Former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a speech in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, describing his survival as a "miracle" due to a split-second head movement. In an interview with The Washington Examiner aboard his private jet on Sunday, Trump recounted the harrowing experience and its profound impact on his perspective.
"I'm not supposed to be here," Trump repeatedly told the Examiner as he flew to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. He explained that a slight turn of his head at the exact moment the gunman fired allowed the bullet to graze his ear instead of entering his skull. "The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount, if I only half-turn, it hits the back of the brain. The other way goes right through [the skull]. And because the sign was high, I'm looking up," Trump said. "The chances of my making a perfect turn are probably one tenth of one percent, so I'm not supposed to be here."
The former president, sporting a gauze bandage on his ear, praised the swift action of Secret Service agents who shielded him on stage. He showed a deep bruise on his arm from an agent's grip, emphasizing the intensity of their protective measures. Despite the chaos, Trump insisted on walking off stage under his own power. "I did not want to be carried out. I've seen people being carried out, and it's not good," he explained.
Reflecting on the surreal nature of the experience, Trump admitted to an initial desire to continue speaking after being shot. "I wanted to keep speaking – I wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot," he said with a slight laugh. The incident has clearly left a lasting impression on the former president, who is still processing its implications.
When asked about the impact on his campaign, Trump immediately acknowledged a shift in his approach. He revealed that he had discarded a "brutal" and "extremely tough" convention speech he had prepared prior to the assassination attempt. "I think it would be very bad if I got up and started going wild about how horrible everybody is, and how corrupt and crooked, even if it's true," Trump explained.
Instead, the former president is now considering a more unifying message. "I've been fighting a group of people that I considered very bad people for a long time, and they've been fighting me, and we've put up a very good fight," he told the Examiner. "We had a very tough speech, and I threw it out last night, I said I can't say these things after what I've been through."
While some advisors have suggested using the incident as a catalyst for a more conciliatory campaign, Trump remains realistic about the challenges of bridging deep political divides. "I'd love to achieve unity if you could achieve unity, if that's possible," he said. "There are many good people on the other side…But there are also people who are very divided."
The former president acknowledged the potential for this unifying sentiment to be short-lived. "It has an impact," he said of the assassination attempt. "Now, maybe the impact will wear off if the other side gets nasty." Despite the likelihood of resumed political fighting, Trump's brush with death has clearly affected his outlook.
As he prepares to address the Republican National Convention, Trump grapples with the profound realization of his near-death experience. "I mean, I'm supposed to be dead, I'm not supposed to be here," he reiterated. "It did have a lot of impact."
