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Sunday, July 13, marks one year since 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — nearly assassinating President Donald Trump. Now, on the anniversary of that fateful day, the president is reflecting on its events and what might have happened had fate not stepped in.
“It was unforgettable,” Trump recalled during an exclusive “My View with Lara Trump” interview on Saturday.
“I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There’s no question about that, and fortunately, I got down quickly… because I think they shot eight bullets. Our sniper, within less than five seconds, was able to get him [Crooks] from a long distance with one shot. His [the sniper’s] name is David, and he did a fantastic job.”
CRITICAL SECURITY LAPSES BY SECRET SERVICE EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Crooks, whose behavior had roused suspicion from local law enforcement, climbed atop a nearby roof and took aim at the then-presidential nominee before firing off bullets that fatally struck 50-year-old volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore and critically wounded rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
Trump has credited a chart showing the number of illegal immigrants who entered the country under the Biden administration with saving his own life. Without one split-second turn to read from the chart, experts have said it could have been “lights out” for the president.
The breakdown on July 13 led to bipartisan calls for then-USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign. After her resignation, Ronald Rowe Jr., who was serving as the deputy director, was appointed as the acting director.
ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING, WITNESSES SAY INVESTIGATIONS LEAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
He held the position until Jan. 22, when Sean Curran, a veteran agent who had been part of Trump’s protective detail during the assassination attempt, was appointed as the 28th director of the USSS.
The impact of that day still resonates. Just last week, the Secret Service suspended six agents who were tasked with protecting Trump that day, but no agents were fired, as the Secret Service told Fox News that the entire agency failed, rather than individuals.
Questions remain unanswered; notably, why did Crooks carry out the attack, and how did he get so close to succeeding?
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While investigators have not identified a definitive ideological or political motivation, the FBI has suggested a complex interplay of personal grievances, mental health issues and a desire for notoriety that could have led to the attack.
Trump said he has been briefed “numerous” times and is “satisfied” with the information he’s received.
“They should have had somebody in the building. That was a mistake. They should have communicated with the local police. They weren’t tied in, and they should’ve been tied in, so there were mistakes made, and that shouldn’t have happened, and that building was a prime building in terms of what they were trying to do. So, but, I was satisfied in terms of the bigger plot, the larger plot… I have great confidence in these people. I know the people, and they’re very talented, very capable, but they had a bad day, and I think they’ll admit that.”
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Elizabeth Pritchett and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
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