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‘God saved me for righteous purpose:’ Trump marks a year since failed assassination bid
Trump survived an attempt on kill him on July 13 last year after a man opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania, injuring him in his right ear.
It has been one year since a failed attempt to kill Donald Trump, and reflecting on it, the US President on Monday said he believes God saved him "for a righteous purpose".
The attempt on Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania during a rally on this day last year was the first of two such moves against the then US presidential candidate.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire and wounded Donald Trump before being fatally shot by Secret Service snipers. Months later, Trump later survived a second assassination attempt on September 15 at his Florida golf course, and the suspect was apprehended before he could act.
Reflecting on what happened on July 13, Trump said, “It remains my firm conviction that God alone saved me that day for a righteous purpose: to restore our beloved Republic to greatness and to rescue our Nation from those who seek its ruin,".
He marked the one-year anniversary of the failed assassination attempt at the FIFA Club World Cup final, in which Chelsea won over Paris Saint-Germain.
“It was an upset today I guess... But it was a great match,” Trump said after he flew back to Washington.
Alongside talking about why God saved him from getting assassinated, the US President also hailed doctors, first responders and rallygoers who helped guide other attendees to safety. “These men and women arrived at the rally grounds as ordinary Americans, but left as heroes," Trump said.
What happened on July 13, 2024?
Donald Trump, who was running for US President last year, arrived to deliver a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. He was greeted among loud cheers and began his address, which may have lasted around six minutes, when chaos ensued.
A gunshot was heard as the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from the rooftop. Trump's bloody ear was seen as he crouched for safety., and immediately after the suspected was shot dead by the Secret Service.
Trump later confirmed getting injured in his ear, and said that he “felt the bullet rip through the skin.”
Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was visiting the rally with his family, had died. He also found mention in Trump's remarks on Monday. "The world will never forget the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter, veteran, and devoted husband and father," the US President was quoted as saying by Fox News.
