Former President Donald Trump praised a staffer whom he credited with saving his life during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Trump, 78, spoke about a chart displayed at the rally, which he claimed played a crucial role in protecting him from a would-be assassin.
He recounted the incident from July 13th, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired a shot at him in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president highlighted the immigration chart that was displayed to his right during the rally and requested that the staffer responsible for managing the slideshow come on stage.
“She saved my life, in a sense,” Trump declared as the young woman, who remained unnamed and visibly shy, joined him at the podium.
Despite her reluctance to speak, Trump continued to praise her, calling her a “computer genius” and attributing her actions to saving his life.
Trump explained that the chart, which documents levels of illegal immigration over the years, is only used in a small percentage of his rallies and is typically positioned on his left side.
He suggested that if the chart had been in its usual position during the incident, the sniper’s bullet could have struck him directly.
The former president also shared that he usually requests the chart at the end of his speeches. He noted that the staffer was surprised he had asked for it earlier during the July 13th rally.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) previously disclosed to Fox News that he was responsible for developing the chart, which he had been working on since 2014.
Johnson mentioned that he first presented it to Trump during a plane trip and was pleased to hear that the former president found it useful.
“I’m happy to have been of service there … God works in mysterious ways,” Johnson commented.
