Washington.-Donald Trump said he miraculously survived the assassination attempt, recalling the moment he was shot by an attacker at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. “I’m supposed to be dead,” the former president and Republican presidential candidate said.
Trump shared with The New York Post what he called a “very surreal experience” that nearly ended his life during an interview aboard his private jet en route to the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Milwaukee.
“The doctor at the hospital said he had never seen anything like it, calling it a miracle,” said Trump, who was wearing a large, loose white bandage covering his right ear. His team insisted that no photos be taken, according to the NYP.
“He’s not supposed to be here, he’s supposed to be dead,” Trump said. “He’s supposed to be dead.”
The former president said that if he had not turned his head slightly to the right to read a graphic regarding illegal immigrants, the shot that injured his ear and splattered blood on his forehead and cheek would have been fatal.
Trump said that as Secret Service agents were escorting him off the stage, he still wanted to continue speaking to supporters, but the agents told him it was unsafe and that he needed to be taken to a hospital.
He marveled at how officers came flying in like linebackers as soon as the shooting began, and he unbuttoned his long-sleeved white shirt to reveal a large bruise on his right forearm.
In the conversation with veteran New York Post journalist Michael Goodwin, Trump also clarified why, as Secret Service agents sought to remove him from the scene following the shooting, he said “hold on, I want to get my shoes.”
“The officers hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” she said in an interview with the popular New York daily.
The former president also praised Secret Service personnel for shooting dead the shooter, who was positioned on a rooftop regarding 150 yards from the stage where Trump was speaking.
“They shot him right between the eyes,” the former president said, pointing to the bridge of his nose.
“They did a fantastic job,” he added. “It’s surreal for all of us.”
Trump also referred to the now-iconic photo of him raising his fist and saying “fight” three times as officers tried to remove him from the stage and load him into an armored truck.
“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Normally you have to die to have an iconic image.”
He added: “I just wanted to keep talking, but I just got shot.”
The doctor at the local hospital, which has a trauma center, told him he had never seen anyone survive being hit by an AR-15, Trump added. Infobae.
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2024-07-18 07:35:53
