Trump reveals Melania ‘can’t talk about’ assassination attempt after watching live – but stands firm on outdoor rallies
DONALD Trump says his wife, Melania, watched his assassination attempt live and still can’t talk about the attack that left him injured.
The former president sat down with Fox News host Laura Ingraham to talk about the moment a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump was left bloodied as Secret Service agents rushed him off stage.
Ingraham asked Trump what his wife, former First Lady, Melania Trump, thought in the aftermath of the shooting that left two others critically injured and a rally attendee dead.
“She was watching,” said Trump. “She was watching live.”
Trump added that he asked Melania what she was feeling after the attempt but she said she “can’t really even talk about it.”
“Which is good because that means she likes me,” Trump said with a laugh.
“[If] she could talk about it freely, I’m not so sure which is better. She either likes or loves me, that’s nice
“But when I went down and she thought the worst had happened. They would have had instant replay.”
Trump also praised Corey Comperatore, who died protecting his family when Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire.
“He was guarding his family,” said Trump.
Trump gave his sympathy to the Secret Service, which has faced harsh criticism since the shooting.
“I just want to say one thing about Secret Service… they were very brave. They were coming,” he said.
“Bullets were flying over me. I went down and they were – they were on top of me, I had a lot of very big, strong people on top of me.”
However, he added several things went wrong that day.
“Should’ve been somebody on the roof, should’ve been communication with the local police and we’re seeing this guy, who was a very disturbed person… how about the Trump fans who were screaming about him?”
After the shooting, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her position.
Donald Trump Rally Shooting Timeline
Donald Trump was shot at during his Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
1pm: Doors open at the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump was expected to speak at 5pm.
4:11pm: Sean Parnell gave the opening speech.
4:35pm: David McCormick rallied the crowd.
5:10pm: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, later identified as the shooter, was first identified as a person of interest.
5:30pm: Crooks was spotted with a rangefinder.
5:30pm: Crowds were still waiting for Trump.
5:52pm: Crooks was spotted on the roof by Secret Service.
6:02pm: Trump takes the stage.
6:09pm: Two sniper teams posted on buildings to the north and south behind the rally stage repositioned and were locked on Crooks.
6:12pm: Gunshots were fired toward the stage as Trump delivered remarks.
6:12pm: Secret Service returns fire, confirming the shooter is dead.
6:12pm: Trump was ushered off stage by Secret Service agents.
6:42pm: Secret Service confirmed Trump is safe.
7:24pm: The shooter and one rally attendee are confirmed dead by law enforcement officials.
8:42pm: Trump confirms he was shot in the ear, sharing a statement on Truth Social.
8:49pm: The Secret Service confirms the shooter and a rally attendee are dead. Two others remain critically injured.
‘MONSTER’
A day after the shooting, Melania broke her silence, sharing the horror of watching her husband narrowly escape the assassination attempt with his life.
She accused Crooks of treating her husband as an “inhuman political machine” and begged for bipartisan unity.
“Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times,” she wrote in a statement posted to X.
She wrote that having different opinions and politics is “inferior to love.”
“Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is a serious risk,” she shared.
“Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.”
She continued, “Let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm.”
“Thank you for remembering that every single position is a man or a woman with a loving family,” she concluded.
NOT DON YET
Despite the attempt on his life on July 13, Trump has vowed to return to Butler, Pennsylvania to finish his speech.
“I think it’s important, symbolically,” he told Ingraham.
When asked if he would keep holding rallies outside, Trump responded, “Yes, I’ll keep holding rallies.”
These echo similar words Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday, writing “I will be going back to Butler, Pennsylvania, for a big and beautiful rally, honoring the soul of our beloved firefighting hero Corey, and those brave patriots injured two weeks ago.
“What a day it will be – fight, fight, fight! Stay tuned for details.”
It comes as…
- Trump agrees to FBI interview as texts reveal when agents spotted gunman
- Biden and Harris take swipe at Trump as they double down on Supreme Court shake-up
- Trump shooter ‘used fake name’ to make dozens of gun store purchases a year before shooting
- Trump blasts the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony as a disgrace after ‘Last Supper’ performance
‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’
It comes as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have proposed major changes to the Supreme Court.
In Biden’s first speaking engagement since bowing out of the presidential race, the president laid out the changes.
“For all practical purposes, the court’s decision almost certainly means that the president can violate the oath, flout our laws, and face no consequences,” he said.
“Folks, just imagine what a president could do trampling civil rights and liberties, given such immunity.”
Biden warned that “extremism is undermining the public confidence in the court’s decisions,” saying that a second Trump administration would lead to an “onslaught attacking civil rights in America.”
Vice President Harris echoed Biden’s words in a statement, saying, “President Biden and I are calling on Congress to pass important reforms – from imposing term limits for Justices’ active service, to requiring Justices to comply with binding ethics rules just like every other federal judge.
“And finally, in our democracy, no one should be above the law. So we must also ensure that no former President has immunity for crimes committed while in the White House.
“These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law.”
The reforms call for 18-year term limits and enforcing a code of ethics on justices.
Biden also called for a new constitutional amendment that would limit immunity for presidents.
This is a direct response to the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month that Trump is protected from criminal prosecution for “official acts” taken as the president.
Trump to speak with the FBI
Former President Donald Trump has agreed to speak with the FBI as part of the bureau's investigation into the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, told the media that it would be a “standard victim interview” to get a better understanding of the incident.
He said that the bureau reached out to Trump and he agreed to the interview, however, it’s unclear when it will take place.
“We want to get his perspective on what he observed,” said Rojek.
The FBI has conducted 450 interviews as part of its investigation into the shooting.
So far, the motive for Crooks’ attack on former President Trump is unclear.
DEBATE STAGE
Trump said he told Ingraham “probably” end up debating Harris ahead of the November election.
“The answer is yes, I’ll probably end up debating,” he said, arguing that any debate should take place before early voting starts.
However, Trump gave several reasons for him not to participate in a debate despite Ingraham’s warnings that it would allow his critics to say he’s scared.
Trump noted his lead in national and battleground state polls, however, these show a close race.
“The answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it,” he said.
“Also, I don’t like rewarding fake news … They’re going to make tens of millions of dollars with this debate. I don’t like ABC.”
Trump’s campaign released a statement saying that it wouldn’t commit to a debate “until the Democratic nomination process is finalized.”
“It would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”
Harris has said she is ready to debate Trump and accused the former president of backing out of a one-on-one face-off on the debate stage.
Trump previously told reporters that he would “absolutely” debate Harris at least once before Election Day.
Bullets were flying over me. I went down and they were – they were on top of me, I had a lot of very big, strong people on top of me.
Donald Trump
TALK WITH THE FEDS
Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI about the assassination attempt on his life as part of the bureau’s investigation.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI‘s Pittsburgh field office, said it’s standard procedure to interview victims during an investigation.
“We want to get his perspective on what he observed,” Rojek told reporters.
“It is a standard victim interview like we would do for any other victim of crime, under any other circumstances.”
It’s unclear when the interview will take place.
The news comes as text messages released on Monday reveal that Crooks was on the Secret Service’s radar about 100 minutes before the shooting.
The messages between three Secret Service counter snipers discuss Crooks’ suspicious behavior before he opened fire.
One of the snipers texted the group that Crooks, who was unidentified at the time, was sitting alone at a picnic table.
“Guys I am out. Be safe,” the agent wrote to the group at 4:19 pm.
Seven minutes later, he wrote, “Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know.”
“I’m just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there.”
The agent said that Crooks was “sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”
The two other agents confirmed that they had received the messages.
Another message warned the group that Crooks had moved from the picnic table and was inspecting the building that he would later use to get a clear view of former President Trump.
“Kid leaning around building we are in,” the message said, including a picture of Crooks.
“I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
“Also a bike with backpack sitting next to it in rear of building that was not seen earlier,” the agent added.
Crooks ultimately opened fire at Trump and several rally attendees, resulting in him being immediately shot dead by counter snipers.
