Former President Donald Trump said the doctor at the hospital who checked him after an assassination attempt on Saturday called his survival a “miracle,” as Trump described the “surreal” experience and added, “I’m supposed to be dead.”
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump said, according to the New York Post, which spoke to Trump on Sunday — one day after the assassination attempt and one day before the start of the Republican National Convention.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead. I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump emphasized, explaining that if he had not slightly turned his head at the last second to look at a chart with figures related to illegal immigration, the shot would have gone through his head rather than nicking his ear. Regardless, the shot sparked shock as he ducked after touching his ear, realizing something was very wrong. After Secret Service intervened, Trump stood up — blood dripping on his face — looked at the crowd, and pumped his fist, shouting, “Fight!” That moment resulted in one of the arguably most iconic moments — and photos — in modern U.S. history.
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C-SPAN“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.”
“I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot,” he added, praising Secret Service for doing a “fantastic job” responding, killing the shooter “with one shot right between the eyes.”
“He marveled at how the agents came flying in like ‘linebackers’ as soon as the shooting started, and he unbuttoned his long-sleeve white shirt to show a large bruise on his right forearm,” the Post reported.
Three others were shot — one fatally — at the rally, and the Post said Trump has, indeed, given thought to attending the funeral of Corey Comperatore, the man who died protecting his family from the bullets.
“They are not going to tell you how quickly he threw my mom and I to the ground. They are not going to tell you that he shielded my body from the bullet that came at us,” his daughter wrote. “He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us.”
Trump also told his staff he wanted the phone numbers of the families.
“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” he said, having already attributed his survival to “God alone” in a Truth Social post.
Trump is already in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the convention. After considering delaying the trip, Trump concluded that “I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
Trump has also changed his convention speech, telling the Washington Examiner that it is going to be a “whole different speech now” due to the events of the weekend.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger. Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” he said, later adding, “This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.”
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