LaCivita was on the Commerce lodge in Milwaukee on the night of July 13, serving to to prepare for the conference. It had been a busy few days, and there was nonetheless a number of work to do. LaCivita had simply completed enhancing movies and had Trump’s rally taking part in within the background, although he wasn’t totally paying consideration. At one level, he bought a name from his daughter, Victoria, who was additionally engaged on the marketing campaign.
“Dad,” she stated, “one thing has occurred to the president.”
The bullets got here flying from Trump’s proper. He pressed his hand to his ear, then appeared down at it, like he had been stung by a bee. Trump turned his head to the suitable on the final second; had he not, it was seemingly the bullet would have pierced his cranium and nearly actually killed him. As Trump ducked behind the rostrum, Secret Service brokers piled on prime of him. Curran got here in from the suitable, throwing himself onto the previous president to protect him.
It was chaos. Rally-goers behind Trump—a few of whom simply moments earlier than have been holding placards studying, “Joe Biden: You’re Fired!”—cowered. The brokers have been speaking to at least one one other, making an attempt to determine what was subsequent.
“What are we doing? What are we doing?”
“On three, on you. Transfer! Transfer!”
“Hawkeye’s right here,” stated one, as a helmeted officer with a submachine gun patrolled the entrance of the stage.
About 40 seconds after the primary shot was fired, considered one of them may very well be heard saying: “Shooter’s down.”
“Are we good to maneuver?”
“We’re clear! We’re clear!”
The brokers started lifting Trump up, forming a circle round him.
“Let me get my footwear,” Trump stated.
Trump’s footwear had slipped off in the course of the maelstrom. The previous president had as of late been sporting footwear made by the Swiss producer Bally. Whereas the footwear have been designed to be tied on, Trump had turned them into slip-ons.
Trump appeared to seek for them, after which stood up, wanting as if he have been in shock. Then, as his brokers tried to maneuver him off the stage, he peered out between them on the crowd. He pumped his fist thrice and stated, “Combat, combat, combat.” The viewers erupted.
The second embodied the guts of Trump’s comeback marketing campaign, and underscored the spirit of his attraction to his diehard followers. For the final 20 months, Trump had solid himself because the fighter who was clawing his means again to energy from the forces who, within the minds of him and his supporters, had unjustly taken it away from him. To his backers, Trump was the fighter who was seeking to dismantle the system that had failed them.
The element guided Trump offstage, his usually immaculately-sprayed gold hair misplaced and his bloodied MAGA hat in hand. Descending the steps, he wrapped his arms round an agent to his proper. The loyal Curran was on his left. As soon as they bought to the underside, it took the brokers one other 20 seconds to get Trump into his SUV. Earlier than getting in, he raised his arm as soon as extra.
Trump’s motorcade set off to Butler Memorial Hospital, eight miles away. The lieutenants had sprinted to the SUVs, however Cheung couldn’t discover his automotive. Wiles rolled her window down.
“Simply get in my automotive,” she stated.
Cheung bought within the passenger’s seat. Wiles, within the backseat with Scavino, bought a name from LaCivita.
“How unhealthy is it?” he requested.
“I simply don’t know,” she stated.
After pulling as much as the hospital, Wiles, Cheung, Scavino and Nauta, Trump’s physique man, headed for the emergency room. The constructing was going into lockdown. Secret Service brokers had their lengthy weapons out; nurses have been wheeling sufferers out of items so they might create a safe wing for Trump. Hospital staff then stretchered the previous president via the emergency room doorways. Trump’s bloody hat, go well with jacket and white collared shirt have been off; he was solely in an undershirt and go well with pants. His footwear, ultimately, had been left onstage; they might be retrieved by a manufacturing employee and dropped at the hospital later within the night.
“That is going to make some information,” Trump informed his crew.
After docs took Trump right into a room, the Service examined the lieutenants to make sure they weren’t wounded. So many texts and calls have been coming via, their telephones have been melting down. Members of the media have been already asking if they might land the primary interview with Trump. Others have been asking what hospital they have been at so they might ship reporters, cameramen and photographers to stake it out. Misinformation was flying. One information outlet had reached out to Cheung saying they have been going to report that Trump had handed away on the hospital. Cheung, deciding he wanted to say one thing publicly earlier than issues bought out of hand, hammered out an announcement on his telephone saying Trump was “effective.” After exhibiting it to Wiles and Scavino, he hit ship.
