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How the Trump Pennsylvania rally shooting looked from China
- Comments range from neutral to gloating as apparent assassination attempt becomes top trending topic on Chinese social media
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Zhang Tongin Beijing
The apparent assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump swiftly became the top trending topic on Chinese social media, drawing comparisons with other political figures killed by gunmen.
Within hours of the shooting at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the topics “#Trump was shot” and “#Trump says a bullet pierced his right ear” were among the most searched on microblogging service Weibo.
The tone of the comments ranged from neutral to gloating, with various commenters saying the presumptive Republican Party nominee “failed to meet Shinzo Abe”, a reference to the former Japanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2022.
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Others drew parallels with the 1963 death of US president John F. Kennedy and marvelled at Trump’s luck.
“A simple turn of his head during the speech saved him, otherwise it could have been fatal,” a commenter said.
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The incident prompted some internet users to highlight the wide access to firearms in the United States and the frequent number of gun crimes.
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