King Charles 'can relate to Donald Trump' as monarch sends confidential message, says Michael Cole

King Charles 'can relate to Donald Trump' as monarch sends confidential message, says Michael Cole

WATCH NOW: Michael Cole reacts to King Charles's confidential message to Donald Trump

GBNA
Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 16/07/2024

- 17:31

Updated: 16/07/2024

- 19:27

A 20-year-old gunman was shot dead at the scene of Donald Trump's Pennsylvania rally on Saturday

King Charles is "able to relate to Donald Trump" following his assassination attempt during a campaign rally this weekend.

The former US President was struck by a bullet on his ear on Saturday as he gave his keynote speech in Pennsylvania.


Trump then flew to Milwaukee the following day, where he was officially announced as the Republican candidate for November's election. In his first interview following the shooting, Trump told the NY Post that he "should be dead".

Speaking to GBN America, former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole said that King Charles "can relate" to the shocking events of Saturday, recalling the monarch's own assassination attempt in 1997.

King Charles and Donald Trump

King Charles has sent a personal message to Donald Trump following an assassination attempt on Saturday

Getty

Cole explained: "In 1994 in Sydney, a young man with a starting pistol fired it twice in his general direction. And I remember very clearly the Prince of Wales, as he then was, had a police protection officer called Inspector Colin Trimming, and he jumped on this young man who fired these shots and wrestled him to the ground.

"The King stood on and looked in bemusement, fiddled with his cufflinks and looked at the scene."

Sharing his thoughts on the message the King has sent to Donald Trump following the incident, Cole stated that although the context "isn't known", it is expected that the letter was "heartfelt".

Cole told host Nana Akua: "We don't exactly know any of the content, but you can expect it to have been heartfelt and encouraging, because heads of state and heirs to the head of state know all about the dangers that come when you're interacting with the public.

King Charles and Donald Trump

King Charles and Donald Trump spent time together during the former President's state visit to London in 2019

Getty

"It's not usually with an assassin on a roof, but even with members of the public. So immediately upon the news of the attempted assassination and the survival by the ex-president, the King wrote him a note, as he should do."

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Noting the positive relations between King Charles and the former President, Cole revealed that the duo "got on very well" during Trump's state visit to the UK in 2019.

Cole explained: "The King met ex-president Trump when he was here on a state visit, and had more than one meeting with him, I believe they got on very well.

"They bonded over the fact that Trump's mother came from the Isle of Lewis and the Hebrides islands of Scotland, and they got on apparently very well."

Reflecting on the incidents of both King Charles and Trump, alongside other assassination attempts of royals and political figures, Cole claimed it is "part of life for presidents now and also for monarchs".

Michael Cole

Michael Cole says King Charles is 'no stranger' to an assassination attempt

GBNA

Praising the strength of King Charles and Donald Trump, Cole hailed the "coolness under fire", but criticised the "mayhem" caused by the assassination attempt on the former President.

Cole said: "It's regrettable when something like this happens. We're all very pleased that both the King and Trump survived, but it cannot be right in a great democracy like America, that somebody can take matters into their own hands like this and cause mayhem.

"And the results that may have come had ex-President Trump being killed are absolutely unthinkable. I remember very, very clearly November 22nd 1963, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and what followed thereafter.

"It was quite an awful time, and our thoughts and our hearts were with the American people at that time and continue with them."

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