In a remarkable act of unity, it has been disclosed that King Charles III sent a confidential letter to former U.S. President Donald Trump. This followed an assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The letter was sent through the UK Embassy in Washington, D.C. Details of the letter are not available as Buckingham Palace has decided not to reveal its content.
Trump faced an assassination attempt on Saturday evening, July 13, 2024, when an armed assailant started shooting at the campaign rally, hitting Trump’s ear. Trump reacted with courage, raising a fist smeared with blood to the crowd. “Had I not turned to look at the screen at that exact moment, we would not be talking today,” Trump said in an interview. The bullet left Trump in shock but resolute.
The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by Secret Service agents present at the rally. Corey Comperatore, a rally participant, was killed, and two others were critically injured. The FBI is currently investigating the incident, and early reports suggest that Crooks acted independently.
The sentiments in King Charles’s letter align with those expressed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who denounced the violence and offered his condolences to Trump and the families of the victims. Starmer stressed that “political violence in any form has no place in our societies,” a sentiment shared by global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden urged Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics” and expressed relief that Trump was unharmed.
Historically, King Charles and Trump share a bond. When Trump was president, then-Prince Charles hosted Trump and his wife, Melania, for tea at Clarence House. Trump’s admiration for the King was clear earlier this year when he publicly prayed for Charles’s speedy recovery from cancer.
While the details of King Charles’s letter remain undisclosed, it represents a shared moment of humanity and concern that crosses political lines. This act by the King underlines the importance of international unity during crises, strengthening the enduring relationship between the UK and the U.S.