Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito said Monday that President Donald Trump contacted her a day after the first attempt on his life, during which he explained why he chanted, “fight, fight, fight,” to his supporters.
Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13, 2024, with Zito in attendance. After Trump was pushed down by Secret Service agents, he got up and raised his fist, yelling, “fight, fight, fight,” as he did so.
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The next day, Zito received a call from Trump, who asked if she, her daughter, and son-in-law were OK after the shooting.
“He’s by himself, there’s no one with him, so it’s not like he has, like, a little crib sheet, right? And I said, ‘Are you bleeping kidding me? You’ve just been shot, and you’re asking about me?’” Zito said Monday on The Megyn Kelly Show.
Zito said she and Trump spoke “seven times” the day after, and she asked why he was chanting, “fight.” The Republican nominee said, “I wasn’t Donald Trump in that moment. I was representing the presidency.”
In a recent discussion she had with the president, Zito said he shared that he is moving “full speed ahead” in his presidency because he has “purpose.” He also said “God’s hand” was present in the attempt on his life, and he is obligated to “be the best that I can be for this country.”
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In the wake of Trump narrowly escaping death, Zito reflected on how the assassination attempt on Trump did not seem to faze him, noting that he was still able to demonstrate “strength” in the moment.
Zito’s new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, provides a firsthand account of the attempt on Trump’s life and will be released Tuesday.