Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his deep concern following an assassination attempt targeting former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Fumio Kishida | Image by lev radin via Shutterstock
Japanese Prime Minister Reacts to Trump Assassination Attempt
“We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy. I pray for former President Trump’s speedy recovery,” wrote the PM on X. Kishida himself was saved from an apparent assassination attempt in April 2023, while he was giving a stump speech at a fishing port in Wakayama city. Assailant Ryuji Kimura threw a homemade pipe bomb in the direction of the prime minister. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the attack. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in Pennsylvania.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief who was in the audience, died trying to protect his family. Marine veteran, David Dutch, 57, had to undergo several surgeries after he was shot in the liver and chest. Retired grandfather, James Copenhaver, 74, was also critically wounded. The perpetrator Thomas Matthew Crooks was immediately killed by at least one Secret Service sharpshooter. Trump injured his ear before being escorted to his motorcade. “There is a situation in which we cannot ensure the fairness of elections and the foundations of safety,” said Tomomi Inada, the acting secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Hiroshi Ogushi, head of the election strategy committee of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, described the attack as a “challenge to democracy that should never happen.”
The NPA Urges Prefectural Police To Tighten Security
On Sunday, the National Police Agency (NPA) in Japan instructed prefectural police departments in the country’s 47 prefectures to tighten security for political speeches and other events. This includes the use of protective devices and equipment such as bulletproof barriers to protect politicians and other prominent figures from attacks from behind. Despite Japan’s image as a relatively safe country, there have been some worrying trends in recent times. During the Tokyo gubernatorial election, both Yuriko Koike and Renho Saito received threatening messages. And nine months before the assassination attempt on Kishida, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed while delivering a campaign speech in Nara city.
Shinzo Abe | Anthony Quintano
Social Media Reacts to Trump Assassination Attempt with Memes
The Spirit of Abe Rescues Trump
Since the assassination attempt on Trump, there have been several memes related to Abe and how his spirit intervened to save his old friend’s life. In one tweet, Abe is depicted as an angel with the words, “No one shall harm my Nakama.” Another wrote, “Shinzo Abe’s soul whispered to President Trump to not fall like he did, and to stand tall like a champion.” Others tweeted about him tilting his head to listen to Abe and avoiding the bullet as a result. Several people have included anime references in their tweets, such as one user who posted a video of Son Goku rescuing Gohan in Dragon Ball, along with the words, “Shinzo Abe knocking the bullet away from Trump’s head.” There have also been many references to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, like this fan animation.
While these are attempts at humor, some political commentators in Japan have shared this idea of Abe rescuing Trump as real news. Others on X have questioned why he only saved Trump and not Corey Comperatore.
