Former President Donald Trump thanked God for intervention after a gunman’s bullet aimed at his head on Saturday only grazed his ear. The would-be assassin, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, climbed to the top of a nearby building with a high-powered rifle and aimed at Trump’s head, missing him by less than half an inch. Police are still investigating his motive.
It was the most serious assassination attempt on a president or former president since 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was shot but survived.
Trump’s life may have been spared by turning his head at the last moment to avoid a direct hit from the bullet.
At the last moment, a millisecond’s tilt of the head appears to have saved Donald Trump’s life.
If Trump had not moved his head, the bullet would likely have gone through the back of his head. pic.twitter.com/sRLBEH8gxp
— Catholic Vote (@CatholicVote) July 14, 2024
Trump expressed his gratitude on his Truth Social account and remained determined.
“I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers yesterday. Only God could have prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump said. I have written“We are not afraid, but rather remain faithful in our faith and stand against evil. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those injured and our hearts are with our civilians who were killed in such a horrific way.”
We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers yesterday. Only God prevented the unthinkable. We remain fearless, in our faith and in the face of evil. Our love goes out to the other victims and their families.
— Posts from Donald J. Trump’s Truthful Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 14, 2024
Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, while trying to protect his wife and two daughters. Media CoverageHe was a former firefighter.
Trump is due to accept the Republican nomination this week, seeking to become the first president since Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897) to serve two nonconsecutive terms.
“Now more than ever it is important that we come together, show our true character as Americans, and stand strong, resolute, and do not let evil win,” he said. “I love this country with all my heart, and I love you all, and I look forward to speaking to our great people from Wisconsin this week.”
Trump Washington Examiner He was looking at the screen with the data on the right, which saved his life.
“The reality of it is finally starting to sink in,” he said. “I rarely take my eyes off the crowd. If I hadn’t done that then, I wouldn’t be here talking to you today.”
Trump, meanwhile, said he was rewriting his speech, changing it from one that focused primarily on his rival, President Biden, to one that unites the country.
“This is an opportunity to bring the country together,” he told the Examiner. “And I’ve been given that opportunity.”
“This is an opportunity to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be completely different from what it was two days ago,” he added.
As he walked off the stage Saturday surrounded by Secret Service agents, Trump turned to the crowd, raised his fist and formed the word “fight” with his lips. He told the Examiner that he wanted the world to know he survived.
“The energy that emanated from the people that were there in that moment, just standing there. It’s hard to describe what it felt like, but we knew the world was watching,” he said. “We knew history would judge this, and we knew we had to let people know that we were OK.”
Trump is not the first president or former president to acknowledge divine intervention.
Former President Ronald Reagan was shot by would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. Pierced Reagan’s left lung stopped just an inch from his heart, and in a diary entry on March 31, he credited God with keeping him alive.
“No matter what happens from now on, I will dedicate my life to God and strive to serve Him in every way I can.” Reagan I have written.
At the hospital, Reagan said he forgave the shooter.
“I prayed, focusing on the tiled ceiling,” Reagan wrote, “but I realized I couldn’t ask for God’s help while feeling hatred for the confused young man who had shot me. Isn’t that what it means to be a lost sheep? We are all God’s children and therefore equally loved by Him. I began to pray for his soul and that he might find his way back to the flock.”
One month later, on April 28, 1982, President Reagan delivered the State of the Union address, thanking the American people for their support during the recovery.
“The warmth of your words, your friendship and, of course, your expressions of love have meant more to us than you could ever imagine,” Reagan said. “You have given us memories we will treasure forever. And you have answered the few voices who say what happened is evidence that our society is sick. The society we heard is made up of millions of caring Americans and their children, from college students to kindergarteners.”
Related Resources: Feeling overwhelmed by the stress of political season?
In this episode Breathe: A Stress Relief PodcastBonnie explores practical ways to find peace and reduce anxiety through the power of prayer. Learn how to breathe in God’s loving words of affirmation and breathe out stress with Bible-based soul-care techniques. Listen to this episode and discover how you can experience God’s peace and joy amid real-life challenges and political turmoil.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Joe Raedl/staff
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
