Former President Trump said Thursday that divine providence saved him from being killed by an assassin in his first public remarks since he was injured by a gunman’s bullet over the weekend.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” Trump told the crowd at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God.”
Trump said that this was the only night he would speak about the incident — “You’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s too painful to tell” — before he accepted the GOP presidential nomination.
In a subdued voice, Trump recounted what happened during a rally Saturday in Butler Township, Pa. He was speaking about immigration and turned to gesture toward a screen with a chart with immigration statistics. Then he heard a “loud whizzing sound” and “felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that?’”
He cupped it, and his hand was covered in blood, Trump said.
“Bullets were continuing to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage,” Trump said, praising their actions.
“They pounced on top of me so I would be protected. There was blood pouring everywhere. Yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” he said.
He said the rally crowd didn’t scurry, but instead waited to see if he had survived, leading him to try to reassure them as he was rushed to safety by the Secret Service agents — an image that has grown iconic among Republican voters.
“I wanted to do something to let them know I was OK. I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands of people who were breathlessly waiting and started chanting, ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’” Trump said, prompting the delegates to chant the slogan.
“Once my clenched fist went up and it was high into the air …. the crowd realized I was OK and roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before,” Trump said.
He paid homage to former Fire Chief Corey Comperatore, who was killed while shielding family members at the rally. Other attendees were also injured.
Trump said that $6.3 million had been raised for the three families, and walked over to a helmet and jacket that he said belonged to Comperatore and kissed the helmet.