Trump credits God on 1 year anniversary of attempt on his life, says ear still hurts sometimes

On July 13, 2024, a gunman with a direct line of sight was allowed to come within 150 yards of then-former President Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican Party nominee in the 2024 presidential election.

Not only did the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, set up shop atop a nearby building, he also fired eight shots before being fatally shot by a counter-sniper team. One of those shots hit Trump in the ear as he spoke at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

President Trump spoke about the failed assassination on Friday with Fox News host Will Cain during a visit to Texas with First Lady Melania Trump to survey the damage from last week’s devastating floods, crediting God with saving his life.

“I hope the reason I was saved was to save our country.”

President @realDonaldTrump speaks with @willcain in Texas about the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly a year ago. pic.twitter.com/921fZJRYwI

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 11, 2025

“Mr. President, you have children, you have a daughter, you have grandchildren. We’re approaching one year from you having a very narrow escape from death,” Cain said. “Do you think all of this in any way gives you a unique perspective on what’s happening here and what people are experiencing here in Texas?”

“Well, I went through a lot. It was a crazy time, very surreal, actually, if you want to know the truth,” Trump responded. “I have got this massive crowd of people, and all of a sudden you hear and you feel something that’s very unusual. And I got down quickly. And I was — people were screaming, get down, get down. It was a whole — the whole thing was just crazy. And it’s hard to believe a year is up.”

“And here we are. A lot of things have happened since then, including the presidency,” he continued. “So I have an obligation to do a good job, I feel, because I was really saved, I was really saved by somebody very special. People that are shooters — I’m not so much of a shooter, but people that were shooters say it’s almost impossible that that was a miss. I mean, it was a hit, but it was a miss.”

The president said he still gets a “throbbing feeling every once in a while” in his ear.

“Is that right?” Cain asked.

“Yes, a little bit,” Trump explained. “But, no, I owe a lot. And I think — I hope the reason I was saved was to save our country.”

“We had a country that was, I don’t say dead because it’s too strong, but we had a country that was really very close to being finished, in my opinion,” he said. “And now we have the hottest country in the world. That’s why I’m so saddened by this.”

For what it’s worth, the Secret Service said this week that six agents were disciplined for their actions related to the failed assassination — the penalties ranging from 10 to 42 days of leave without pay or benefits. The agents were placed into restricted duty or roles with less operational responsibility upon their return, according to CBS News.