The gunshots that rang out in July last year changed everything. The world held its breath and Donald Trump miraculously survived an assassination attempt.
Now, he’s breaking his silence. In an emotional interview with daughter-in-law Lara Trump, the president reveals one moment he’ll never forget.
“Grazed But Not Fallen”
It was a moment that stunned America one that could have rewritten history.
On July 13, 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks scaled a rooftop near a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania. As Donald Trump spoke to a crowd of supporters, Crooks opened fire.
One bullet grazed Trump’s ear.
Another struck and killed a bystander Corey Comperatore, a retired fire chief who had brought his family to the event. Two others were seriously wounded before a Secret Service sniper neutralized the shooter.
Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches, Trump is breaking his silence in a deeply personal interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, set to air on Fox News.
“I got whacked.”
“It was unforgettable,” Trump said. “I didn’t know exactly what was happening. I just knew I got whacked no question about it.”
“Fortunately, I dropped fast. People were screaming. They fired eight bullets, I think. It all happened so quickly.”
“A Tragic Day and Tough Questions”
“One bullet hit me. One struck someone else. And one… killed Corey, the firefighter. A great guy,” Trump recalled somberly.
While he expressed deep gratitude for the Secret Service agents who ultimately saved his life, Trump didn’t hold back from pointing out what went wrong that day.
“They had a bad day.”
“I have great confidence in these people. I know them they’re talented and capable,” he said. “But they had a bad day. And I think they’d admit that. It was a rough day.”
Trump specifically criticized the lack of security presence in the building where the shooter took his position.
“They should’ve had someone in that building. They should’ve had communication with local police and they didn’t. That was a serious mistake.”
One of the agents involved, Myosoty Perez, was reportedly responsible for securing the area around the venue. Her attorney, Larry Berger, confirmed she was suspended following the incident and is now cooperating fully with investigators.
“Accountability, Anguish, and a Second Close Call”
“She’s now considering what steps to take next,” said her attorney, Larry Berger, clarifying that his client was not in charge of overall security.
In total, six agents were suspended in the aftermath of the attack a fallout that hit especially hard for the family of Corey Comperatore. His widow later told reporters:
“Our blood is all over their hands.”
“We got a little bit lucky.”
Despite the tragedy, Trump expressed sincere gratitude to the sniper who ended the threat. Referring to him only as “David,” Trump called his action heroic.
“He did what he had to do,” Trump said. “In less than four seconds, it was over. From a long distance, he got him perfectly. So in that sense, we were a little lucky.”
Remarkably, just weeks after the Pennsylvania shooting, Trump would face a second assassination attempt this time at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A man was reportedly shot by Secret Service agents after aiming a firearm through the course’s perimeter fence.
