Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday night prayed for former President Donald Trump’s “speedy recovery” and condemned political violence.
Kishida himself survived an assassination attempt in April 2023, while his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, a close friend of President Trump, was shot and killed in July 2022.
“We must stand firm against any violence that challenges democracy,” Kishida said. Said It was posted on social media platform X shortly after the attack on President Trump.
“I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery,” he added.
Mr. Kishida Evacuated At a campaign event in western Japan in April 2023, an assailant hurled an explosive device at him, but no one was injured. The attack appeared to have involved a crude pipe bomb, and one police officer was slightly injured. The assailant, Ryuji Kimura, 24, was subdued by the crowd when he attempted to throw a second bomb.
police Decided Kimura was charged with attempted murder and several other offences because the bomb he threw was potentially lethal. Kimura was uncooperative with police after his arrest, and is believed to have been upset over a Japanese law that would prevent him from running in the 2022 elections.
The attack on Kishida was launched by his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. shot During a speech in Nara city near Kyoto.
Suspect Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, said he had no “political grudge” against Prime Minister Abe, but rather attack Yamagami later said he had been angry at the Unification Church, the controversial religious group to which Abe belonged, because his mother had bankrupted the family by donating large amounts of money to the church. Yamagami decided that Abe was a more convenient target than the actual leadership of the church.
Yamagami shot Abe with a homemade gun and reportedly had six more guns in his home. Though police kept him out of the public eye, Yamagami and his family attracted much attention and even sympathy. Coincidentally, the Nara District Court Announced It was reported last week that Yamagami’s trial date has not yet been set and will probably not take place until next year.
The Japanese government prohibit The decision is also pending for the Unification Church, known in the United States as the “Moonies” after its late Korean founder Sun Myung Moon, which in recent years has paid out millions of dollars in damages to members who say they were duped by deceptive and high-pressure fundraising tactics.
Kyodo News of Japan report Other lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties condemned the shooting of President Trump, with the assassination of Prime Minister Abe still looming large in their minds.
Tomomi Inada, acting secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, commented on Abe’s assassination and said she believes there is a trend towards increasing radicalization in protests and opposition movements against politicians.
“We are now in a situation where we cannot ensure the fairness or security of our elections,” the former defense minister said on a television program.
Hiroshi Ogushi, election campaign chairman for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, also called the incident at the Trump rally “a challenge to democracy that should never happen.”
Oogushi It is called He said the attack on Trump was “outrageous” and, like the shooting of Prime Minister Abe, highlighted the difficulty of ensuring the safety of candidates while protecting people’s freedom to express inflammatory views.
Trump was a “true friend” to Abe, he said. statement After Prime Minister Abe was shot, President Trump met with him. The two met several times during President Trump’s term. In the summer of 2020, President Trump told Prime Minister Abe that he was the best prime minister in the history of Japan.
“We are deeply saddened by the news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot and is in very serious condition,” Trump said in a statement before Abe died of his injuries.
“He was a true friend of mine, and most importantly, a true friend of America. This is a terrible blow to the great people of Japan who loved and respected him so much. We are all praying for Prime Minister Shinzo and his wonderful family!” Trump said.
Some internet users recalled the friendship between Trump and Prime Minister Abe, Memes On Saturday night, several posts claimed Abe’s spirit had intervened to save Trump’s life. Some were humorous, others genuinely moving. In some memes, Abe appeared as a kindly spirit who nudged Trump’s head at just the right time; in others, he appeared as a fierce supernatural guardian, a ghostly samurai who could block bullets, or even a ghostly samurai who could block bullets. Deflect it Unsurprisingly, some of the Japanese-made memes depicted Trump and Abe as anime characters.
most Popular memes In Japan, the video, reposted by several popular conservative politicians, purportedly shows Trump reflecting that “for a moment, I thought I heard the voice of an old friend.” The fictitious news was often accompanied by an image of Abe’s benevolent ghost floating in the sky.
