Journalist Recounts Trump Assassination Attempt: 'I Was Four Feet Away'

Witnessing the Assassination Attempt

• 🎯 Journalist Salena Zito was just four feet away from the stage when the assassination attempt on Donald Trump occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania.
• 🛡️ A Trump campaign staffer tackled Zito to the ground to shield her from potential crossfire.
• 🗓️ The incident happened just 8 minutes after President Trump began his speech.

President Trump's Perspective

• 🙏 President Trump stated that God was protecting him and suggested it was for the country to do well and 'Make America Great Again'.
• 🗣️ Trump mentioned that he doesn't like to think about the event much, acknowledging that being president is a dangerous profession.
• 📞 Trump called Zito seven times the morning after the incident to check on her and her daughter's well-being and to discuss purpose and being spared.

Zito's Experience and Reflection

• 📖 Zito, who was initially scheduled to interview Trump, found the experience surreal when watching footage of herself at the scene.
• 💡 She felt she was there for a reason and had a purpose to cover history.
• 💬 Trump explained his 'fight by fight' statement as a message that America stands for vitality, strength, and courage under fire, and that the country needed to see it was okay.

Unanswered Questions and Accountability

• ❓ Zito expressed surprise that no Secret Service officers were fired, only suspended, and believes more accountability will come as the details unravel.
• 🔍 She highlighted unanswered questions regarding communication breakdowns between the Secret Service and local law enforcement.
• 📚 Zito is the author of the book "Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland."