempt was swift, with many world leaders expressing shock and dismay, while Ukraine warned against potential conspiracy theories linking its war effort to the incident.
The View From Ukraine
Ukraine’s officials warned that Russia would seize on the suspect’s identification as a pro-Ukraine activist to fuel propaganda in support of the war.
“In the future, the enemy will launch a number of conspiracy theories about the ‘Ukrainian trail.’ Of course, all this is a lie. But information confrontation is a component of the war,” the head of the National Security and Defence Council’s Centre for Combating Disinformation wrote on Telegram.
The International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine and the Azov Brigade said Monday that Routh was never “a part of, associated with, or linked to” the country’s foreign volunteer units.
“We believe that the spread of the narrative about the possible connection between Azov and Ryan Wesley Routh is playing along with Russian propaganda and discredits the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine in general,” Azov said in a statement.
The View From Hungary
One of Trump’s staunchest European friends, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, was quick to express solidarity with the GOP nominee after the apparent second attempt on his life.
“It is clear that President Trump’s life is in danger, until his victory. We are praying for you, Mr. President!” Orbán wrote on X.
The View From Germany
Germany’s ascendent far-right Alternative for Germany party also voiced solidarity with the former president, with leader Björn Höcke calling for “no more of the same for the Western world!”
“Again! This time an assassin with an assault rifle was lying in wait for Trump while playing golf. The shots missed again: hole-in-one for the #USA! There can be no more of the same for the Western world!” Höcke wrote.
The View From Italy
“Total support to Donald Trump after another second assassination attempt. Trials, violence, fanatics and communists will not stop us. Forward with our heads held high,” Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, a right-wing populist who is considered a key ally of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, wrote.
The View From The UK
In the UK, leaders from across the political spectrum voiced concern: Left-leaning Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply troubled” by the events, adding that violence “has no part to play at all in any political process.” Meanwhile, the leader of Reform UK, a right-wing populist party, Nigel Farage described the news as “truly appalling.”
The View From Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife were “shocked” by the attempted assassination, and appeared to criticize the Secret Service, which has significantly stepped up its protection of Trump since coming under fire from US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after the first assassination attempt in July.
“[We] were relieved to hear that it failed. But we should not rely on luck. We send our best wishes to Donald and Melania along with our hopes that all measures will be taken to ensure that such deadly attacks on a candidate for the US presidency will be foiled in advance.”
The View From China
Users on Chinese social media platform Weibo were quick to share conspiracy theories questioning the authenticity of the incident, while other users described it as exemplary of US political instability, CNBC News reported.