During a recent interview with Fox News’ Mark Levin, former President Donald Trump opened up about the assassination attempt on his life at a July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump recounted the events leading up to and following the incident, including the moment his wife Melania and their 18-year-old son Barron learned of the attack.
Trump recalled how Melania was watching the rally live on television and Barron was outside at his tennis lesson when the shots were fired. He described Barron as a “good kid” and “good student” who loves his father. When someone ran up to Barron to tell him that his father had been shot, he immediately ran to his mother, who was in disbelief and shock.
Shortly after, Trump himself got up and assured the crowd that he was okay. He considers his survival a “miracle” and credits the fact that he had turned his head to view a chart on immigration as the reason the bullet missed him.
“The amazing thing about the chart, I rarely use it in a speech,” Trump said. “I just said ‘put out the chart.’ And then I turned around…if I turned around just a little bit less, or a little bit more…it would have been the end.”
Sadly, the incident resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, who died while shielding his daughters from the gunfire. Two rally attendees, James Copenhaver and David Dutch, were also critically injured. The seriousness of the situation hit home for Trump when he realized that it could have been much worse.
However, the aftermath of the assassination attempt raised concerns about the Secret Service’s handling of the situation. It was reported that at least five agents were put on leave on August 23rd, nearly six weeks after the incident. This led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on July 23rd, after the House Oversight Committee concluded that she had “failed to provide answers” about the “stunning operational failure” during her testimony at a hearing the day before.
Trump recalls the moment Melania and his son, Barron, learned of the assassination attempt on his life pic.twitter.com/ZILkiUj85I
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 2, 2024
Footage from July 31st showed a figure walking across the roof of the nearby American Glass Research building just minutes before the shots were fired. This led to speculation that the Secret Service may have missed an opportunity to prevent the assassination attempt.
In the end, Trump considers himself fortunate to have survived the incident and is grateful for the quick actions of the Secret Service agents who protected him. However, the event serves as a reminder of the potential danger and risk that comes with being a public figure.