Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)’s meticulous, detailed approach to fighting Joe Biden’s border crisis may have saved Donald Trump’s life on Saturday.
Speaking exclusively to Breitbart News at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Johnson recounted the events that began with him handing Trump an immigration chart and ended with Trump narrowly escaping an assassination attempt.
As the assassin fired a bullet into Trump’s head, he turned and pointed to Johnson’s medical records, causing the bullet to strike his ear and avoid a fatal injury.
“It was just a coincidence, and God works in mysterious ways,” Johnson said, explaining the divinely orchestrated situation.
Johnson told Breitbart how he began compiling border security data into a frequently updated chart that became a common sight on Capitol Hill as reporters, staffers and lawmakers sought the latest updates on the border crisis.
“Since I became secretary of Homeland Security, the first thing I did was hold about 36 hearings on various aspects of illegal immigration,” he said. “One of the things I started doing was keeping track of the number of people we were encountering on the southwest border each month. [and] “Average per day”
Johnson’s chart eventually caught Trump’s eye.
“I had the opportunity to fly with President Trump from Florida to a rally in Green Bay earlier this month, and I brought a bunch of stuff with me to show him,” he told Breitbart. “One of the things was charts. I showed him the charts, and he loved them, and he asked me to send them to my people.”
He continued, “He used it that day, and he’s been using it ever since. And that’s the chart that he was, for some reason, compelled to look at at that exact moment. It’s just incredible.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who serves as Trump’s White House physician and speaks frequently with the president, said Trump himself credit “I’m sure he was able to get through this and he was able to get through it,” Trump said.
President Trump is scheduled to address the nation on Thursday night at the highly anticipated Republican National Convention.
Johnson, a former top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Oversight Committee and one of the Senate’s most skilled investigators, has announced he will lead a congressional investigation into Secret Service failures that allowed an assassin to shoot Trump.
“I am committed to finding out why this failure occurs,” he said. “We in Congress do not have the investigative capabilities of government agencies, so we have no choice but to leave it to them to investigate. I have already written to them requesting that all records be kept, before and after the fact. We must monitor their investigation. I cannot trust them any more.”
He made it clear that the investigation must be thorough, no matter how long it takes, to get the answers the American people deserve.
“We can’t exhaust all options, which is why I’m calling for transparency,” he said. “In my letter, I asked all kinds of questions to lay the groundwork. This is just the starting point of what we need to know.”
Johnson said the assassination attempt marked the end of the work Trump had begun to unite the party.
““I know that it completed the unification of the Republican Party,” Johnson told Breitbart.
The unity came about because the policies of the Democratic Party are destroying the country. That’s a pretty unifying force, isn’t it? Add to that the debate showed Biden to be totally unfit, and we’d better be united to defeat this guy. Plus there was an assassination attempt, and the candidate narrowly escaped death. We support him. I think it’s a good sign that Nikki Haley came to speak. As Republicans, I hope we can set aside our past differences and realize that our real political opponents are not us, but the Democratic Party and their policies.
Johnson later praised his Senate colleague, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), whom Trump picked as his running mate, saying his ability, character and personal record would unite the Republican Party.
“He’s a smart guy, he’s a man of integrity, he’s one of the finest soldiers the United States Marine Corps has ever had,” he said, “and he has a great personal story, a personal story that will resonate with the people that the Republican Party currently represents: working class, middle class America, the people that the Democrats have forgotten in their wishful thinking and woke agenda.”
Johnson predicted Trump’s Thursday night speech would encourage party unity while contrasting his vision for America’s future and policies with Biden’s failed presidency.
“We absolutely have to point out the difference between our vision for this country and the Democrats’ vision,” he said. “I mean, what we tried to do and what we did to rebuild the economy and create a record economy and what the Democrats did to make it worth only 83 cents on the dollar. So we have to point out that difference. And that’s completely legitimate. There’s nothing harsh about that.”
Johnson said Trump’s near-death experience will undoubtedly influence him and make him more determined to lead the nation back to prosperity and prosperity.
What happened with President Trump is going to be a life-changing experience for everybody. And I can imagine that when you’re in that position, you’re going to realize, “I’ve got a new lease on life,” whether you’re a person of faith or not, “I’m here for a purpose that’s probably much bigger than myself, and if I win this election, if I get four years, I’m going to take advantage of that purpose.” And one of the things we have to do is unite and heal this country. And I think he’s already indicated that he wants to do that. I agree with that.
“America faces great challenges,” he concluded, “and these problems will be much easier to address if we work together, for the most part.”
Bradley Jay is Capitol Hill correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter. translator.
