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Donald Trump shooting spurs ‘increased vigilance’ in Canada, minister says

Click to play video: 'Trump shooting: World leaders condemn attack on former US president'
Trump shooting: World leaders condemn attack on former US president
WATCH: Trump shooting — World leaders condemn attack on former U.S. president – Jul 14, 2024

Canadian security agencies are “exercising increased vigilance” after the assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump over the weekend, the federal public safety minister said.

Dominic LeBlanc said in a series of posts on X that he had been briefed on Sunday by officials from Public Safety Canada, the RCMP commissioner and the director of CSIS in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania.

“They have assured me that they are exercising increased vigilance and are in close contact with their American partners,” LeBlanc said.

“I have every confidence that they will continue to keep Canadians safe.”

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Speaking to reporters in New Brunswick on Monday, LeBlanc said the government won’t talk about specific security measures.

“But I am confident that the RCMP will do what’s necessary to protect elected leaders in Canada,” he added.

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The RCMP said it was in contact with its U.S. counterparts regarding the assassination attempt on Trump.

“The RCMP continues to work together with local police of jurisdiction across the country as well as our international partners to share as much information as possible, and to adapt its protective measures, when required, in order to ensure adequate protection for all the people it protects,” Marie-Eve Breton, a Mounties spokesperson, told Global News in an emailed statement.

“The environment in which public figures operate is constantly evolving, and the RCMP takes all threats against public officials seriously,” she added.

CSIS told Global News it had nothing further to add to LeBlanc’s comments from Sunday.

Click to play video: 'Trump shooting: U.S. Secret Service under scrutiny for security lapses at rally'
Trump shooting: U.S. Secret Service under scrutiny for security lapses at rally

U.S. investigators are still looking for the motive behind Saturday’s shooting that injured Trump and left two people dead, including the shooter, in Butler, Pa. Two spectators were also critically injured.

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The FBI, which has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the suspected gunman, said it was investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism.

As the probe continues, LeBlanc said Canadian security agencies and law enforcement organizations “stand ready to assist” their U.S. counterparts in any way.

“The information we have to date shows no link to Canada,” he said on X.

Click to play video: 'Trump shooting: What impact will the attack have on the RNC?'
Trump shooting: What impact will the attack have on the RNC?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has condemned the violence, spoke to Trump on Sunday afternoon, wishing him well and expressing condolences to the shooting victims.

“The Prime Minister condemned yesterday’s appalling assassination attempt and reiterated there’s no place for political violence,” a readout from Trudeau’s office said.

On Monday, LeBlanc acknowledged there have been threats of violence against Canadian politicians, but he wouldn’t share the specifics about how many, to whom they have been directed and where they are coming from.

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Government documents obtained by Global News warn that the torrent of online threats against public officials has led some Canadians to believe they can threaten, encourage and cheer on political violence with impunity.

Canadian intelligence officials say threatening rhetoric is increasingly seen as a legitimate way to express frustrations, grievances and dissent, fuelling a surge of often violent threats against elected and public officials.

— with files from Global News’ Marc-Andre Cossette, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

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