Mr Albanese condemned the attack on the Republican presidential candidate and offered his condolences to the victim and the family of an audience member killed in the attack.
“This was an unforgivable attack on the democratic values that Australians and Americans share and on the freedoms we cherish,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.
Anthony Albanese calls for defusing political tensions after Donald Trump was shot. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Any act of violence is an attack on democratic values and “must be unequivocally condemned,” he said.
“We need to lower the temperature of the debate,” he said.
“There is no advantage to be gained from some escalation of rhetoric.
“We need to be able to have political discussions and express differences of opinion (and) do so in a respectful manner.”
The Prime Minister said he had spoken to Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd. He conveyed the country’s thoughts and concerns to the chairman of the Republican National Committee and received a grateful response.
According to Albanese, Australian security services were also in contact with their US counterparts as part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and were keen to learn what lessons could be learned from them.
Donald Trump punches the air after being shot in the ear. (AP PHOTO)
He would not speculate on what additional measures the Australian Federal Police would take to protect Australian lawmakers, but Albanese called for a tempering of the political debate as tensions in the community rise.
He also warned against the spread of misinformation and disinformation while the facts about the shooting were still emerging.
“We must all be wary of those who use disinformation to sow division,” he said.
“This is not a day for politics, this is a day to unite and express our concerns regardless of one’s political views.”
Sending my best wishes to former President Trump following this shocking attempt on his life. It is a relief to see his statement and I wish him a speedy recovery. — Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) My thoughts and prayers are with the deceased spectator and others who were injured. Violence has no place in society.July 14, 2024
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also offered his thoughts and prayers for the former president, reiterating that violence has no place in society.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the spectators who died and the others who were injured,” he wrote on the social media site X.
Trump has since issued a statement saying he is “fine” after video footage showed him bleeding above his ear after falling to the ground after hearing gunshots.
He was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, his fist raised in the air.
According to the latest reports from the scene, one spectator at the rally has been killed, another seriously injured and the shooter dead.
Rudd also condemned the violence and was pleased with the news that Trump was safe.
— Kevin Rudd AC (@AmboRudd) photo.twitter.com/jCuvQHO3ftJuly 13, 2024
Former Australian Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott offered their thoughts and prayers as they also condemned the violence.
“It is never right to try to settle a political disagreement with a gun,” Abbott wrote on X
“Everyone must realize that in a stable democracy the things that unite us are always more important than the things that divide us.”
Mr Albanese said it would be “a tragedy” if politicians were unable to communicate with the public and their communities because of security concerns.
with Reuters
