Members of Donald Trump’s family spoke out shortly after the assassination attempt, and the former president gave an interview the next day. Speaking to the New York Post on July 14, Trump mentioned how lucky he was to have turned his head at the precise moment the shooter took the shot, so he only sustained an injury to the top of his ear. “The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” the former president told the outlet. “I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead.” Trump also mentioned how impressed he was with the Secret Service acting so swiftly. Initially, the Republican presidential nominee did not want to leave the podium. “I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot,” he added while mentioning how “iconic” the photo of him lifting his fist to the air with a bloodied ear would become.
Following the shooting, Trump appeared in good spirits, but the gravity of taking a bullet from an AR-15 that narrowly missed his head had not escaped him. “I don’t like to think about that, but, yes, I think has an impact,” he told ABC News on July 15.
Perhaps the assassination attempt could lead to future trauma, but in the immediate aftermath of the shooting Trump was more concerned with his shoes than his safety. Video of the incident showed him saying, “Let me get my shoes on,” to Secret Service agents.
