Moment Barron Learned Trump Had Been Shot Revealed
President Donald Trump has shared new details about the moments surrounding the assassination attempt against him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
In an interview with Fox News’ Mark Levin, Trump revealed that his youngest son, Barron Trump, 18, was having a tennis lesson when the harrowing event unfolded.
Trump, 78, recounted that Barron first learned about the attack when someone rushed up to him, shouting, “Barron! Barron! Your father’s been shot!”
Donald Trump reveals details of what his youngest son Barron did the moment he heard his father had been shot https://t.co/SHGk6cP1hg
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 2, 2024
The GOP presidential hopeful explained that Barron, an avid tennis player, quickly ran to his mother, Melania Trump, to find out what had happened.
Trump also shared that Melania was watching the rally live at the time and was visibly shaken when she saw the incident on screen.
“She couldn’t believe it. She was actually watching it live, can you imagine?” Trump told Levin during the interview.
“And then I get up, and I let people know I was okay,” he continued, describing how he stood up after the attack, raised his fist and called out to the crowd, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
‘Your father has been shot’: Trump details moments Melania, Barron learned of assassination attempt https://t.co/CBucc88wT9
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) September 2, 2024
Despite the near-miss, Trump called it a “miracle” that the bullet only grazed his right ear, crediting divine intervention for his survival.
Reflecting on the family’s reactions, Trump noted that Barron, whom he described as a “good kid, good student, good athlete,” was deeply concerned and rushed to his mother after hearing the news.
“He loves his father,” Trump added, emphasizing Barron’s emotional response.
Melania, who had watched the situation unfold live, was still too shaken to discuss the event.
“She can’t even talk about it, which is okay because that means she likes me,” Trump remarked.
Trump says Melania was watching the Butler rally live: “She can’t really even talk about it.” pic.twitter.com/fuoZuOOO62
— TENET Media (@watchTENETnow) July 30, 2024
The former president also mentioned his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is known for his enthusiasm for firearms.
Trump Jr. called his father after the attack, expressing disbelief that the shooter had missed from such a close distance.
“From that distance, it’s supposed to be, like, a sure thing. Like sinking a one-foot putt,” Trump said, illustrating the narrow escape.
He added, “If I turned around just a little bit less, or a little bit more… it was still the end.”
The suspect in the assassination attempt, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper after he fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle.
One rally attendee was killed, and two others were injured during the attack.
Crooks was positioned on the roof of a building less than 150 yards away from the rally site.
Last week, the FBI revealed new details about Crooks’ preparation for the attack, which included extensive planning.
Crooks had conducted over 60 internet searches related to Donald Trump, Joe Biden and various political events in the 30 days leading up to the rally, per the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.
‼️ Finally — some basic facts/details on Crooks: Trump assassination attempt: FBI reveals first photos of Thomas Crooks’ firearm, IEDs in car trunk -l https://t.co/6n3D8Mx1L4
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) August 28, 2024
Special Agent Kevin Rojek stated that Crooks had become “hyper-focused” on the Trump rally in Butler after it was announced, viewing it as a “target of opportunity.”
Investigators also discovered that Crooks had researched both Democratic and Republican political figures, making it difficult to determine a clear political motive for the attack.
“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said, as outlined by Daily Mail.
FBI Director Christopher Wray previously revealed that Crooks had searched for information on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, including the distance between Lee Harvey Oswald and Kennedy at the time of the shooting.
In addition to his research on political figures, Crooks had shown an interest in explosives, with FBI investigators finding explosive devices in his car and home.
His internet history indicated that he had been looking up information on bomb-making materials and remote detonators since at least 2019.
Despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews, the FBI has not yet determined a motive for the attack.
Investigators have also not found any evidence that Crooks had co-conspirators or that anyone else had advance knowledge of the shooting.
The FBI released images of the rifle Crooks used, along with his backpack and the improvised explosive devices found in his car, adding to the growing profile of a disturbed and dangerous individual who had meticulously planned his attack on the president.