On the last day of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, former president Donald Trump gave an emotional acceptance speech for his GOP nomination. Advisers of his party, supporters, and family members rallied around him as he spoke about the attempted assassination during the first fifteen of his over ninety-minute speech. Reflecting on the incident, Trump stressed that it had only made him “more determined than ever” and urged the country to ‘unite’. As per ABC News , he stated, “I’m not supposed to be here,” Trump began while the crowd chanted, “Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” A little choked, he continued, “Thank you…but I’m not and I’ll tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God.”
Donald Trump tells the story about how he almost lost his life on Saturday, says he will never tell the story again because it’s too painful. You are witnessing history. Less than a week ago, this man was a quarter inch from death. Today, he is giving the most… pic.twitter.com/1qbO1dZH9d
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 19, 2024
According to NRP , Trump narrated, “Let me begin this evening by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday. As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me, ‘What happened? Tell us what happened, please.’ And therefore, I will tell you exactly what happened. And you’ll never hear it from me a second time because it’s actually too painful to tell.”
From MAGA War Room @MAGAIncWarRoom : President Trump: “As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me what happened, and therefore, I’ll tell you what happened, and you’ll never hear it from me a second… pic.twitter.com/Am9LxU5V8d
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 19, 2024
In an Enid Blyton, storytelling style, Trump continued, “It was a warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler township in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Music was loudly playing, and the campaign was doing really well. I went to the stage and the crowd was cheering wildly. Everybody was happy. I began speaking, very strongly, powerfully, and happily because I was discussing the great job my administration did on immigration at the southern border. We were very proud of it.”
Describing the exact moment the bullet grazed him, he recounted, “Behind me and to the right was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership. The numbers were amazing. To see the chart, I started to…turn to my right and was ready to begin a little bit further, turn—which I’m very lucky I didn’t do— when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really 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 .”
“It was just absolutely blood all over the place. I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack. And in one movement, proceeded to drop to the ground. Bullets were continuing to fly. I was very brave. Secret Service agents rushed to the stage…There was blood pouring everywhere. And yet…I felt very safe because I had God on my side. I felt that.”
TRUMP: “So tonight, whether you’ve supported me in the past or not, I hope you will support me in the future because I will bring back the American dream…With great humility, I am asking you to be excited about the future of our country.” pic.twitter.com/KgFiG19ZyR
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 19, 2024
Expressing gratitude, Trump concluded, “The amazing thing is that before the shot if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark. And I would not be here tonight. We would not be together. The most incredible aspect of what took place on that terrible evening in the fading sun was actually seen later. For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the love shown by that giant audience of patriots that stood bravely on that fateful evening in Pennsylvania.”