Trump Was Never The Same After The Butler Assassination Attempt

A shocking attack on July 13, 2024, transformed Donald Trump from a mere third-time presidential candidate to an assassination attempt survivor. As Trump addressed a crowd of supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman on a nearby rooftop fired toward the stage. Secret Service snipers took down the shooter, but not before he killed firefighter Corey Comperatore and wounded two other audience members. Trump was nicked by a bullet on the edge of his right ear just before ducking behind his lectern, where agents surrounded him for protection. Once the danger was past, he recovered his composure enough to call a rallying cry to the crowd before being taken to the hospital.

It wasn't the first time someone tried to attack the divisive politician; there were past Trump assassination attempts many have forgotten about, and just two months after this shooting, an armed man was apprehended at Mar-a-Lago. But the Butler incident is the one destined to remain in the American consciousness — and history books — for generations to come. It certainly changed the president's life, along with aspects of his personality. Trump was never quite the same after his brush with death, and in this case, it hasn't necessarily been a positive thing. The man we see in the Oval Office now is more confident, defiant, and (yes) self-obsessed than the president he was in his first term.

As Donald Trump was being rushed to safety after his brush with death, he paused to pump his fist in the air and yell, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Donors poured money into his coffers; fans snapped up "Never Surrender" and "Fight Fight Fight" merch. Trump ran with the hero narrative, assuring voters that no mere bullet could keep him down. During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, he said (per Politico), "No matter what obstacle comes our way, we will not break, we will not bend, we will not back down. And I will never stop fighting for you, your family, and our magnificent country. Never." 

No opponent had a chance against that triumphant rhetoric. Not then-president Joe Biden, nor Kamala Harris, whose last-minute candidacy was too little, too late. Trump continued to bolster his strong-man image with government staff cuts, tariffs, and a flurry of executive orders. The assassination attempt "did make him more aggressive," Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna told Time. "It actually did define him in the presidency."

Trump's social media staff works to push the narrative as well. Coinciding with the release of the new "Superman" movie, the White House's Instagram account shared a mock-up poster of the president as the Man of Steel. Detractors scoffed at the comparison, but the post got nearly 150,000 likes in just a few hours, proving the MAGA crowd are happy to have Trump fight for his vision of the American Way.

That fateful day in Butler might have been even more horrific if Donald Trump hadn't turned his head to gesture at an onstage graphic as the gunman fired in his direction. The result was a nicked right ear instead of a state funeral, and many believe this was no mere stroke of luck. A legion of Trump's supporters, and conservative Christians in particular, insist that God spared Trump's life for the express purpose of winning the election. The idea of being so favored by the Almighty clearly pleased Trump, who mentioned it in his inauguration speech. "Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear," he recalled. "But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.[...] We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God. Can't do that."

Being divinely saved might prompt some people to put their faith into action. There's no clear indication Trump has done anything of that sort. While he did establish a White House Faith Office and sign an executive order barring "anti-Christian bias" in government offices, he hasn't been seen upping his church attendance, donating to charity, or other acts that would suggest his religious practice has increased. Still, it's likely Trump feels he's doing God's will just by showing up. 

During his first administration, the POTUS showed he thinks pretty highly of himself. But the assassination attempt inflated Donald Trump's ego to blimp-sized proportions. One prominent bit of proof is right on the wall of the White House's Grand Foyer. In April, Trump replaced a portrait of Barack Obama with a rendering of his famous stance, guaranteeing every passerby gets a reminder of his defining moment.

Lots of wallets have swelled, too. Within hours, T-shirts with the famous image were selling out online; today, there are countless pieces of merch themed to the attack. Trump has personally endorsed a number of products, including "Fight Fight Fight" cologne ("your rallying cry in a bottle," touts the website), a sculpture of himself in the pose, and "Never Surrender" gold sneakers. At one point, fans could even buy a Bible commemorating "The Day God Intervened," but at this writing, it was sold out. True, other presidents have had self-themed souvenirs, but they were mostly campaign-related. It's hard to imagine George Washington pitching NFT cards with pictures of himself scaling Mount Everest. 

Perhaps as more July 13 anniversaries go by, President Trump will become more reflective and humble when he thinks of how close he came to being a tragic memory in history. Maybe he'll cherish his human side as dearly as he does his superhero image, or draw closer to his faith. For now, he seems content to maintain his brand as an invincible commander-in-chief.