Donald Trump shooting: Jo Cox’s sister says UK is ‘not making a huge amount of progress’ in protecting politicians
The sister of murdered MP Jo Cox has warned that the UK and other countries “are not making a huge amount of progress” in protecting politicians, after the gun attack on Donald Trump.
The former US President was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet “pierced” his ear before he was dragged to the ground by Secret Service agents. Mr Trump later wrote he was “safe”.
The suspected gunman - named by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks - was killed, while the Secret Service confirmed one person in the crowd had died and two others had been “critically injured”.
Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP for Spen Valley and Ms Cox’s sister, condemned the assassination attempt as “shocking, deeply disturbing and deeply upsetting”.
“There is absolutely no place for violence in a decent civilised democracy and society, and those scenes are deeply shocking,” she told the BBC.
“We have got to have that conversation about what a civilised democracy looks like. I have been having it since Jo was killed.
“I sadly feel that we are not making a huge amount of progress in this country and in other countries and we have got to keep having that conversation.”
Ms Cox was murdered in 2016 by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair in Birstall, when she had been due to hold a constituency surgery.
Her husband Brendan Cox tweeted to say: “We need a consensus against political violence in all forms.”
The Prime Minister said: “I am appalled by the shocking scenes at President Trump’s rally and we send him and his family our best wishes.
“Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.”
Mr Trump had been presenting a chart of border crossing numbers to the crowd then shots rang out across the crowd.
Secret service agents rushed the stage as footage from the event captured screams ringing out from the crowd.
The bangs continued as agents tended to him before Mr Trump got back up and pumped his fist before he was whisked to his motorcade to leave the venue.
Posting on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.
“Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead.”
Spokesman Steven Cheung added that Mr Trump is “fine” and gives his thanks to “law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act”.
House of Commons leader Lucy Powell said there has been “a rise in intimidation and attacks on serving politicians or people who want to be politicians in this country too”.
She said some colleagues had “real difficulties” while campaigning, telling Sky: “They have seen intimidation in the streets when campaigning, they have seen some intimidatory activity around and nearby polling stations.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who had objects thrown at him on the campaign trail in Barnsley, blamed the “mainstream media” that “MPs from all sides now are increasingly at risk”.