Former US President Donald Trump has revealed new details about the first assassination attempt on his life during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In an interview with Fox News‘ Laura Ingraham, Trump recalled the events of July 13, when he was shot in the ear by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks.
“Barron was playing tennis with his friends, and somebody ran over and said, ‘Your father’s been shot,'” Trump shared, describing how his son learned of the attack.”Barron really likes his father a lot… and he came in saying, ‘Mom, mom, mom, what happened?’”
Trump was rushed off-stage by Secret Service agents during the attack and taken to a local hospital, which was shut down upon his arrival. “The hospital was great… they close the hospital in its entirety, it’s ready for exactly this,” he explained. “It’s… genius, but who would ever think that?”
Despite being hit in the ear, Trump quickly stood up, raising his fist in the air and saying “fight, fight, fight” as he was escorted off the stage. He recalled the silence that followed: “People didn’t know I was alive or not, and then when I did the fist pump, everybody realised and they’re screaming, ‘USA, USA.’ It was the craziest day.”
Trump also held a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, a rally attendee who was fatally wounded protecting his family during the shooting. Speaking at the start of his Butler rally, Trump honoured Comperatore’s widow and daughters, who attended the event.
Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at the rally, urging the crowd to vote as the election approached. “Just be a pest to everyone… Vote, vote, vote!” Musk encouraged, adding, “Fight, fight, fight, vote, vote, vote,” as he jumped excitedly on stage.