European leaders rushed to condemn political violence on Sunday after a gunman stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner the night before, sparking chaos and forcing U.S. President Donald Trump and guests to be evacuated.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to X to say that she was “relieved” Trump and attendees were safe, adding: “Violence has no place in politics, ever.”
European Council President António Costa called the scenes at the dinner “deeply unsettling,” while praising the “swift action of law enforcement” in securing the venue.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas struck a similar tone, warning that “political violence has no place in a democracy,” and noting that an event meant to celebrate a free press “should never become a scene of fear.” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola posted a similar message on X.
National leaders echoed that message.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “shocked by the scenes” Saturday night in Washington, decrying any attack on democratic institutions and press freedom as unacceptable. Spain’s Pedro Sánchez condemned the attack, writing: “Violence is never the way.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called the targeting of the U.S. president “unacceptable,” adding: “I extend my full support to Donald Trump.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also condemned “the assassination attempt in Washington,” in a post on X. “Violence has no place in a democracy. We decide by majorities, not with weapons,” he said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed “full solidarity” with Trump and the others present at the dinner. “No political hatred can find space in our democracies.”
European leaders “will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information,” she added.
“Protecting democratic institutions is non-negotiable,” Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “Political violence must be firmly rejected,” Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Trump, said he was “troubled by the news” of the attack.
Authorities said a “lone actor,” armed with a shotgun and other weapons, charged a security checkpoint outside the annual dinner late Saturday and exchanged gunfire with security forces. The incident triggered panic inside the ballroom as Trump and other dignitaries were rushed from the stage.
Trump initially signaled he wanted to resume the event before abandoning the idea as security concerns mounted. “We very much wanted to continue it,” he said at a press conference shortly after the incident, adding that he would not let “these sick people … change the fabric of our life.”
One Secret Service officer was struck in his bullet-resistant vest but is “doing great,” the president said, praising the rapid response. In her post, Kallas wished the injured officer a “swift recovery.”
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. The gunman was tackled but was unharmed; he was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
The suspect — who has been identified by multiple news outlets as 31-year-old California resident Cole Tomas Allen — was taken into custody and is expected to face multiple firearm-related charges. Local police said investigators believe that the man, who is believed to be the only suspect in the case, was checked in as a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner was held Saturday evening.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the suspect would be charged with assaulting a federal officer using a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said the person would be arraigned in a federal court on Monday, and did not rule out possible terrorism charges as the investigation develops.
“This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.
Nektaria Stamouli contributed reporting.
