During a recent interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, former President Donald Trump doubled down on his assertion that it was an act of God that saved his life during the failed assassination attempt last month at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
On July 13, the Republican presidential candidate spoke to a crowd of supporters in a field when shots started ringing out. 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks sent a barrage of gunfire from a nearby rooftop, where one bullet grazed the ear of Trump, millimeters away from almost certainly claiming his life.
McGraw brought up the seeming miracle that Trump survived, pointing out that “experts said a kill shot was almost a certainty, but yet here you sit.” The television personality further questioned the former president as to whether he had wondered, “How am I here and why am I here?”
Trump noted that it was the last-second head turn he made to reference a diagram that saved his life. “The big thing was the turn,” he said. “It had to be a perfect 90-degree turn or … I wouldn’t be with you today. And I had to be looking at something to the right.”
Replying to McGraw asking Trump, Why were you spared?” The former president answered, “There had to be some great power” given the seeming impossibility of his survival in which Croosk should have easily landed a kill shot. “The only thing I can think [of] is that God loves our country and He thinks we’re going to bring our country back; He wants to bring it back.” Trump added, “It has to be God…How can you say it’s luck when it’s … 20 million to one?”
McGraw continued, “Do you believe God’s hand was in this that day?” The host also asked whether Trump believes he has “more to do, you aren’t done, you were spared for a reason?” Trump indicated that he believes he has unfinished business that God kept him alive for, stating, “God believes that, I guess.”
The Christian Tribune recently reported on other comments from Trump in which he spoke about God after the failed attempt on his life. The harrowing incident appears to have been a catalyst for Trump to deepen his faith, and he stated he is now “more of a believer.”
Recounting the shooting, Trump said, “I knew immediately that it was a bullet. I knew immediately that it was at the year. And because it, you know, it hit very hard, but hit the year. And I also heard people shout, bullets, bullets, you know, get down. Get down. Because I, you know, I moved down pretty nicely, pretty quickly, and we had bullets flying right over my head after I went down.”
“For those people who don’t believe in God, I think we got to all start thinking about that, you have to. You know, I’m a believer. Now, I’m more of a believer, I think, and a lot of people have said that to be a of great people have said that to me, actually,” Trump added.
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