'God on my side...': Trump recounts assassination bid in speech
Former United States President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) accepted the party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, Milwaukee. He said, "Tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination." Talking about the recent assassination attempt, Trump credited divine intervention for his survival, saying, "I had God on my side." This was his first address since 20-year-old Thomas Mathew Crooks shot at him during a rally last weekend, injuring one of his ears.
'Not supposed to be here...': Trump
"I am not supposed to be here tonight...not supposed to be here," Trump remarked, as the crowd responded, "Yes, you are." The 78-year-old Republican leader shared that his supporters raised 6.3 million US dollars for the shooting victims in Pennsylvania. Trump also led a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two, who lost his life during the Pennsylvania rally shooting.
'Bullet missed me...'
Trump recounted the attack, saying the bullet missed him because he leaned forward to check a screen displaying immigration data. "In order to see the chart and I started to turn to my right. I began to turn a little bit further which I am very lucky I did not do," he said. "If I had not moved my head at...the assassin's bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight," he said.
Felt safe because God was on my side: Trump
Trump said he heared "a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me very, very hard on my right ear." "I said to myself, 'Wow, what was that...it can only be a bullet'...and moved my right hand to my ear...my hand was covered with blood," he said, realizing he was under attack. "There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe, because I had God on my side," Trump continued, describing the attack.
Trump says he is a target of politically motivated charges
Trump cautioned against vilifying rivals and criminalizing dissent, presenting himself as a target of politically motivated charges. "If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts," he said. "In that spirit of unity, the Democratic Party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system and labeling their political opponent as an enemy of democracy. Especially since that is not true. In fact, I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country," he added.
Motive behind attack on Trump remains unknown
To recall, the assailant, 20-year-old nursing aide Crooks, was shot dead by Secret Service snipers during the incident. The motive behind his attack on Trump remains unknown. Following the incident, Trump was quickly escorted off stage by Secret Service agents. Later, he took to Truth Social, a social media platform, to share his reaction to the near-death experience, describing the event as "too painful to tell" and stating that he would not recount the details again.
