1 month ago
Last Updated: July 30, 2024, 10:13 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Donald Trump and Melania Trump look on following his speech on Day 4 of the Republican Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Donald Trump recounted Melania's distress during his July 13 assassination attempt, revealing she watched the attack live on TV
Donald Trump has recounted the emotional impact of his July 13 assassination attempt, revealing that his wife, Melania, watched the attack unfold live on television. In a Fox News interview, the former US president shared the distressing details of the day, including how Melania was deeply affected by the event.
“She was watching,” Trump told Laura Ingraham of Fox. “She was watching live. It was all over the place. It was on television.” Trump noted that Melania’s inability to discuss the incident reflects her deep concern for him. “She can’t even really talk about it. That’s okay, that means she likes me—she loves me.”
Donald Trump says that Melania struggles to talk about the assassination attempt:“She can’t really even talk about it, which is okay, because that means she likes me, or she loves me…that’s nice” pic.twitter.com/W2Snexb4XN
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 30, 2024
The assassination attempt was carried out by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Despite the trauma, Trump expressed sympathy for the Secret Service agents involved. “I just want to say one thing about Secret Service… they were very brave,” Trump said. He described the scene as chaotic, with bullets flying and agents quickly covering him.
Trump criticised the Secret Service for their handling of the situation. “Should’ve been somebody on the roof, should’ve been communication with the local police,” he said. “We’re seeing this guy, who was a very disturbed person… how about the Trump fans who were screaming about him?” He also pointed out that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following the incident, acknowledging the widespread criticism of the agency’s performance.
The FBI probe that Crooks acted alone. However, Trump noted that the Secret Service counter-sniper who neutralised Crooks did a good job, though he suggested the intervention should have occurred “nine seconds earlier.” After the assassination bid, the FBI found troubling details about Crooks. He had flown a drone near the stage two hours before the shooting and had three explosives in his car.
Crooks had been at the rally earlier that day, carrying a rangefinder that raised suspicions but did not lead to his arrest. Crooks, who had previously told his boss he needed the day off for a routine trip to the gun range, was reported missing by his father. Crooks had researched historical assassinations, including the distance Lee Harvey Oswald was from John F. Kennedy when he shot him. The FBI also revealed that Crooks had searched for information on how far Oswald was from Kennedy when planning the attack.
