Almost 10 years ago when Donald Trump said, “What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate”, many, including the former American President who narrowly escaped a shooting on Saturday, would not have realised the relatability of the statement.
Although the question of winner and loser will be settled later in November, Trump’s dodging the bullet on Saturday itself might just qualify as a winner. A last-minute head tilt saved him. That’s what Trump said after being escorted off the stage after being hit by a bullet to his right ear.
“That chart that I was going over saved my life,” said Trump, the Republican frontrunner, to the former White House physician Representative Ronny Jackson on a phone call, hours after the assassination attempt.
On Saturday, while Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shots were fired towards the stage.Trump, who had been looking straight, momentarily had turned to his right to point to an immigration chart at the time, which he believes saved his life.
The Secret Service agents immediately responded, forming a protective shield around him.Trump was seen holding his ear and quickly getting down on the ground. After the agents helped him up, he stood, bloodied, and pumped his fist to cheering supporters before leaving the scene for medical treatment.
“He[Trump] goes, ‘The border patrol saved my life,'” Dr Jackson recounted in an interview with The New York Times.
The immigration chart in question, which Trump referred to moments before being shot in the ear, displayed border-crossing statistics and was part of Trump’s speech on immigration policies.
The chart displayed on a big screen was a part of Trump’s speech. According to a photo published by The New York Times, the chart said, “Illegal Immigration into the US”.
The chart showed how the number of illegal immigrants into the US rose between 2012 and 2024. It also said, “Nothing like this has ever happened to our country before”.
Donald Trump has consistently used illegal immigration as a central campaign plank, capitalising on public disapproval of the Biden administration’s handling of the issue. Trump has also criticised Biden’s policies, particularly the surge in illegal border crossings, which have averaged 2 million per year since 2021, the highest level ever recorded.
Throught his campaign to retake the Oval Office, Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration, proposing measures such as detention camps and increased deportations, which have garnered significant support from Republican voters.
Thus, by voicing calls for stricter border control and immigration enforcement, Trump has looked to differentiate himself from Biden and appeal to voters concerned about border security and immigration reform.
And on Saturday, it was that very bid to curb immigration by Donald Trump that saved him from an assassination bid.
