A year after Trump's near-assassination, friends and allies see some signs of a changed man
'Did I hear what I think I heard?' Donald Trump remarked as he spoke from behind a wall of thick, bulletproof glass. 'Don't worry, it's only fireworks. I hope. Famous last words," he quipped, drawing laughs and cheers.
'You always have to think positive," he went on. "I didn't like that sound, either."
The comments, just days before the first anniversary of Trump's near-assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, served as a stark reminder of the lingering impact of the day when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally, grazing Trump's ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd.
The attack dramatically upended the 2024 campaign and launched a frenzied 10-day stretch that included Trump's triumphant arrival at the Republican National Convention with a bandaged ear, President Joe Biden's decision to abandon his reelection bid and the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
One year after coming millimeters from a very different outcome, Trump, according to friends and aides, is still the same Trump. But they see signs, beyond being on higher alert on stage, that his brush with death did change him in some ways: He is more attentive and more grateful, they say, and speaks openly about how he believes he was saved by God to save the country and serve a second term.
'I think it's always in the back of his mind," said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a longtime friend and ally who was in close touch with Trump after the shooting and joined him that night in New Jersey after he was treated at a Pennsylvania hospital. 'He's still a rough and tumble guy, you know. He hasn't become a Zen Buddhist. But I think he is, I'll say this, more appreciative. He's more attentive to his friends," he said, pointing to Trump sending him a message on his birthday earlier this week.
Graham added: "It's just a miracle he's not dead. He definitely was a man who believed he had a second lease on life."
Constant reminders
While many who survive traumatic events try to block them from memory, Trump has instead surrounded himself with memorabilia commemorating one of the darkest episodes in modern political history. He's decorated the White House and his golf clubs with art pieces depicting the moment after the shooting when he stood up, thrust his fist dramatically in the air and chanted, 'Fight, fight, fight!"
A painting of the scene now hangs prominently in the foyer of the White House State Floor near the staircase to the president's residence. Earlier this year, he began displaying a bronze sculpture of the tableau in the Oval Office on a side table next to the Resolute Desk.
And while he said in his speech at the Republican convention that he would only talk about what had happened once, he often shares the story of how he turned his head at just the right moment to show off his 'all-time favorite chart in history' of southern border crossings that he credits for saving his life.
During a press conference in the White House briefing room last month, he acknowledged lingering physical effects from the shooting.
'I get that throbbing feeling every once in a while," he said, gesturing to his ear. 'But you know what, that's OK. This is a dangerous business. What I do is a dangerous business.'
Trump will spend Sunday's anniversary attending the FIFA Club World Cup soccer final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Crediting divine intervention
Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, who as his then-campaign chief was with him at the rally, said in a podcast interview released last week that Trump walked away from the shooting believing he had been spared for a reason.
'I would say I think he believes that he was saved. I do. And he would never — even if he thought it before, I don't think he would have admitted it. And he will now," she told 'Pod Force One.'
She, too credited divine intervention. The chart, she noted, 'was always the last chart in the rotation. And it was always on the other side. So to have him ask for that chart eight minutes in, and to have it come on the side that is opposite, caused him to look in a different direction and lift his head just a little because it was higher. And that just doesn't happen because it happened. It happened because, I believe, God wanted him to live.'
As a result, she said, when Trump says things that 'are perfunctory — every president says 'God bless America' — well, it's more profound with him now, and it's more personal."
She also credited the attack with helping change public perceptions of Trump during the campaign.
'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. And that's helpful," she said.
'You know, I have an obligation to do a good job, I feel, because I was really saved,' Trump told Fox News Friday. 'I owe a lot. And I think — I hope — the reason I was saved was to save our country.'
Roger Stone, a longtime friend and informal adviser, noted that Trump has had other brushes with death, including a last-minute decision not to board a helicopter to Atlantic City that crashed in 1989 and another near-assassination two months after Butler when U.S. Secret Service agents spotted a man pointing a rifle through the fence near where Trump was golfing.
Stone said he's found the president 'to be more serene and more determined after the attempt on his life' in Butler.
'He told me directly that he believed he was spared by God for the purpose of restoring the nation to greatness, and that he believes deeply that he is protected now by the Lord,' he said.
Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, agreed.
'I think for people who know the president, it is commonly believed that it changed him. I mean, how could it not? Imagine if you were who he was and if you don't turn your head at that instant," he said. 'He knew he was lucky to be alive.'
Given how close Trump came to a very different outcome, Reed said, 'it's hard not to feel on some level that the hand of providence protected him for some greater purpose. And there are people that I've talked to who said they were confident that he would win for that reason. That there must have been a reason.'
___
Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
10 minutes ago
- CNN
Columbia University on the cusp of a deal with Trump administration, paying millions to unlock federal funding
Columbia University is on the verge of striking an agreement with the Trump administration following months of negotiation to restore federal funding to the school, according to two sources familiar with the deal. Columbia is expected to pay a multimillion-dollar settlement to victims of alleged civil rights violations, implement changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, boost transparency about hiring and admissions efforts, and take other steps to improve security and safety on campus for Jewish students, according to one source familiar with the matter. In return, the source said, the school will regain access to over $400 million in federal funding the Trump administration stripped earlier this year. Trump administration officials and officials from Columbia are expected to meet next week at the White House, the source said. The deal has not been finalized and remains subject to change. The administration believes the deal, the terms of which were first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, could serve as a blueprint for other schools. A second source familiar with the matter noted the Trump administration has been approaching its negotiations with universities, including Columbia and Harvard University, with a framework of the schools paying a financial penalty. The exact dollar amount is unclear, though it varies by school. Elite schools like Columbia and Harvard University, among others, have faced intense pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on antisemitism on their campuses – or face the possible loss of significant federal funding. The effort is part of a broad administration push for policy changes at universities – including over diversity, equity and inclusion and other initiatives – that President Donald Trump sees as a winning political issue. But it is one that raises major questions about academic freedom and the role of the federal government on college campuses. The school's board of trustees met July 6 to review the terms of the deal, according to one of the sources. The New York City university, which is facing an investigation into its handling of antisemitism on campus, had taken a less confrontational approach than Harvard while it sought to reach a deal, and the source told CNN the administration was more amenable to Columbia's proposed terms in behind-the-scenes negotiations. In June, the Trump administration threatened to pull the university's accreditation over policies it said violated discrimination laws. Talks between a small circle of officials from Trump administration and Harvard had deteriorated in recent weeks amid disputes over some sticking points of that deal. A Columbia spokesperson emphasized that negotiations remain ongoing. 'The University is focused on advancing discussions with the federal government. There is no resolution at this time,' the spokesperson said. Asked about the state of talks, Trump told CNN last week, 'I think we're going to probably settle with Harvard. We're going to probably settle with Columbia. They want to settle very badly. There's no rush.' Asked how much money the settlement would entail, Trump said, 'A lot of money.' A source involved in universities' response to the administration told CNN last month the White House has been looking to strike a deal with a high-profile school. 'They want a name-brand university to make a deal like the law firms made a deal that covers not just antisemitism and protests, but DEI and intellectual diversity,' this person said at the time. Asked whether any of the schools are inclined to make such a deal, the source said, 'Nobody wants to be the first, but the financial pressures are getting real.' Last month, acting Columbia President Claire Shipman described the financial pressures facing the university due to the administration's campaign as 'increasingly acute.' 'Columbia's top scientists are facing the decimation of decades of research. Graduate students, postdocs, mid-career researchers, and established, celebrated scientists, have all had their breakthroughs lauded by the world one minute and defunded the next. We're in danger of reaching a tipping point in terms of preserving our research excellence and the work we do for humanity,' Shipman said in a letter to the Columbia community. She indicated it was 'essential' to restore the university's partnership with the federal government, but took aim at criticism that a resolution would amount to 'capitulation.' Shipman said that Columbia has 'engaged in conversations' with the administration about what she described as an 'unacceptable' surge in antisemitic incidents on campus. 'We've committed to change, we've made progress, but we have more to do,' she said.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Here's the stock-market playbook for the August 1 tariff deadline
President Donald Trump this week committed to a deadline of August 1 for tariffs to kick in. The uncertainty posed by weeks of negotiations has sparked volatility in markets. BI spoke with market experts to hear what they're bullish and bearish on ahead of "T-Day." Investors waited anxiously for the July 9 tariff deadline only to be met with a new date of August 1, and while the window for negotiations has been pushed out, tariffs are likely still coming. President Donald Trump committed to the new date this week, stating that no new extensions would be granted. His updates included a barrage of tariff letters to more than 20 countries, with threats of 25% tariffs on Japan and South Korea, 50% on Brazil, and 35% on Canada. Even as investors hope that the TACO trade will save them again, market pros told Business Insider this week that there are ways to position for the coming deadline. Here's what they're bullish and bearish on as the market barrels toward the August 1 "T-Day." Tariffs are aimed at benefiting companies that manufacture in the US. While it's not certain to what extent factory jobs will return, there are some existing domestic industries with positive exposure to the trade war. Trump's 50% tariff on all copper imports announced this week, for instance, should point investors toward some specific areas of the market. Henry Yoshida, CEO of Rocket Dollar, told Business Insider that he sees positive tailwinds for US copper producers, specifically Freeport-McMoRan and Souther Copper Corporation, two companies recently named by Morgan Stanley as likely winners. "These companies, which specialize in copper, would benefit from increased pricing power as tariffs would make copper imports more expensive," he stated. Apart from Copper, Yoshida added that he sees growth ahead for tech companies that build semiconductors in the US. That industry is also set to benefit from the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a valuable tax credit for chipmakers. "Chipmakers that predominantly have US-based manufacturing, such as Texas Instruments and Intel, could see upside gains as tariffs may shift demand to domestic suppliers." Julia Khandoshko, CEO of financial planning firm Mind Money, issued a similar perspective. "In the short term," she said, "semiconductor companies like Intel and Nvidia could come out ahead, since the US will likely push harder for domestic chip production." Mark Malek, Chief Investment Officer at Siebert Financial, recently said that while much remains uncertain about tariffs, some sectors are particularly exposed to risks from the trade war. "From a sector perspective, the most exposed are Consumer Discretionary and Technology, which are sectors deeply reliant on global manufacturing. Further downstream, mass retailers, which depend heavily on low-cost imports, face pricing challenges and potential margin compression." Other experts see high exposure to China as dangerous for companies, particularly as the top US trade partner has promised to retaliate if Trump takes further action against it. From Yoshida's perspective, scaling back on big tech investments makes the most sense. However, he took a different stance on Nvidia than Khandoshko, citing its high exposure to the Chinese supply chain. Along with Apple and Qualcomm, he named Nvidia as a stock investors should consider selling before August 1. He added, though, that he also sees both Tesla and General Motors as being highly vulnerable to the tariff impact, signaling a potential blow to the broader auto market. "GM sells more cars in China than in the US, and both companies rely heavily on China-based production facilities and parts sourcing," he stated. "In retail, Nike faces particular vulnerability, with over 40% of its manufacturing occurring in China." Tom Bruni, Editor-in-Chief and VP of Community of Stocktwits, expressed a similar take, highlighting the risk for companies with heavy dependence on global supply chains, specifically strong links to China."Apple's heavy manufacturing presence in China, Tesla's reliance on Chinese battery cells/materials, and Walmart's importing large volumes from affected countries are three of the most prominent examples of companies caught in the crosshairs," he said. Bruni added that in his view, Apple is the bellwether for how the rest of the market reacts to tariff-driven China trade disruptions. "[Apple] has by far the most manufacturing risk," he stated. "How leadership navigates these tariffs and the overall geopolitical environment will set the tone for the rest of the market." Read the original article on Business Insider Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Patience on Tariffs Runs Thin as Nations Jostle for Deals
(Bloomberg) -- US trading partners trying to navigate the final weeks of negotiations before President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs hit are facing a leader who has made clear he's lost patience with talks. Singer Akon's Failed Futuristic City in Senegal Ends Up a $1 Billion Resort Why Did Cars Get So Hard to See Out Of? Can Americans Just Stop Building New Highways? How German Cities Are Rethinking Women's Safety — With Taxis Philadelphia Trash Piles Up as Garbage Workers' Strike Drags On Even as negotiators from Brussels to New Delhi are racing to find a way out of the punishing levies he's floated, Trump continued to send letters unilaterally setting rates — while still allowing for a little wiggle room. Early Saturday, Trump posted letters sent to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, declaring a 30% rate for Mexico and the European Union beginning Aug. 1. He said Mexico had failed to do enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US and complained that the EU's trade deficit with the US was unfair. He suggested both partners could take steps to mitigate the rates — or he could increase them further if he didn't like their responses. Efforts by those countries and others to find an escape from the punishing levies are expected to intensify next week ahead of a new Aug. 1 deadline for many of the import taxes to kick in. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is heading to Japan and EU negotiators are focusing their attention on cars and agricultural tariffs in hopes of securing at least a provisional agreement. The days ahead could also bring a fresh flurry of unilateral missives from the White House setting tariff levels on countries the president has determined no longer worthy of talks. Summer of Drama A dramatic stretch in Trump's trade war has seen some of the biggest developments yet in his tariff campaign, underscoring the risks for trading partners and raising the stakes before what the president insists is his final deadline. His impatience erupted over recent days as he teed up a frenzied wave of tariffs for Aug. 1, hitting longtime allies like Japan and South Korea, which had struggled with negotiations because of internal political pressures, raising some rates on neighboring Canada despite Prime Minister Mark Carney's charm offensive, and slapping an eye-popping 50% rate on goods from Brazil over unrelated political disputes. The message was clear: Trump intends to make good on his threat to abandon painstaking negotiations and just set unilateral rates — and that a fresh barrage of tariffs are coming, not unlike the April announcement that spurred a market selloff. For nations dependent on US trade, the window is quickly closing to determine how best to negotiate the impossible choice presented by Trump's maximalist stance: bend the knee or dig in for a fight. The president himself has repeatedly said he'd prefer unilateral rates and the only thing stopping him was pleas from Bessent and other aides for patience. 'The real question is will Trump accept what they have on the table? Will they put a little more on the table? Where will it come out?' Wilbur Ross, Trump's first-term commerce secretary, told Bloomberg Television Thursday. 'But worse comes to worst, he is fully prepared to go through with the tariffs and have that be the end of the story.' Trump opened the week by extending the July 9 tariff deadline to Aug. 1 and renewing his threat to Japan and South Korea, where talks have dragged. At a cabinet meeting, Bessent boasted about the flood of taxes being collected from importers. The president has bristled at what's been called the 'TACO trade,' with markets betting that 'Trump always chickens out' on tariff threats, and insisted this extension would be the last. He also announced his long-simmering copper tariff, setting it at 50% and saying it would be enacted Aug. 1 — a levy poised to capture a wide range of derivative products. He also threatened a 200% pharmaceutical levy. 'I assume that what we are seeing here is a negotiating tactic,' said Lars Suedekum, a personal economic adviser to German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. 'We have seen this many times in recent weeks: customs announcements followed by suspensions and customs breaks. It's been quite a back and forth. I see no reason why it should be any different this time.' Still, the extension set off another frenzied struggle with nations hopeful they could sway a president whose tariff agenda has moved in fits-and-starts and reversals. India has been making progress on an interim trade deal that could reduce its proposed tariffs to below 20%, people familiar with the matter said, adding that New Delhi does not expect to receive a tariff demand letter. Even with Bessent headed to Japan, the prospect of a breakthrough is unclear and the US is awaiting a better offer from Tokyo, an American official said. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Friday encouraged another country facing higher tariffs, Canada, to keep talking, underscoring that the door remains open to negotiations. 'I would urge the Canadian citizens to urge their leaders to negotiate fairly with us,' he told Bloomberg Television on Friday. Widening Clashes Trump's letters announcing tariffs to individual countries were initially boilerplate, distributed to partners he'd hit with elevated tariffs in his April 2 'Liberation Day' announcement, all of which run trade surpluses with the US. But his targets have widened: He threatened a 50% rate on Brazil, pressuring that country to stop legal proceedings against his ally, Jair Bolsonaro, a major escalation demonstrating how Trump has weaponized trade powers for unrelated disputes. The move also signaled that Trump would apply elevated rates even to countries, like Brazil, with which the US runs a goods trade surplus. He's also been stepping up his threats against BRICS nations, vowing extra levies even if they reach some kind of accord with him. Where Does President Trump's Tariff Campaign Stand? QuickTake The 35% tariff on Canada hit one of the biggest American trading partners and a country that was not facing an imminent tariff hike, like other recipients of his letters. That increase, though, is not poised to apply to energy products, which will remain at a 10% rate, or goods compliant with the USMCA trade pact. Trump also signaled to NBC in an interview that he might simply raise blanket tariffs to 15% or 20%, up from 10% now for nearly all trading partners, though it's not clear how widely that move would apply. Uncertain Deals Trump's White House once pledged 90 deals in 90 days, but has so far only reached agreements with the UK, Vietnam and a truce lowering tariffs with China — all with caveats. The China deal allowed the two economies to de-escalate but left many issues unresolved, while the agreement with the UK faces uncertainty over metals tariffs. While Trump touted a deal with Vietnam, that announcement surprised the country's leadership with a higher rate than they expected, making it more akin to his unilateral letters than a mutually agreed pact. 'I worry that we could have a situation — and I don't know that it'll be on Aug. 1 or the future — but we'd have a situation where he's not bluffing, but everyone thinks he is bluffing,' said Michael Strain, director of economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. 'The more times that happens, the more worried I get that the next up will be a real deadline.' --With assistance from Kamil Kowalcze. Trump's Cuts Are Making Federal Data Disappear 'Our Goal Is to Get Their Money': Inside a Firm Charged With Scamming Writers for Millions Will Trade War Make South India the Next Manufacturing Hub? Soccer Players Are Being Seriously Overworked Trade War? No Problem—If You Run a Trade School ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
