Former U.S. President and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump declared that only “consequential” leaders face assassination attempts, following a foiled attack on his life last Sunday. Speaking to supporters during a town hall in Flint, Michigan, Trump addressed the recent incident at his Florida golf course, where the FBI reportedly thwarted an attempt on his life, linking the attack to his tough stance on foreign trade.
“You wonder why I got shot at, right?” Trump quipped to the enthusiastic crowd. “Only consequential presidents get shot at.” His remarks came as he resumed his campaign trail, undeterred by the event that took place just days earlier.
In a rare gesture of bipartisanship, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in the upcoming November 5 election, called him to check on his well-being after the attempted assassination. Harris, while campaigning in Pennsylvania, reiterated her stance against political violence, stating, “I told him what I have said publicly — there’s no place for political violence in our country.”
Trump’s appearance in Flint, once a powerhouse of the U.S. automotive industry, symbolized his pledge to bring back jobs to swing states like Michigan by imposing higher tariffs on car imports from Mexico and China. He suggested that these policies might have made him a target for violence, further emphasizing his determination to protect American industries.
The former president’s bold claims and his acknowledgment of Harris’s call have drawn mixed reactions, fueling conversations about the rising tensions in U.S. politics as the election draws near.
