Former US President Donald Trump said he was “utterly devastated” to learn about the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is in critical condition after being shot in the chest.
Abe, 67, was shot by a gunman while campaigning for the upcoming parliamentary election in the Japanese city of Nara. he is Currently hospitalized and doctors are fighting to save his life.According to a statement by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Expressing grief over the incident in a statement on his social media app, Truth Social, Trump said, “Absolutely devastating news that Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, a truly great man and leader has been shot , and very serious. The situation.”
He went on to say that Abe “was a true friend to me and more importantly America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and him.” Beautiful family!”
Trump and Abe had spoken on several occasions when the two men were in office – from bilateral meetings and global summits to a game of golf at the US president’s Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago. According to the New York Times, the mercantile Trump formed a “solid relationship” with the ultra-conservative Japanese politician.
In a memorable conversation between them at the White House in February 2017, the reality TV star-turned-president held Abe’s hand in his trademark bizarre handshake and let it go after several long moments, much to the delight of the Japanese premiere. The video of the awkward exchange went viral at that time.
President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinz Abe shared an 18-second long, awkward handshake today. More: https://t.co/vQAdrl7NyY pic.twitter.com/TH1HOBLulj
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 10, 2017
Still, Trump has clearly held Abe in high esteem for quite some time. During a phone call between the two leaders in August 2020, the then US President Trump called Shinzo Abe the greatest prime minister in Japanese history. Their conversation came after Abe announced his decision to step down as prime minister due to health concerns.
According to a White House statement, Trump further praised Abe, saying he has done a “great job” and that ties between the US and Japan are stronger than ever.
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