President Donald Trump walks on stage after gunshots are heard at the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC.
World leaders reacted with shock and support for US President Donald Trump on Sunday after a man armed with multiple weapons stormed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC on Saturday and was later arrested by US Secret Service agents.
President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Trump Cabinet members were evacuated from the event. President Trump told reporters in the White House briefing room after the incident that one police officer was shot, but that “he was saved by the fact that he was obviously wearing a very good body armor.”
The shooting suspect was identified late Saturday as Cole Allen, of Torrance, California. He is being held by authorities pending an investigation into the shooting.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “shocked” by the scene at the dinner.
“Any attack on democratic institutions or press freedom must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said in a post on X.
Mr Starmer has faced repeated criticism from Mr Trump for not supporting more of the US-Israel-led war against Iran.
According to media reports citing a statement from Buckingham Palace, Britain’s King Charles III is “fully informed of developments” in the United States. The monarch is scheduled to visit US President Donald Trump on Monday.
“There will be a number of discussions throughout the day to discuss with our US colleagues and their respective teams the extent to which the events of Saturday night will impact on the operational plans for the visit,” the BBC quoted the Palace as saying.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his opening remarks at the government meeting that “there is no place for violence against political leaders or anyone. This does not just include the United States, but first and foremost includes the State of Israel from within its own borders.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, whose country has come under attack as Israeli forces pursue Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces, further condemned the shooting.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is evacuated after a gunman opens fire during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is mediating negotiations between the United States and Iran, also said he was shocked by the incident.
“I am relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and the other attendees are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with him and I wish him continued safety and happiness,” Sharif wrote in a post on X.
Other U.S. allies in the Middle East also expressed support for Trump.
The United Arab Emirates, which has faced repeated retaliatory attacks by Iran, said it “strongly condemns such criminal acts and firmly rejects all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability.”
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the shooting.
“Violence has no place in politics”
European Union leaders responded in unison to the shooting incident.
“Violence has no place in politics,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on the X program.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kalas echoed similar sentiments.
In a social media post, Karas added: “An event celebrating freedom of the press should never become a stage for fear. I wish the injured police officer a speedy recovery.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose relations with President Donald Trump have soured in recent months over the Iran war and Trump’s attacks on the Pope, joined the chorus of support for the president after the shooting.
“I want to express my complete solidarity and my deepest sympathy to President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance, and everyone who attended last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner for what happened,” Meloni said in a statement.
“There is no place for political hatred in our democracy. We will not tolerate fanaticism that poisons the spaces of free discussion and information. To protect the values on which our nation was built, the defense of the culture of confrontation must remain an insurmountable bulwark against any tide of intolerance,” Meloni added.
President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea, one of the United States’ staunchest allies in Asia, said: “Political violence is a grave threat that shakes the very foundations of democracy and can never be justified under any circumstances.”
