I shouldn't be here today: Trump describes attack during Republican convention speech
Trump described how he took the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on the previous Saturday with music playing and a cheering crowd, and began speaking about his administration's immigration policies and the border with Mexico. "I heard a loud bang and felt something very hard hit me on my right ear," said the 78-year-old. "I said to myself: 'Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,'" he continued.
Trump stated that he had put his hand to his ear. When he removed it, it was filled with blood. "Blood was everywhere," he said. "I knew right away that it was very serious that we were under attack."
Agents from the Secret Service had come onto the stage and thrown themselves on him, Trump added. "The remarkable thing is that the bullet of the assassin hit its mark exactly, if I had not moved my head at the last moment and were not here tonight. We would not be together," said the Republican presidential candidate.
He praised the behavior of his supporters at the event. They had looked around to see if anyone was shooting and had not panicked. "They knew I was in trouble. They didn't want to leave me. And you could see love in their faces. Incredible people," Trump said.
He wanted to do something to show that he was okay, Trump continued. "I lifted my right arm, looked at the tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people who were breathing heavily, and began to call out: 'Fight, fight, fight!'"
"For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the love this huge crowd of patriots has shown me," Trump said.
He emphasized that he would never again speak about the moment when he almost lost his life at the Republican convention. "So many people have asked me, 'what happened?' Please tell us, what happened," Trump said. But "You will not hear it from me again, because it is too painful to tell," he added.
According to police reports, besides the alleged 20-year-old shooter, firefighter Corey Comperatore was also killed at the campaign rally. Trump observed a moment of silence at the rally for the fallen firefighter. He also kissed the helmet of the deceased on the stage.
Trump recounted his experience at a rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was scheduled to speak about immigration policies and Mexico. Despite the excitement, he felt a sudden disturbance, with a loud bang and something hitting his right ear. He guessed it could only be a bullet. Upon checking, he found his ear filled with blood. Expressing gratitude, Trump acknowledged the calmness of his supporters, seeing love and determination in their faces. Despite the near-assassination attempt, he encouraged the crowd, raising his arm and shouting, "Fight, fight, fight!". He promised to forever cherish the love and support shown by the massive crowd of Republicans. However, he vowed never to revisit the painful details of the incident publicly, mentioning the persistent questions about what happened. The tragic event also took the life of a firefighter named Corey Comperatore, a fact Trump acknowledged by observing a moment of silence and paying tribute by kissing the fallen hero's helmet on stage.
