‘Fight. Fight. Fight’: Butler, the failed assassination attempt that is key to understanding Trump 2.0

Donald Trump 2.0 cannot be understood without July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. On that day, the president was reborn after surviving a gunshot from a sniper who sought to take his life in a near miracle. As he later recalled, the fact that he turned his head to read the teleprompter was what caused the bullet—intended to blow his head off—to barely graze his ear.

Beyond the mystique of surviving an assassination attempt, it was the president's actions after being shot that allowed him to appear to his supporters as an almost mythological figure. With blood splattered across his face, surrounded by members of the Secret Service—who were criticized for their role that day—the then-Republican candidate raised his fist and shouted: "Fight. Fight. Fight." That has been the slogan of the campaign—and of Trump himself—ever since.

The attack endowed Trump with an aura of being the chosen one

The shot fired by Thomas Crooks not only failed to achieve its goal of taking Donald Trump's life. It threw wide open the doors to the White House—doors that had already been ajar due to the public's perception of his rival, Joe Biden, and each of the legal cases pending against him at the time—for two reasons.

On the one hand, it further strengthened MAGA's cohesion around its leader. The attack endowed him with an aura of being the chosen one, of predestination, which deepened the bonds between the members of this movement and their leader even further, and reinforced the feeling that victory in November was practically inevitable.

A touchstone and unifying force for Republicans who had doubts about Trump

But above all, it caused people who viewed the country's trajectory with concern and looked upon Trump with resentment to see, on that day, the image of a fighting leader—"an enduring symbol of resilience, courage, & unbreakable determination," in the words of the White House—who was the opposite of the man currently leading the country.

Many independent voters or moderate Republicans who were unsure about how to cast their vote—or whether to vote at all—were moved by what happened and were drawn to Trump's candidacy.

"An enduring symbol of resilience, courage, & unbreakable determination for an entire nation"

The White House shared two posts on X summarizing the significance of the assassination attempt. One, featuring an image of Trump after getting up in Butler, read:

"Fight. Fight. Fight. 🇺🇸

Two years ago today, in Butler, PA, an assassin opened fire on President Donald J. Trump.

By the grace of God, his life was spared. As he rose to his feet - blood on his face, fist raised high - that moment became an enduring symbol of resilience, courage, & unbreakable determination for an entire nation."

"Never surrender in the fight to Make America Great Again"

Earlier, they shared a video of Trump at various moments in his life, highlighting: "July 13th stands as a reminder: never surrender in the fight to Make America Great Again."