Former President Donald Trump revealed Thursday that the thing that saved his life last weekend was that he was turning his head to look at one of his immigration charts.
That motion of his head caused the would-be assassin’s bullet to graze his head, rather than hit the target squarely, Mr. Trump said at the Republican National Convention.
“Without that chart, I would not be here today,” Mr. Trump said.
The chart shows changes in illegal immigration at the border over time. It shows a massive drop in illegal activity at the end of his administration, followed by the worst numbers in U.S. history beginning with President Biden.
Standing in front of the chart on the stage at the convention Thursday, Mr. Trump said he’s fond of it, but “I never got to see it that day.”
He said his bullet came within a quarter of an inch of killing him.
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He recounted the shooting for the first time in public — and for what he said would be his only time.
He described the “warm, beautiful” day in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the enthusiasm of the crowd. He said he was also “speaking very strongly, powerfully” because he was about to talk about his border successes.
“In order to see the chart I started to — like this — 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, really hard on my right ear,” he said.
“I said to myself ‘Wow, what was that — it can only be a bullet.’ And moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down, my hand was covered with blood.”
He dropped to the ground.
He praised the “very brave” Secret Service agents who rushed to the stage to protect him with their bodies, and said bullets were still flying overhead.
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Mr. Trump said many in the crowd must have thought he had been killed, which is why when he stood up he raised his fist in the now-iconic photos and shouted “Fight! fight!”
In one of his more striking asides, Mr. Trump said he asked his doctors about the heavy amount of blood and was told that ears can bleed heavily when they are injured.
“There was blood pouring everywhere and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side,” Mr. Trump said.
He also praised his supporters, who he said didn’t run, causing a dangerous stampede. He said they didn’t move because “they knew I was in very serious trouble. They saw it, saw me go down.”
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he said, drawing chants of “Yes you are!” from the convention hall.
“Thank you. But I’m not. And I tell you I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God,” he said.
As some corners of the internet spin conspiracy theories about a staged attack or question the nature of his injuries, Mr. Trump spoke in front of giant photos of himself on the ground with blood trickling down his face. He also spoke with the white bandage covering much of his right ear.
Mr. Trump also spoke in front of a mannequin with the brown and yellow fire jacket and No. 27 helmet of Corey Compertore, the former fire chief who was killed while shielding his family from the bullets.
Mr. Trump walked over and placed a kiss on the helmet.
He announced a Trump-backed campaign has raised $6.3 million for the Compertore family and families of two others who were critically wounded in the attack. Mr. Trump said both of them will recover.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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