Former President Donald Trump has made significant changes to his upcoming convention speech in response to an attempted assassination on Saturday, now focusing on a call for national unity rather than his original plan to critique President Joe Biden’s policies.
In an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner, Trump reflected on the incident, emphasising his desire to use the moment to bring the country together. “The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he remarked. “Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches aimed mostly at the policies of President Joe Biden. Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”
Trump, who narrowly escaped the attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from Americans across the political spectrum. He recounted how he narrowly avoided the sniper’s bullet by momentarily turning away from the crowd to view data on a screen, a decision he believes saved his life. “That reality is just setting in,” he acknowledged. “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Speaking from his plane in Bedminster, New Jersey, en route to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, Trump underscored the gravity of the event. “It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance.”
Early Sunday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” and that he would “fear not.”
Again, in talking to the Washington Examiner, he invoked “God” for his deliverance.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together,” Trump continued in his interview with the Washington Examiner. “The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.” The interview, originally scheduled to take place aboard his return flight from the rally, placed the reporter just feet away from Trump when the assassination attempt occurred.
Trump paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief who lost his life at the rally, and acknowledged the injuries sustained by supporters David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who are currently recovering in stable condition. Reflecting on his immediate response to the attack, Trump described raising his hand to reassure the crowd and the nation of his safety.
“And that America goes on, we go forward, that we are strong,” he asserted.
The photograph capturing Trump with a raised fist amid blood streaming down his face, surrounded by Secret Service agents, has already become an iconic image of the 2024 election cycle. If Trump delivers a message of unity in Milwaukee, it would evoke memories of President Ronald Reagan’s resolve following the 1981 assassination attempt on him in Washington, DC.
Recalling the moment when he addressed the crowd after the attempt, Trump emphasized the importance of conveying strength and resilience. “The energy coming from the people there in that moment, they just stood there; it’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was looking. I knew that history would judge this, and I knew I had to let them know we are OK,” the Washington Examiner reported.