Butler assassination attempt proved to be turning point for Trump
'It's only fireworks, I hope. Famous last words,' Trump quipped, a nod to when he was on stage a year ago in Pennsylvania and gunshots rang out, with a bullet grazing his ear.
'You always have to think positive,' Trump said in Iowa. 'I didn't like that sound either.'
Sunday marks one year since Trump was bloodied in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. The shocking moment served as a turning point for Trump both politically and personally, and it set off a reckoning at the Secret Service that is still playing out.
The Butler shooting galvanized and energized Republicans in their unflinching support of Trump for the final few months of the 2024 campaign. Logistically, it forced the Trump campaign to adapt to fresh security concerns.
The near-death experience also added to Trump's already mythic persona among many of his supporters.
The president and his allies have over the past year repeatedly suggested it was divine intervention that saved his life en route to a return to the White House. Supporters regularly chant 'fight, fight, fight,' echoing Trump's words as he was rushed off stage in Butler. And an image of a bloodied Trump pumping his fist, surrounded by Secret Service moments after the shooting, now hangs in the White House.
'So much that happened led us to where we are, and Butler was a big part of that. It really was,' White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who was at the rally, told Miranda Devine on the 'Pod Force One' podcast.
'And for the American public to see a person who was such a fighter as he was that day, I think as awful and tragic as it might have been, it turned out to be something that showed people his character,' Wiles added.
The White House is not marking the anniversary in a significant way. Trump sat down for an interview with his daughter-in-law and Fox News host Lara Trump ahead of the anniversary and he will spend the weekend at his property in Bedminster, N.J.. On the day of the anniversary, he will attend the FIFA World Club World Cup soccer match at Met Life Stadium before returning to the White House.
Administration officials appear keen to keep more of the focus on Corey Comperatore, the rally attendee who was killed at the Butler rally while shielding his family from gunfire.
'One year ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, we tragically lost an American hero, Corey Comperatore, who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
'President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family. On that dark day, God spared President Trump's life by a miraculous millimeter,' Leavitt said. 'Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to 'fight, fight, fight' for the American people.'
Trump officials who were there that day have argued it took the perfect confluence of events for the president to survive.
Trump had to call for a chart showing a rise in border crossings under the Biden administration just a few minutes into the rally, something he typically would not highlight until later on in the event. The screen had to be to Trump's right, and he had to look up at the chart at just the right moment for a bullet to merely clip his ear rather than more gravely wounding him.
'That just doesn't happen because it happens. It happened because I believe God wanted him to live,' Wiles said, echoing a common refrain from many of Trump's supporters.
The president has leaned into the idea of divine intervention in his own remarks about the incident over the past year. And he has also embraced the imagery around the shooting.
The image of Trump raising a fist, blood streaking down his face, came to define a campaign that had positioned itself as a target of political prosecutions and unfair attacks. It also appeared on T-shirts and now hangs in the White House.
The Butler rally was also a political turning point in the 2024 campaign. It cemented Trump's hold on the Republican party just before its convention. In the moments after the shooting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed Trump and went on to spend millions to get Trump elected.
The assassination attempt also froze Democratic efforts to attack Trump at a time when they were already reeling from then-President Biden's poor debate performance. Biden dropped out of the race just a week later.
Wiles said security concerns became 'front and center' for the remainder of the campaign. Trump had to pause outdoor rallies and had to consider whether buildings had a lot of windows before holding events, she said.
The repercussions at the Secret Service over the security lapse were swift. Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director of the agency 10 days after the assassination attempt, and Congress launched a review of how the shooting unfolded.
Trump has since appointed Sean Curran, the agent who was by his side at the Butler rally, to lead the Secret Service.
A year later, the fallout of the security lapse is still unfolding. The Secret Service this week suspended six agents in connection with their actions during the Butler rally.
'My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him,' Curran said in a statement provided by the White House.
'Since President Trump appointed me as Director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the Agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future,' Curran added.
'Nothing is more important to the United States Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees. As director, I am committed to ensuring our Agency is fully equipped, resourced, and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day.'
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