Video of a Secret Service Agent Taking a Bullet for Ronald Reagan Goes Viral After Gunfire at a Trump Rally

At a recent Donald Trump rally, a shooting incident triggered flashbacks of a similar occurrence that happened in 1981 with Ronald Reagan. Video of a Secret Service agent taking a bullet for Reagan, which went viral in 1981, has surfaced online, highlighting the risks taken by those in authority. The brave cop risked his life to shield the former president, and the footage shows his gallant deed. 

This follows heavy criticism of the US Secret Service for the weekend's tragic shooting at former President Trump's rally. In a shocking act that rocked a country already profoundly divided in the lead-up to the November election, the 78-year-old ex-president was wounded but managed to escape an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Saturday. In a recent interview, Tom McCarthy, a Secret Service member who ultimately took a bullet for President Reagen in a 1981 assassination attempt used the term "attempted assassination of the former president" to describe the incident. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, McCarthy said, "This is an attempted assassination of the former president, so this is a very, very serious matter. It gets pretty tough out there in the campaign trail, but this cannot happen in our country." 

The video that has become popular on X features Secret Service member McCarthy taking a bullet for then-President Reagan and the Secret Service escorting the president safely. Contrary to what happened in 1981, several users noted that Trump was able to stand and pose after the assassination attempt and the Secret Service let it happen. One user wrote on X, "You cover and escort out, not let him stand up and pump his fist! @keithboykin This is insane! Not protocol at all!" Another critic sarcastically pointed out, "What, they covered him with layers of their own bodies to protect him, and didn’t hold him up so he could fist-pump the crowd and get some good campaign footage?" One more jokingly added, "So where's the part where they hold him up with his head and chest completely unprotected so he can do a photo op in front of an American flag? It's almost like they were trying to protect Reagan's life instead of putting on a show for his campaign."

Another graphic photo of Trump being removed from the stage after a gunman's shooting at him went viral. His face and ear were covered in blood, which may be the result of a gunshot wound, yet he took a moment to collect himself and pump his fist before being escorted away. On Sunday, Trump went so far as to justify his fist-pumping during an interview with the Washington Examiner. He said he assured the audience that he was OK and that "America goes on, we go forward, that we are strong." Trump also explained, "The energy coming from the people there in that moment, they just stood there. It’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was looking. I knew that history would judge this, and I knew I had to let them know we are OK."