Donald Trump Narrowly Escapes Assassination Attempt

Pennsylvania, US, 14 July: Donald Trump, the former US President vying for another stint in the White House, was shot at in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13 (local time). The 78-year-old presumptive Republican Party Presidential candidate had multiple shots fired at him by a 20-year-old man, now identified by the FBI as Thomas Mathew Crook.

The 78-year-old former US president narrowly escaped the attack as the bullet grazed his right ear. Dramatic images from the incident show Trump with blood streaking across his face as he pumped his fist in the air, appearing to mouth the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

While Donald Trump is safe, a rally attendee died in the attack and two other spectators were injured, said the Secret Service in a statement. The shooter has also been killed.

As per news agency Reuters, the presidential candidate had just started his speech when shots rang out. Trump, in the videos from the rally, can then be seen reaching for his ear with his right hand, looking at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium. Within seconds, the Secret Service agents swarmed and covered him.

About a minute later, Trump re-emerged, covered by the agents, his red “Make America Great Again” hat knocked off and pumping his fist into the air, appearing to mouth the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” before being ushered into a vehicle.

It is not yet clear what was the motivation behind the attack, which took place just four months before the November US elections.

Trump’s political rival, US President Joe Biden, was quick to condemn the attack. Taking to X, he said, “I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.”

‘God alone prevented the unthinkable from happening’
“It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” former United States (US) president and current presidential hopeful Donald Trump said on Sunday (July 14) hours after he survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the state between Washington and New York that has backed a Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992, except in 2016 when it chose the Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said, “We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of wickedness. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families.”

“We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed,” he added.

In the post, Trump, 78, urged all Americans to stand united. “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win,” he said.

World leaders condemn attack on Donald Trump
Several world leaders have condemned the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, in which the former US President was shot in the upper part of the ear.

Leaders from various nations wished Trump a speedy recovery and asserted that political violence in any form has no place in society.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others, condemned the attack on Trump.

History of US Presidents targeted by gunmen
Donald Trump is not the only US President or leader to have been the target of an assassination attempt, but he is one of the lucky few to escape it relatively unscathed. According to a 2008 report compiled by the Congressional Research Service, direct assaults against presidents, presidents-elect, and candidates have occurred on 15 separate occasions, with five resulting in death.

Of the 45 individuals serving as president, 13 have been subject to actual or attempted assassinations. The number does not include the shooting incident that involves Trump.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was killed on April 15, 1865, after suffering a bullet wound the previous evening. He was the first US president to be assassinated. James Garfield, 20th president (September 19, 1881), William McKinley, the 25th US President (September 6, 1901), John F Kennedy, 35th president (November 22, 1963).

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, like Donald Trump, survived the assassination attempt made on him on October 14, 1912. Franklin D Roosevelt, 32nd president, faced an assassination attempt on February 15, 1933. Roosevelt or FDR, as he is popularly known, was the president-elect at the time.Harry S Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, survived an assassination attempt on November 1, 1950. Gerald Ford, 38th president, survived an attempt on his life on September 5, 1975. Ronald Reagan, 40th president, was wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, DC on March 30, 1981. (With inputs from agencies)

MTNews Desk