One year from the Butler assassination attempt: How it changed the 2024 race, the MAGA movement and Trump himself
CNN
A year ago today, I stood in a massive crowd and watched as an attempted assassin opened fire on then-candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A year ago today, I watched as an attempted assassin opened fire on then-candidate Donald Trump. During the chaos and fear that unfolded — unlike anything I had previously experienced — I questioned not only if he was safe, but also if his ambitions of becoming president yet again would be forever impacted by the events of that day. The answer to both of those questions was yes. July 13, 2024, ultimately became the one of the most pivotal moments of Trump’s entire campaign. And the days that followed changed the entirety of the general election and MAGA movement. Less than 48 hours after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump named then-Sen. JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate. Three days after that, Trump took the stage triumphantly at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, wearing a bandage over an ear that had been hit by a bullet. That Sunday, then-President Joe Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race after his disastrous debate performance in June. Butler made the final stretch of the race far more personal for the president and his team, a White House official who also worked on the Trump 2024 campaign told CNN. The Trump team deliberately chose to ramp up the former president’s schedule after that, ensuring he “never missed a beat” on the trail, the official added. The goal was to show Trump was more committed than ever to winning the race.
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