Disturbing new video from a private event has been leaked this week that shows scandal-plagued and felony-convicted former President and now-official Republican 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking about Saturday’s assassination attempt against him, calling the violent attack “amazing” and a “close call” as he talks about how the attempt on his life has supposedly “changed” him.
On Saturday evening, the nation watched as Donald Trump was shot at while on stage during his Butler, Pennslyvania rally. The former president’s right ear was nicked by an AR-15 bullet, fired from a nearby rooftop by the shooter who has since been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, PA. Crooks was neutralized on scene and a motive for his attack against the former president remains unclear.
While knowledge of Donald’s condition hung in the balance for several minutes immediately following the attack, especially after we all saw him stand up on the stage with blood splattered across the side of his face, the former president was ultimately shaken, but largely unharmed.
In addition to the shooter, one rally attendee lost his life in the attack.
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Now, a minute-long video has been posted to YouTube by PBS NewsHour, in which Donald Trump appears to be addressing a room full of donors at a private event, where he tells attendees of the attempt on his life: “You appreciate God even more.”
This new leaked clip appears to have captured the first public speech Trump has given since he was targeted and injured over the weekend.
“And then I got shot! I got shot. How does that happen?” Trump told the crowd, prompting an eruption of cheers as his audience shouted and chanted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” — the same word that was screamed out by Trump with a fist pump when he stood up on stage Saturday evening after being tackled to the ground by Secret Service agents.
Trump went on to tell the attendees that he “got lucky,” adding that “God was with me.”
“That’s what they call a close call,” the former president says. “That was an amazing, horrible thing. Amazing thing. And in many ways, it changes your, your attitude, your viewpoint on life. And honestly, it makes you appreciate God even more.”
He goes on to imply that there was some sort of divine intervention that served to spare his life this past weekend, markedly adding, “not that it was pleasant.”
“It wasn’t like it was a complete miss,” Trump quipped, prompting laughter from the crowd. “But it was pretty terrible that that can happen.”
You can watch the leaked video footage from PBSNews here:
Featured image via screen capture
