(RepublicanWire.org) – On Friday, Joe Biden made a statement about former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination that raised eyebrows. While the president was initially criticized for his extremely slow response to the tragic news, attention quickly shifted to his mention of “gun violence” in this horrific incident.
“I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning,” Biden said. “This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him. I had the privilege to work closely with Prime Minister Abe. As Vice President, I visited him in Tokyo and welcomed him to Washington. He was a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people. The longest serving Japanese Prime Minister, his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy. While there are many details that we do not yet know, we know that violent attacks are never acceptable and that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it. The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief. I send my deepest condolences to his family.”
The problem, of course, is that gun violence is practically unheard of in Japan, which has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world due to its strict laws. The suspect even used a homemade gun.
As tributes poured in from around the world, noticeably absent were any statements from President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Abe is Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He served from 2006 to 2007 and again in 2012 until he resigned in 2020 after his ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition, resurfaced, calling his decision at the time “gut-wrenching.”
During his term, he focused on the economy, rebuilding Japan’s military and being a larger player in international affairs.
Abe was the first world leader to meet with President Trump after his 2016 election and the two had a warm relationship.