Trump laments ‘devastating’ murder of Shinzo Abe and calls for killer to be dealt with ‘harshly’

Two former premiers shared several awkward but amicable encounters during their overlapping terms in office

Donald Trump has offered his thoughts on the killing of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot by a lone gunman while giving a campaign speech.

Posting on his bespoke platform Truth Social, the former president first described Mr Abe’s shooting as “devastating news”, calling him “a truly great man and leader” as well as “a truly great friend of mine and, much more importantly, America.”

When the news came that Mr Abe had died from his injuries, Mr Trump wrote: “Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead. He was assassinated. His Killer was captured and will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly.

“Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind. He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan.

“Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him!”

Mr Trump and Mr Abe’s terms of office overlapped, and the Japanese leader was one of the first major global counterparts Mr Trump hosted in Washington as president. Mr Abe was visibly embarrassed at various points in the encounter, in particular during an infamously awkward 19-second handshake.

Another meeting, this one in Japan, saw Mr Trump ad-libbing remarks about their countries’ relative merits.

“The Japanese people are thriving, your cities are vibrant, and you’ve built one of the world’s most powerful economies. I don’t know if it’s as good as ours. I think not, OK?”

Mr Abe’s main point of difference with Mr Trump was on the issue of North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development, where he took a far more serious line than the American president.