Much has happened in the last twelve months since gunfire rang out in Butler, PA, during the attempted assassination of President Trump at a campaign rally. It was an event that stunned the country, and Americans still have no answer as to how the Secret Service could have missed protecting the obvious high ground where the would-be assassin succeeded in firing off eight shots before being taken out by snipers.
However, the other inexplicable element of that day wasn’t just that the former and current president managed to turn at just the right moment, but that he had the presence of mind to address the crowd just seconds after a deranged man tried to blow his head off. As all hell was breaking loose, the Secret Service struggled to get Trump back on his feet. Oddly, it wasn’t the blood streaming down his face that would rivet onlookers – it was his expression. Instead of fear, Trump had a look of defiance on his face. He then pumped his fist in the air and could be heard imploring the crowd to “fight, fight, fight!” It was a startling and unexpected reaction, setting up a tableau that would result in what is perhaps the most iconic photo of this century.
Since the attempted assassination, many have wondered what could have been going on in his mind to cause such a curious reaction to a threat against his life. Speculation ran the gamut: It demonstrated Trump’s ability to function in disaster, it indicated his inner strength, and it also signaled that even in such a terrifying moment, he had a message for the American people. It was his way of saying, “Don’t let this stop you,” and this rallying cry ultimately became a defining moment in the campaign that would culminate in his re-election.
Attempted Assassination: An Eyewitness Account
With the help of witness and journalist Salena Zito, the motivation for this incomprehensible act of courage is coming into focus.
Ms. Zito was standing an estimated four feet away from the president when the gunman opened fire. In a new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland, Zito gives a firsthand account of the day's unexpected events and includes interviews with President Trump.
“[P]resident Trump had called me the next morning, and we had some very profound conversations,” Zito recently said during an interview with Fox News. She went on to explain:
“[H]e believed … that he had an obligation, not as a man, not as Donald Trump, but as someone that represents the presidency, to show resilience and grit, and exceptionalism … Also, he understood that if he didn't do that, then there would be panic [at the event] … and there might possibly be panic in the country. And I think what people missed is this galvanized people and people that are not normally part of the conservative populist coalition to rethink about what matters and what's important in their lives and what they were looking for [in someone] to represent them and to govern for them.”
How the president has handled the attempted assassination since that fateful day is also telling. Without rancor, he’s made statements like, “The Secret Service had a bad day.” In several interviews, he’s reiterated that he still trusts the agency, saying: “I have great confidence in these people.” He continually praises the sniper who took out the shooter, asserting: “He did a fantastic job.”
These types of comments illustrate Trump’s temperament. Anger and vindictiveness were not part of his lexicon. He wasn’t ready to pounce on those whom he could have rightly accused of doing shoddy work. In singling out the sniper for praise, Mr. Trump reveals an inner sense of gratitude without the usual victimhood.
It’s often said that one’s true character shines through when tested by fire. Zito’s firsthand account helped Americans see Trump’s strength of character in sharp relief, and his reactions following the tragedy clarified them even further. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously put it, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
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