Donald Trump says ‘I should be dead’ in first interview since assassination bid as he reveals move that saved his life
DONALD Trump said "I'm supposed to be dead" in his first interview since a gunman tried to assassinate him on Saturday.
The former President dubbed his lucky escape a "miracle" and revealed why moving his head at a certain moment saved his life.
Trump was shot in the ear at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire from a roof nearby.
He sprayed a barrage of bullets into the crowd and towards the podium where Trump stood, killing someone in the audience and seriously wounding two more.
Incredible footage from the scene showed the former President clutch his ear and fall to the ground as chaos erupted around him.
A swarm of Secret Service agents then quickly bundled him to safety as snipers shot dead the shooter on site.
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On Sunday evening, bandaged up and flying by private jet to the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Trump gave his first in-depth interview since the attempt on his life.
He told the New York Post: "I'm supposed to be dead.
"I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?"
Trump had turned his head to his right during his rally speech just after 6pm on Saturday, when bullets from the shooter's AR-15 ONLY 130 metres away, grazed the side of his face.
An already iconic photograph shows him standing up just moments later, punching the air as blood runs down his face.
What we know:
- A shooter opened fire at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, killing one, critically injuring two others, and wounding the former president
- Dramatic footage showed the moment Trump dove behind his podium as Secret Service agents rushed to protect him
- The FBI confirmed it was an assassination attempt, but said there was no prior threat
- Trump broke his silence with a statement describing the shooting after a bullet struck his ear
- A microphone captured the moment Secret Service agents screamed "Get down!"
- The shooter - identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks - was shot dead by Secret Service agents at the scene
- A witness claims he warned police about the man with a rifle on a nearby roof minutes before the attack
- President Joe Biden dubbed the shooting "sick" and urged cool heads to prevail
The bullet had ripped through and torn a small piece of his ear clean off.
He said yesterday: "The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount.
The Republican favourite said: “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here."
Speaking of the photos of him mouthing "Fight, Fight, Fight!" as he punches the air, Trump said: “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen.
"They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture."
The ex-President praised his Secret Service agents who acted like "linebackers", tackling him to the ground so hard he showed his interviewer a bruise left on his arm.
As they dragged him to the safety of a car at the rally, the former President could be heard saying “Wait, I want to get my shoes".
He revealed in the interview that the force of his security knocking him to the deck and pulled them right off.
“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” Trump told the outlet with a smile.
He added: “The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle.
Medical staff at the hospital Trump was taken to apparently told him they've never seen anyone survive a hit from an AR-15.
The former President said of the shooter - Thomas Matthew Crooks - that snipers on site "took him out with one shot right between the eyes".
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He added: “They did a fantastic job... “It’s surreal for all of us.”
What we know about the Trump rally shooter
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was identified as the gunman who opened fire during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, killing one person and injuring three others including the former president.
- Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022
- He received a "star award" of $500 from the National Math and Science Initiative at his graduation
- Classmates of his have claimed he was bullied in school and often wore "hunting" clothing to class
- Others revealed that he never "outwardly spoke" about political views in school
- Some classmates said Crooks had a few friends, but not a large friend group
- He was registered as Republican in Pennsylvania and last voted in November 2022 during the midterms.
- In January 2021, Crooks made a $15 donation to Democratic action group ActBlue.
- He was reportedly seen acting "suspiciously" before the assassination.
- The gun used in the shooting was legally purchased by his father at least six months ago.
- Explosives and bomb-making materials were found in his home and car parked near the Trump rally
- Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service snipers on a nearby roof shortly after he opened fire at the rally
- Photos appear to show Crooks wearing gray camouflaged clothing at the time of the shooting
