Butler, Pennsylvania – Former President Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time about the assassination attempt against him during a rally on Saturday. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump expressed his disbelief and relief at surviving the incident.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this; he called it a miracle. By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here.”
Trump recounted that had he not turned his head slightly to the right to read a chart on illegal immigration, the bullet that grazed him would have been fatal. He praised the quick response of the Secret Service agents, comparing their rush to protect him to “linebackers,” and noted that another agent eliminated the gunman with a single shot “right between the eyes.”
“They did a fantastic job,” Trump said. “It’s surreal for all of us.”
He also mentioned a moment during the chaos when he was concerned about retrieving his shoes, which had fallen off due to the force with which the agents had tackled him. “The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” he explained.
Reflecting on images from the incident, Trump remarked, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. 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.”
Trump appreciated a “fine” and “very nice” call he received from President Biden after the incident, hinting that the race between them could become more civil moving forward.
He also commended his rally audience for staying calm during the entire episode. “A lot of places … you hear a single shot, everybody runs. Here there were many shots and they stayed. I love them. They are such great people,” Trump said.