King Charles sends message to Donald Trump after assassination attempt

The king wrote to Donald Trump after the former US president survived an assassination attempt.

Charles’ message was delivered via the British Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday.

Buckingham Palace said the contents of the correspondence would remain private, but the royal’s message is understood to be consistent with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s conversation with Mr Trump, in which he condemned the violence, expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and wished the former president and those injured a speedy recovery.

Mr Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

After being treated at a local medical facility where his injuries were not deemed serious, he returned home to New Jersey.

Mr Trump later released a statement on Truth Social, saying he had been hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”.

He added: “I knew immediately something was wrong, I heard a whistle, gunshots, and I immediately felt the bullet go through the skin. There was a lot of bleeding, so I knew what was going on. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Three spectators were also hit by bullets, including one that killed Corey Comperatore, 50, who died protecting his daughters.

The FBI later identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, as the shooter, who fired on the rally from the roof of a nearby building outside the event venue. He was later shot and killed by a sniper from the Secret Service’s Counter-Strike Team.

Family reactions and President’s statement

Former first lady and Mr Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, wrote in a statement: “When I saw that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized that my life and Barron’s life were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the courageous Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers who risked their own lives to protect my husband.

“To the families of the innocent victims who are suffering today from this heinous act, I humbly offer my deepest condolences. Your need to call upon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.”

Donald Trump and Melania have a son, Barron, 18. He had Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric with his first wife, the late Ivana Trump. His daughter Tiffany is from his second marriage to Marla Maples.

In response to the assassination attempt on Mr Trump, US President Joe Biden said: “I am grateful to hear that he is safe and doing well. I am praying for him and his family and all those who were at the rally as we await further information.”

“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must come together as a nation to condemn it.”