President-elect Trump told Time magazine he believes that the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, helped bring more supporters to his side ahead of his decisive victory.
In an interview with Time for being named 2024 Person of The Year, Trump spoke candidly about the first attempt on his life in July, noting that it changed a lot of people's perspective on him, and maybe even their views on Divine Providence.
"I think a lot of people changed with that moment. I think a lot of people became much more religious in that moment," he told the outlet.
In a widely expected decision, Time named Trump its "Person of The Year," citing his political resurrection and tumultuous 2024.
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"For marshaling a comeback of historic proportions, for driving a once-in-a-generation political realignment, for reshaping the American presidency and altering America's role in the world, Donald Trump is Time's 2024 Person of the Year," the publication declared.
As part of the honor, the incoming president sat down with the magazine for a wide-ranging interview covering his campaign and the agenda for his second stint in the White House. The interview touched on pivotal moments on the campaign trail, including the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
In response to a question about how nearly dying changed him and others, he replied, "I try not to think about it. That was a big moment. It was a big moment. I had a big crowd."
He mentioned the size of the crowd present at the initial rally, where the shooting happened just several minutes into his speech. He also noted the crowd size at his subsequent rally there in October, which doubled as a memorial for Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the shooting.
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Time asked Trump whether he became more religious because of his close brush with death. On several occasions since the shooting, he has pointed to God as saving his life. During his Election Day victory speech, Trump told the crowd, "many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason."
Trump told Time, "I think I have family members that became more of a believer than they would have been. A lot of people, a lot of people change."
He went on to describe the day of the assassination attempt as "horrible."
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"That was — that was a horrible day, it was a horrible moment in our country, but I think it, it did change a lot of minds," he said.
Earlier in the interview, Trump mentioned the way in which the shooting changed minds and gained him new fans.
Speaking of billionaire X owner and supporter Elon Musk, he said, "He was a Democrat. And I think over time — you know, something happened when I got shot. I got called by people that weren't fans, and they became fans. And I don't view it as bravery. I view it as whatever it was that it was, you know, but, but something happened, and I think that sped up.
"I think Elon was getting there, but I think it sped up the process a lot with him and many other people," Trump added, mentioning Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg as an example.
