New Delhi: Donald Trump has publicly appreciated the Secret Service agent who killed Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old man behind the assassination attempt on the former US President at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump praised the agent, stating the sniper "took him out with one shot."
His word of appreciation came during the 78-year-old's speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, his first public appearance since the assassination attempt. In the speech, Trump vowed to deliver "the four greatest years in the history of our country" and called for unity, stating "I'm running to be president for all of America." Trump also shared details about the recent attempt on his life, saying he was grateful for the "outpouring of love and support" from Americans.
The Republican nominee was shot at on July 13 by Thomas Crooks, who allegedly used a ladder to climb a nearby building before targeting Trump with an AR-style rifle from approximately 130 yards away. The attack occurred at 6:12 pm, resulting in chaos. Trump's ear was nicked, one rally attendee was killed, and two others were injured. The Secret Service immediately reacted, shooting and killing Crooks within 26 seconds.
In an earlier interview, Donald Trump revealed that a slight turn of his head to read a chart likely saved him from the fatal bullet wound fired by Crooks, which just grazed his ear.
Trump vividly described the following moments, during which Secret Service agents sprang into action, yelling "Get down" and tackling him to the ground with force. He showed off a bruise on his arm he got when the agents grabbed him.
The Republican nominee was rushed to the hospital, where medical professionals told him that he was "supposed to be dead." The doctor described his survival as a "miracle," stating that he had never seen anyone survive an AR-15 rifle wound.
Trump praised the Secret Service for quickly taking down the shooter, describing his actions as "fantastic". He even pointed to his nose, indicating where the agents hit the shooter.