Former US President Donald Trump, in a recent interview with the New York Post, recounted his survival of an assassination attempt, calling it “a very surreal experience.”
“I’m not supposed to be here; I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump shared during the interview conducted aboard his plane as he headed to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is poised to be confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate.
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” said Trump.
The former president, sporting a white bandage over his right ear, recounted the harrowing incident that took place on Saturday. “It was a very surreal experience,” he said, detailing how the bullet grazed his skin.
NATURENEX reports that the shooting occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, causing immediate chaos and escalating political tensions ahead of the highly contentious US presidential election.
The 78-year-old former president was rushed off stage with blood on his face, while the shooter and a bystander were killed and two spectators were critically injured.
Hours after the attack, Trump took to his Truth Social network to express his disbelief and outrage.
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.
“I knew immediately something was wrong when I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and felt the bullet ripping through my skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized what was happening,” he wrote.
Aftermath and Reactions
Despite the ordeal, Trump was later seen walking unaided from his plane, with his wounded ear turned away from the camera. The New York Times reported that he spent the night in New Jersey.
The FBI confirmed in a press conference that the incident is being investigated as “an assassination attempt against our former president, Donald Trump.” The shooter, identified as a registered Republican, is believed to have acted alone.
Matthew Crooks, the father of the shooter, expressed his confusion and desire to understand the situation, stating he would not comment until he had spoken with law enforcement.
Witnesses had reported seeing the gunman acting suspiciously before the shooting, prompting Butler police to respond to several reports of unusual activity.
Global Outrage
The attack has reverberated around the world, drawing condemnation from global leaders including those from Britain, Israel, China and Nigeria.
Many expressed their outrage and concern over the safety of political figures and the rising political violence in the United States.
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, condemned the shooting incident at the rally of the former president, Donald Trump, in Pennsylvania.
Biden told reporters in an emergency briefing at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, “There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country… We cannot be like this, we cannot condone this.”
Barack Obama, echoed his words in a statement, saying there was “absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy.”
