Former first lady Melania Trump has publicly reflected on two assassination attempts on her husband, including the moments she learned of these incidents, while once again questioning the details surrounding a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In a recent Fox News interview, Melania Trump expressed her lingering uncertainties following the Butler shooting that resulted in injuries to former President Donald Trump and several others, along with one fatality. She remarked, “It’s interesting how quiet and – everything became, all of the mainstream media, there were a few days of reporting about July 13 event, and everything then became quiet. So I had a lot of questions: What’s going on? It’s – this is not normal.”
Her comments follow a social media video she posted earlier this month, where she questioned the security measures at the rally and demanded more information regarding the attempted assassination. In that video, she stated, “I can’t help but wonder, why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech? There is definitely more to this story, and we need to uncover the truth.”
During the interview, Melania Trump attributed part of the responsibility for these assassination attempts to the rhetoric from Democratic opponents. She argued that by calling her husband a “threat to democracy,” they were contributing to a “toxic atmosphere.” She further emphasised the need for national unity, stating, “Is it really shocking that all this egregious violence goes against my husband, especially that we hear the leaders from the opposition party and mainstream media branding him as ‘threat to democracy,’ calling him vile names. They are only fueling a toxic atmosphere and giving power to all of these people that want to do harm to him. This needs to stop. This needs to stop. The country needs to unite.”
The incident in Butler occurred on July 13, when a gunman fired eight shots at the stage while Donald Trump was delivering a speech, injuring the former president’s right ear. Secret Service agents neutralised the gunman on site. The former president plans to return to Butler for a rally, where he will honour Corey Comperatore, a firefighter killed in the shooting, and two other injured supporters, as announced by the Trump campaign.
Melania Trump recounted how she learned of both assassination attempts while in different locations from her husband. “I ran to the TV, and I rewind it, and I watched it. I was only a few minutes behind, and something I guess, look over me, so I didn’t really see live live, but maybe, you know, three minutes, few minutes later. But when I saw it, I – you know, it was only – nobody really knew yet. Because when you see him on the floor, and you don’t know, you don’t know what really happened,” she detailed regarding the Butler shooting. On the second attempt, which took place at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, she recounted, “I was in New York City, actually, and I saw it on the television. I called again, and he was OK, because Secret Service were great. The guys that they were with him, they were fantastic.”
In the Florida incident, the former president was swiftly evacuated after a Secret Service agent fired at a suspect hiding in the bushes near the club’s perimeter. The suspect was later detained and charged with attempted assassination, alongside two gun-related charges.
Reflecting on these events, Melania Trump suggested that her husband’s survival in both instances was miraculous and implied he was preserved for a significant purpose for the American public. “I think both of the events, they were really miracles, if you really think about it, the July 13 (incident) was a miracle. Like that much – and he could, you know, he could not be with us,” she observed. “I think something was watching over him. I think he’s – it’s almost like, the country really needs him.”
Melania Trump’s reflections and questions regarding these incidents underscore her concerns about security and the political atmosphere in the country. Her statements suggest a plea for greater unity and transparency moving forward.
