One year after gunfire rang out at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump released a solemn and stirring statement marking the day he nearly lost his life. At 6:11 p.m. on July 13, 2024, rifle shots erupted just minutes into Trump’s speech. A bullet missed his head by a fraction of an inch, and a rally filled with thousands of Americans was suddenly plunged into chaos.
Trump, who has previously acknowledged that he was not particularly religious, spoke again of his deep conviction that God intervened that day. “By the hand of providence and the grace of Almighty God, my life was spared,” he said. The anniversary statement blended remembrance, gratitude, and resolve, underscoring what Trump called “one of our Nation’s darkest hours.”
He described how everyday citizens transformed into heroes amid the gunfire—doctors, first responders, and fellow rallygoers risked their own safety to care for the wounded and usher others to safety. “These men and women arrived at the rally grounds as ordinary Americans, but left as heroes,” Trump said. Their actions, he noted, embodied the best of the American spirit.
Trump gave special recognition to former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who was killed shielding his wife and daughters. He called Comperatore “a firefighter, veteran, and devoted husband and father,” whose sacrifice remains a permanent reminder of what courage looks like. The White House also released a video of Comperatore’s widow and daughters sharing their grief and reflections on that tragic day.
While honoring the fallen and wounded, Trump also looked forward. “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 said. The former president characterized the nation as now being in the midst of “a new Golden Age,” linking his survival to a renewed mission for America.
Trump’s words carried a tone of defiance and faith in the face of evil. “History will remember the would-be assassin for his cowardice and failure,” he declared, while promising that the legacy of the day would belong not to violence, but to patriotism. The message ended with a powerful declaration repeated by Trump’s supporters worldwide: “Fight, fight, fight!”
