World

Trump Survives Assassination Attempt, Says ‘I’m Supposed to Be Dead’

Written by Jerry Alomatu on July 15, 2024

News Views: 50

US Republican candidate Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The 78-year-old former president, struck in the ear by a gunman, was swiftly surrounded by Secret Service agents and taken off the stage, blood smeared across his face. The shocking incident has intensified concerns about security and stability ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.

In the aftermath, Trump spoke to the New York Post, describing the experience as “very surreal.”

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump said during an interview aboard his plane en route to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is set to be confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate.

With a white bandage covering his right ear, Trump recounted how he avoided a fatal shot by tilting his head to read a chart on illegal immigrants while addressing the rally.

“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” he remarked.

The assassination attempt left the gunman and a bystander dead, with two other spectators critically injured. Trump praised the Secret Service agents for their swift response.

“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” Trump said. “They did a fantastic job. It’s surreal for all of us.”

An iconic image of Trump raising a defiant fist as Secret Service agents escorted him away has spread virally on social media and made front pages worldwide.

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump told the Post. “They’re right, and I didn’t die. Usually, you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

Following the attempt on his life, Trump is reworking the speech he had prepared for the Republican convention. He noted that he had initially drafted a “tough speech” criticizing President Biden’s administration but decided to replace it with one aimed at uniting the country.

“I don’t know if that’s possible. People are very divided,” he added.