Donald Trump gesturing after he was shot in the right ear after gunfire erupted at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Photographer: Evan Vucci/AP Photo
Bold and Bloodied Trump Seizes the Moment After Being Shot
The former president’s defiant display after an assassination attempt at his rally made for a lasting image, immediately supercharging his 2024 bid.
Donald Trump’s instinct for showmanship kicked in immediately after a moment of absolute terror.
The Secret Service was urging him to flee after a shooter’s bullet missed his head and clipped his ear. But Trump, with blood streaking across his face, wasn’t going to let the moment go to waste. He thrust his hand through the agents swarming around him and pumped his fist, exhorting the mass of fans at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday to “fight.”