Former President Donald Trump spoke on Sunday about the recent assassination attempt against him, describing the experience as “very surreal” while en route to the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
“I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump remarked to reporters from the New York Post and Washington Examiner aboard his flight to Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention is set to commence on Monday.
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this. He called it a miracle,” Trump added, noting that the doctor mentioned he had never seen anyone survive an AR-15 hit.
“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” he said.
Trump also commended the Secret Service for their swift response to the shooting, which occurred last Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.
“They did a fantastic job,” he stated. “It’s surreal for all of us.”
Trump had been on stage for less than 10 minutes when gunfire erupted. The former president clutched his ear and neck area as Secret Service agents rushed the stage. As they helped him to his feet, Trump pumped his fist to the crowd and mouthed the word “fight.”
Photographers captured the moment of Trump’s fist pump, which quickly went viral on social media.
“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. Usually, you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
“I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot,” he added.
The shooter, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot by authorities moments after he fired from a rooftop near the rally site.
“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” Trump said, pointing to the bridge of his nose.
Trump mentioned he was grazed by a bullet, and one spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his family. Two other spectators were injured and reported to be in stable condition as of Sunday, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
During the interview, Trump said he is considering attending Comperatore’s funeral.
The former president also explained that he decided to leave for the convention on Sunday afternoon because, “I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
He is expected to formally accept the GOP nomination on Thursday night and is anticipated to announce his running mate during the convention, likely on Monday.
In a separate interview with another Washington Examiner reporter, Trump mentioned he rewrote his speech for this week’s Republican National Convention to emphasize national unity.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” Trump said.
“Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” he added, noting that the original speech was primarily focused on President Biden’s policies. “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”
President Biden, in a prime-time address on Sunday night, called for a reduction in political tensions.
“The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down,” he said in remarks from the Oval Office. “This places an added burden on all of us that no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence.”